Shona Stephenson | Ultra Runner | Trail Running | Triathlon | Ocean Swimming

What I Have Been Up Too

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:55:00 +0000

I have decided to up-date my blog site to a more dynamic and interesting site called trailrunningaustralia.com http://trailrunningaustralia.com

My blog page is called Shona's Crazy Adventure's. http://trailrunningaustralia.com/ultra-running-australia-shona-stephenson/

I have written many in-depth gear reviews http://trailrunningaustralia.com/review/ay-up-review/

I have also included my favourite recipes http://trailrunningaustralia.com/category/nutrition/

On trailrunningaustralia.com I have listed some key trail events http://trailrunningaustralia.com/upcoming-ultra-trail-running-events/

We have started a u-tube page that you can watch some awesome footage from some fun trail events that I have entered.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_i66gW5bRY

You can find my personal training site Outdoor Personal Training Sydney at http://outdoorpersonaltrainersydney.com

I have joined forces with my inov-8 International Team Mate and Training Partner Brendan Davies to form Australia's most in-depth Ultra Trail Running Camps and on-line coaching at Ultra Training Australia http://ultratrainingaustralia.com click on the link to see when our next Ultra Training Australia Camp is scheduled.

Happy Trail Running
Cheers

Shona ;-)

Sydney Trail Series Race Report

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 05:29:00 +0000

The Final Instalment for 2012

I finish the 30/50 challenge with another win. This time with my running mate and No Roads Expeditions Team Mate Beth Cardelli. I’m still sick but I’m recovering. I am still getting over my bacteria lung infection. I rest and rebuild my strength.

A week later I have been asked by my good friend from Mountain Sports Sean Greenhill to be one of the Sydney Trail Series Race Ambassador. I’m knackered, but I believe it is so important to help out the trail running community. I jump at the chance.

I’m exhausted. Like most runners, being Christmas Silly Season I’d been out on Friday night at a fundraiser to help raise money for a friends sick son Angus Higgambotham. The Help Angus Go Home trivia night was a huge success and we raised over $50,000.

I pull myself back together and I prepare myself for the tough technical 10.2km single man track race. All the big guns had turned up, Andy Lee, Brendan Davies, Gill Fowler. I was going to have to race this one hard to beat Gilli (Gill Fowler won and smashed the record for the Great North Walk 100 Miler only 2 weeks earlier).

Sydney Trail Series (STS)

The count down went off and I was kicking it up at the front. I rolled along the single man track for 2km and up the first set of many bush stairs. They stung. I let the boys who are behind me pass. I hit the top of the climb, I duck under the pipe line and I smile as I know the worst is behind me.

I scoot along the sandstone ridge top and bust out onto the wide fire trail. I am passed by another bloke but I stick with a guy and use him as my pacer. I power to the top of the climb and jump ahead of him at the first of many steep descent. I jump, bound, leap and love the free falling experience and within minutes I have landed on the banks of the Manly Dam.

I wave to Gordon one of the photographers for the day and I shoot back up the single man track, back up to the top of the ridge. I dare to look back. No females are following. I relax. I power along, and jump onto the bridge over the dam. I extend my legs and let my stride run free.

At the end of the bridge I spot my friend Jane and I ask her if there are any females behind me. “No Shona”. She excitedly replies.

I rest, relax and chill. I do what I have to do and I make it to the top of the final climb. I allow my friend Chris to pass and I roll down the final descent to the finish line in 52 minutes 16 seconds. First place was secured. I manage to win an awesome amount of prizes including $250 from Mountain Sports, $100 worth of Gift Vouchers from Footpoint Store in Mosman, Beer and Hammer Sports Nutrition.

2012 has been an amazing year. If anyone said I would achieve so much in a year I would think they were crazy. It did not all fall into my lap. I trained and worked hard for every race PB, podium or win.

I fought through shin splits at the start of the year, hence the reason for me to compete in triathlons. I had a bad hamstring injury in May. I was diagnosed with asthma in June. I suffered ligament damage in my ankle in July. To finish the year off I contracted a bacteria lung infection in November. I pushed through every obstacle and learnt from my experiences along the way.

A Year In Review

January Footpoint Trail Series Race 1 1st Female

Feb Cole Classic 2km Ocean Swim (The day after running Mt Sol not smart I sunk!).

Feb Huski Long Course Tri 98th

March Coastrek 50km Team Event 1st Place Overall New Record

April Bateman’s Bay Ultimate Tri 20th place

May Footpoint Trail Series Race 2 1st place Overall

May The North Face 100km 3rd Female

June Glow Worm Tunnel Marathon 3rd Female

July Footpoint Trail Series Race 3 2nd Female, Female Series Winner.

July Trail Running Australia Launched while I had the flu ;-)

July Mt Sol DNS Ankle Injury

August City2Surf 57:10 PB

August Oxfam Trailwalker Sydney 1st Place Overall No Roads Expeditions New Record, Andrew Lee, Jonathan Worswick, Paul Robertson.

September Coastal Classic 1st Female New Record.

September Surf Coast Century 1st Female

October Great Ocean Walk 100 1st Female New Record

November Retired Sick Bacteria Lung Infection 110km Great North Walk 100 Mile Unofficial 2nd Female 3rd Overall 100km

November 30/50 Challenge Female Team Winner No Roads Expeditions with Beth Cardelli, New Record

December Sydney Trail Series Race 1 1st Female

December Ultra Training Australia Launched.

Glow Worm Tunnel Marathon. It sounds so harmless.

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 22:33:00 +0000

I entered the Glow Worm Tunnel Marathon thinking that it should be a pretty harmless trail Marathon. Come on, it can't that be tough. All the competitors are even made to walk through the tunnel so we don't disturb the fragile Glow Worms. A 30 minute time penalty will be added to your time if you are caught running through the tunnel. Surely it can't be that bad. I watched the teaser clip on You Tube and I was hooked. How hard could it be? I've done 6 Foot Track, The North Face 100, Great North Walk, trained for Mt Solitary. I knew the first section was pretty run-able, but I was clueless after that. I had never trained in Newnes before. I'd walked through the tunnel about 13 years ago. That was the limit of my knowledge of the area. My lack of respect for the course will bite me in the end.
To start with I had a few gear malfunctions. I forgot to bring my bigger UltrAspire Surge pack. My plan was to use the light weight UltrAspire Spry pack for the first 21.1km then switch to the UltrAspire Surge for the 2nd 21.1kms. I wanted the option of being able to fill up the bladder with water. But I washed all my gear and it was drying on the back of the bathroom door and in my haste of leaving the house the day before I forgot my Surge Pack. I only bought one of my compression socks. I thought I had a pair but it was rolled up with another sock making it appear like I had a pair of my compression socks. I did not check my gear properly again not showing enough respect for The Glow Worm Tunnel Marathon that I was about to tackle. http://www.mountainsports.com.au/ms_cms/gwtm/ . Luckily to my amazement I was able to fit my waterproof jacket, thermal top, emergency blanket, gels, hydralytes and water bottle in my UltrAspire Spry pack. http://www.barefootinc.com.au/. This pack is tiny and it only weighs 178 grams. I did not have a bladder though. So I was going to be in danger of dehydration. But I could fill up with water along to way in my water bottle. So I thought I'd have enough hydration for the event.
Newnes is a special little place nestled amongst towering sandstone cliffs in the Wollomi National Park in the Wolgan Valley. It was an old coal mining town which left an amazing Glow Worm Tunnel, in the remains of an old railway line as well as many heritage listed sites around the little town. You can stay in cabins on the farm or camp.
I walked past old antique coal carriages as I dropped off my mandatory gear and lined up at the start line. I found Beth, Brendan and Mick at the start line. We wished each other good luck and after the photos were taken we we counted down from 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and we were all off and running.
I had know idea what I was in for. I usually try and find a profile of the course before I run the event so I know where the climbs are, from that I will gauge how much to leave in the tank. I, like most people who entered the race, was running blind. I was up for the challenge and I was just going to run to how I felt. So for the first 7km I went out fast and just ran to my breath. The track was flat but it climbed steadily gaining an elevation of 400m for 7kms passing over numerous streams which I had to slide down on my butt to cross. I tripped many times as I did my best to keep my pace as well as my feet as the leading female.
Close to the top I was caught by Angela Bateup. She is an Australian Long Distance Running Icon who has come 3rd and 5th in the World Mountain Running Championships so she is a legend. Angela was backing up from the team event of The North Face 100, in which she broke the record for. She has represented Australia in many disciplines from the time she was 16. I was first passed by her whilst running my first 6 Foot Track in 2010 and I was about to be passed by her again. We chatted whilst we dodged and weaved our way along the track that became more ruggered until we made it to the Glow Worm Tunnel.
At the tunnel we pulled out our head torches and slowed down to a walk. We chatted about our kids and what events we like to train for. I let her lead for her head torch was far brighter than mine. I was only carrying a tiny 35 gram head torch knowing that I had to walk through the tunnel so the light was not important. I let Angela lead the way and I tried my best to spot the Glow Worms, but we were gas bagging so loudly we probably scared them away.
The second we were out of the tunnel Angela was off and running up the rest of the climb. I chilled out a bit and I knew I would catch her on the descent and before long the terrain turned to my favour at the 11km mark and I was soon passing Angela and a couple of guys. I passed the drinks stop and through away my water bottle in the bin and headed back onto the track down the ridge to the valley where at the 20km mark where the guys and Angela caught up with me again. We all checked our Garmin and marvelled at the difference. The Garmin's were out by about 1500m.
I let Angela and the guys pass and I soon hopped across the stepping stones of the Wolgan River and then ran a grabbed my pack with my mandatory gear in it. I emptied my rubbish and threw my head torch into the transition area, (which I am sure is now lost, I am not good at check points) and headed straight back out onto the dirt road to the biggest climb of the day.
It was tough, steep and narrow. Less than a fifty centimetres separated you from a 400m fall below. If I was not racing I would have stopped and taken a photo. The view was just amazing. The steep sandstone cliffs were framed by mist. I was running through the clouds and I loved it. The climb soon became steeper and totally un -run-able. I looked up and I just saw a wall of dirt, rocks, trees and mud ahead of me. "Just keep going, Beth is coming after you". I said to myself and I pushed my hands into my quads to try to scale the steepest climb I've ever seen.
At the 25km mark the climb soon flattened and I thought I would be able to run the next section but I was greeted with the most virgin trail I have seen on a track. It was over grown and rocky. I could tell that the guys ahead of me used the trees for breaks as they descended off the huge gorge. I had nothing to hold onto as I made my way down the old creek bed. The guys had broken their way through the bush. Who's idea was it to send us through here? Is this a track? Far out man. What were they thinking? I just had to trust that the ground was clear of rocks and I was not going to break my ankle as I ran through this section. Trees, ferns and undergrowth covered the track. I caught foot on a rock and I twinge my right recovering hamstring. Bugger. It started to hurt and tighten up.
I pushed on hoping the track would become more run-able. I was soon greeted by Mick running up the final climb of the day. "Hi, well done". I encouraged.
"Hey Shona". He replied.
He was 4km ahead of me on the turn around section of the track. A few hundred meters I spotted Brendan and Tony (Fats), I soon started to worry when I saw Brendan walking. Shit, if he is walking up this climb it must be tough. "She's good" I heard Brendan say.
In my head I started to get a bit weirded out. In my low glucose state I totally mis-read his comment thinking that he meant that Angela was good not me. Clearly it was meant for me but I must have been hurting so I twisted it around to a negative. It is funny how your brain works. Its good to remember this.
I was soon out of the single man track and I spotted the final check point of the day. I quickly filled up with water and I asked, "Where's Angela? I have not seen her running back".
"There was a female in front of you but we don't know her name" They replied.
I popped 2 hydralytes into my 500ml water bottle. I was all out of my trusty Sustain mix and headed straight back out up the climb again. When I turned around I spotted Beth. "Hey Beth well done. Have you seen Angela? I have not seen her I think she is lost?" I asked a bit concerned about her.
"No I have not seen her" Beth replied. "Hey Shona watch out for snakes".
"Snakes, where?" I asked as I sped off.
Bugger, Beth has caught me. I have a huge climb ahead of me. Shit. I'm a sitting duck here. I started the climb, my knee started to hurt. I think it is a cross between my hamstring and my abductor started to play up on my right leg. I'd just run 100km 2 weeks ago so I was bound to have issues. By the 34km mark Beth caught me and soon passed me. This in a way made me smile. She got away from me at the 34km mark at TNF100 too. She is an awesome athlete. So efficient with her energy that she expends.
"Hi Shona, how are you going" She kindly asked as she passed me.
"You know me, well done". Was all I could manage. I was hurting and I hate climbing. (I later checked my heart rate over this section of the course and it was the lowest for the entire race. I am really taking the "Piss" on the climbs and I just need to harden up. It is all in my head....but was I really hurting ...was I really tired...who knows? But my heart rate dropped through this climb.)
I would like to add here that I was passed by many runners who were descending the biggest climb of the day in the opposite direction. They were all so nice to me and ever so generous to move off their descending line to make way for me as I climbed. I heard many up lifting comments by all the contenders. The entire vibe of the race was just amazing. So selfless. It was a humbling experience all the contenders really did their best to get out of my way as I climbed.
I was soon passed in the opposite direction by Beth's Husband. "Hi Shona you are going well." He encouraged.
"Beth passed me at 34km again". I replied matter a factly.
"She's just ahead" Again he encouraged. Those two together are such a nice couple. I have a soft spot for them both they are a great team. I knew she was just ahead, I was imagining her just ahead. I was hurting. My hamstrings screamed at me. I pushed my hands into my quads and just willed myself to get to the top. I found a rhythm and I started to feel better. The terrain was so ruggered it was barely runnable and I tried hard to keep my balance. Run, run, run I urged myself there is only 7kms to go.
I made it to the top and I tried to stay positive. Come on there is only 6kms to go. I did my best to run down the narrow ridge line to the valley below. This is what you love. The terrain was so technical it was through to just let go and use your agility especially when you are tried. I slid on my arse down a few section and tried to get my groove back. Come on it's down hill go, go, go. Come on you can go on crutches for two weeks after this event to recover if needed I said to myself. I have a set of crutches at my house and I use them for recovery some times. I past a marshal and asked him for some water. He refused to give me some as he only had enough for himself. Oh well, I thought and ran on.
I made it to the bottom in one piece and I soon spotted the 40km marker. I downed a gel with a few drops of remaining water in my water bottle and tried my hardest to kick it on. I soon started to either have an asthma problem or I was cramping in my chest muscles. I'd been without water for for a few kilometres and I definitely underestimated how long it would take me on the course. I was staring to show signs of dehydration.
I tried to have some ventolin whilst I was running which probably really did not work that well. My chest was feeling really tight. I was having trouble breathing. I was getting so distressed I was thinking about stopping and walking. But I dared not. I pushed on and tried to talk my way through it. Just breath, breath deeply and calm down you will be okay. I started to cry. The last 9km were so brutal. I was at my limit. My lungs just could not get enough oxygen into them. Come on it's only 2kms to go you can stop and recover at the finish. My chest was killing me. I tried to expand my chest as far as it would go, I adjusted my bra and heart rate monitor trying to give my ribs more room to move but it did not make a difference. I ran on willing to end to come. Come on it's just up ahead, you've run like this before. It's not that bad. Come on push through this.
I spotted the camp ground and I relaxed a bit. I knew the end was just ahead. I soon spotted Keisha my daughter and her friend. "Come on girls, run with me" I suggested.
With that they were off and running next to me. They were loving it. They were flying, I felt like they were running in front of me and running faster than me. This fun experience was soon destroyed with my negative thoughts. If these 7 year olds can keep up with me I must be going slow even though they were running flat out. ( I really need to practice the finishing "Run" with my daughters so we finish on the line together. I keep getting it so wrong. It's tough when you are exhausted and hurting to think straight to get the final run with your kids correct). So I dug deeper and kicked it on some more. I felt like I was going really badly. My legs felt heavy. I could see the finish line. I then turned the wrong way to then realised my mistake, then quickly had to change direction weaving back out form the cars and I was passed by two half marathon guys speeding across the finish line. I was gutted. I had no idea they were in the half marathon and not the marathon and I thought I'd lost 7th place and I was demoted to 9th position. I crossed the line and I was greeted my me good friend Beth Cardelli.
"Well done Shona, are you okay you did so well. " She asked really truly concerned of my well being. I must have looked really, really bad. I was hurting.
"Yeah I'm okay." I assured her and we hugged. I knew I was hurting and I was not feeling the best, but I really did feel okay no worse from any other event or so I thought. I really believed I was okay. But second we hugged and she took some of the weight of my body my legs gave way and I collapsed to the ground. Keisha my daughter was right beside me. The First Aid officer was soon helping me with my cramping legs and I was given fluid which and helped my with the cramps that I was experiencing in my legs. The ventolin kicked in I was placed by the fire and I was soon feeling much better. I think I was dehydrated maybe a bit of asthma...
I soon perked up and I was able to have a shower, thanks Steph & Phil....I was still having some problems.....I was pretty funny.
I loved the race. I can't wait to do it again. The Glow Worm Tunnel is a fantastic event, so well run. My kids were entertained all day. The prizes were so generous thank you Wolgan Valley Resort for the pamper pack. http://www.wolganvalley.com/wolgan-valley/en/ The catering for the event just was perfect. The course was tough but I love a challenge. I heard a rumour that the course will be run in the opposite direction next year so we will run the tough section first and the Glow Worm Tunnel Section second. I want to train in Newnes over the next school holidays. I might even do a Chick only trail running camp in the area. Anyone girls interested? I really want to go back to the Wolgan Valley again. It is just the perfect training ground.
Okay the places for the girls are as follows 1st Angela Bateup 4:26 1st female and 4th overall. Beth Cardelli 4:36 2nd Female and 5th overall and Shona Stephenson 4:47 3rd female and 7th overall. The females really held their own and were really completive. For the blokes Mick Donges was in 1st 3:39. It was nice to see Mick bounce back after TNF100, followed by Tony Fattorini 3:45 and then my mate Brendan Davies 3:58. Mick, Brendan, Beth (Current record holder of TNF100) and myself have all backed up from TNF100 only two weeks earlier. Angela completed 46km out of the TNF100 in a team and broke the record for the event. It was a star studded field and I was happy to be part of it. Both Angela and Mick are now heading to Europe to compete in various international events. I wish them both the best of luck.
My Kit for the Day.
Inov8 Roclite 285 Shoes, Injinji Socks Mid-weight, Inov8 Printed 2XU Elite Compression Shorts, Inov8 Printed 2XU Tri-Bra, Inov8 Printed 2XU Running Singlet, The North Face 100 visor, Silva Head Torch, Thermal Top , Hard Gear Water Proof Jacket, Emergency Blanket, UltrAspire Spry Pack (Although the UltrAspire Surge would have been more suitable for the 2nd half and use the Spry for the first half.) Garmin 910 watch with heart rate monitor and Tag Heuer watch to keep me connected with real time.
My Nutrition was Gu Roctanes, Sustain Hydration Mix and Hydralyte Tablets.

Check Point 5 Queen Victoria to The Finish the Fairmont Resort

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Sat, 26 May 2012 05:31:00 +0000

I ran into Check Point 5 Queen Victoria Hospital after 89km with mixed feelings. I'd lost 3th place. I had a sore knee and and I felt slightly ashamed that I could not keep the 3rd place. There was a descent crowd at the Check Point. Heaps of people were calling my name and cheering for me. I just wanted to make everyone proud by getting onto the podium. I wanted to come third or better so much.
As I entered the bag drop area I was so surprised to spot Bernadette at the food station area. I dare not look again or slow down thinking that she might see me. She should be about a kilometre up the road. What was she still doing here? I quickly found my bag. I ripped out my Hydralyte hydration bottles of my back pack and popped in my trusty old Sustain mix in one side of my back pack and chilled water into the other. I grabbed my gels and I was off and out of there in about a minute. I took my first sip of my Sustain mix and it just just gold. In my head it took the sick feeling in my gut away. It was just bliss.
I was running to the cheer of the crowd and I was back in 3rd place just like that. About thirty seconds later I was passed by Bernadette again. She was going to make me work for 3rd position. She instantly gained about twenty meters on me. Your brian is a funny thing. Your mood can change from absolute distress and disappointment in yourself and your ability to a focused super human running machine in a matter of minutes. My thoughts in my head started to tick over. I'm on this road climbing only a slight hill. My legs had a new lease of life because they found the climb so easy compared to Kedumba. My knee stopped hurting. I could run and run fast. I past by a bunch of guys in a Hotted up V8 Holden Commodore with the number plate GNW100 drove past with the entire contents of the car yelling "Go Shona". It was just the best sight and just the encouragement I needed. Being a mum of two I love to be yelled at from a car. I spotted the 90km sign. I thought to myself. I'm better than 4th. I've just won the GNW100 I hold the record for that course. I have 10km to go. I like running 10km. I ignored that I'd already run 90km and just thought about the next 10km. I have two 10km Foot Point Trail series course records. I said to myself. I want to be on the podium. My friends and family would be so proud of me if I was on the podium. Mikey and the kids Keisha and Milla want me to be on the podium. The next 10km is a technical single man track. I love running on a single man track. I'm one of the best single man track runners going around. I'm going to run down Bernadette now.
With this new lease of life I ran down Bernadette, then ran straight past her. I past another 3 guys then Bradley Vartsch who was so nice to me coming up Kedumba ran up beside me. He looked back and checked to see where Bernadette was and said. "You've got a lead and it looks like the gap is growing." He assured me. I don't know why he wanted to help me but he did.
"Thank's Mate". Was all I think I said. I just wanted to get to the single man track and hide from Bernadette. We pushed on together. He ran slightly in front of me setting the pace. I yell directions from behind helping him find his way to the single man track. We passed another guy. We were making great time. I dared not look back to see where Bernadette was. I was being hunted and I was running scared.
We hit the single man track and his pace slowed slightly. "Do you want to pass" He asked.
"Nah....wait yes". With that I was off like a maniac flying through the technical single man track and willing the descents to come thick and fast because I knew I would gain time on Bernadette the tougher the track became. I gave the track my absolute all. Telling myself that it was only 10km and I was amazing 10km runner. I past over Wentworth Falls I ran under the over hanging cliffs past the picnic grounds up and down the countless sets of stairs and I remembered what happened to me last year at the 95km mark when I was passed by a Kiwi Jean Beaumont and that I was not going to let anyone pass me this year.
I've learnt so much in a year. Last year I did not put new batteries in my head torch so my light was so crap. This year I had lithium batteries in my Led Lensor and it lit up the track so brightly. I could run at a fantastic pace using my full agility skills to manoeuvre through the sand stone maze of a track.
I climbed a set of stairs and I check to see if anyone was behind me. I spotted a head torch about 100m behind me. It was pitch black. Total darkness. I could not tell if the person behind me was a male or a female. Run, Run, Run. I pushed into my quads with my hands. I made them move fast and swiftly over the sets of uneven bush stairs. I started to breath deeper. Come one. Only 5km to go. They are hurting too. Go, Go, Go. I started to gasp for air. Getting the most out of my lungs. I could hear the tremendous effort I was exhorting. My lungs told me I was at my limit. I was gasping for air. I know that sound it is the sound of me running fast.
Run, Run, Run. I spotted the 3km to go marker then descend down 200m to Lillian's Bridge. I bounded down the stairs taking 2-3 steps at a time knowing that I still had to try and increase the gap on who ever was chasing me. I ran across the bridge and pleaded with my quads to push up this final set of steps which would continue to climb for the next 2km. I check back and I increased the gap on who ever was following me. Push, Push, Push. I push on my quads and pleaded with myself to start to run. Run, Run, Run. The boggy man is chasing you. Go. He will catch you go. I ran when I could and then had to power walk up the steps that were too steep to run and I just kept urging myself on. Go, Go, Go. I looked back and I spotted the runner only 200m behind me. Come on. You want 3rd position. Go. It's Bernadette. She is going to get you. Come on only 1500m to go that's less than 10 more minutes of pain go.
I looked up and spotted the lights of the Fairmont Resort, I ran past the green grass of the of the golf course. I could hear the music playing from the finish line and I could hear people cheering. Come on only a few more hundred meters. I ran out on the the grassy lawn of the Fairmont Resort ground and spotted the finish line. I checked behind me and there was a runner only 200m back. Run. Run. Run. I sighted Keisha and Milla at the bottom of the steps 20m from the finish line.
"Run. Keisha. Run Milla. There is someone chasing me. Run. Run. Run!" I yelled. I was worried they would get upset if I did not slow down to run with them. I got closer and I yelled again. "Run guys run. Run to the finish line, someone is chasing me, someone wants my third spot run!"
"Go Mummy." They both said and they took my cue and started to run.
They started to run but it was not fast enough I flew past them both. I pushed the last strength out of my quads up the final 10 steps and ran over the finish line with the kids running close behind. If I did not have someone on my tail I would have slowed down and ran across with them. But it was dark and I could not tell who was running behind me when you are a mum I swear you never get the perfect finish. Always torn between place and time goals and the perfect photo finish with your kids.
I was elated that I had made it onto the podium. I could not believe that I managed a personal best of 50 minutes and finished in 12 hours and 29 seconds. Mikey my husband and Sally my Barefoot Inc sponsor were at the finish line. I was so happy that I had made both my husband and my sponsors so proud of me. I felt like I have held up my end of the bargain with all the support I have received. I could not be happier. It was just the best feeling. I stood in the finishing area and allowed myself to enjoy the moment. I posed for a few photos and chatted to friends and family and just abosrbed the awesome achivement that I had accomplished. It was just the best. I stood in the lime light and I loved it. I had to make the most of it. Last year I quickly ran inside struggling for breath, sick as a dog, my lungs filled with mucous and my husband and kids were at a house somewhere else in Leura. This year I had my husband and kids here with me to share our family achievement. It was just the most perfect finish. It just took 12 hours of some of my best racing to get it.
Who was just behind me. I think it was Paul Robertson. A guy who passed me on Kedumba but I managed to run down in the last 10km.
So how did I compare to the legends of the sport. Beth Cardelli broke the women's record by 20 minutes and managed a personal best from 2010 of 57 minutes with a time of 11 hours 18 minutes. (Beth was injured in 2011 she ran Western Staes 100 Mile and finshed 11th). Former course record holder Julie Quinn came 2nd with a fantastic time of 11 hours 51 minutes only 9 minutes ahead of me. Bernadette came 4th with a solid time of 12 hours 13 minutes. I have only allowed Beth Cardelli, Julie Quinn and the World Champion Nerea Martinez times beat my time. I have the 5th fastest time for the course.
So who is Bernadette? I had an idea of who she was from reading the pre-race reports but I later googled her. She is an ultra marathon running legend who hold the course record for many track ultra events. She has run 200.886km in 24 hours. 70.406km in 6 hours. 100 Mile in 18:17:25. She is also a physiologist. I'm probably happy I did not know who she was before hand..........
My breathing and sickness? I went into the doctor with my post race symptons 6 days later still wheezing and having trouble walking up the slightlest of hills without feeling breathless and I was then diagnosed with exercised induced asthma. I have been trying to get the bottom of my condition for 3 years now. I finally think I will be able to manage it.

Check Point 4 Katoomba to Check Point 5 Queen Victoria

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:14:00 +0000

I ran in the the Katoomba Aquatic Centre feeling tired but oh so happy to be up and out of Nellies Glen. I had a huge down hill section waiting for me and I was on the home stretch with only 35kms to go. I quickly found my drop bag. I removed my water proof pants and fleece from my Solomon Advanced Skin Lab 5 Set back pack and dropped off my UltrAspire pack.
"How far ahead is Beth?" I asked the Marshals.
"10-15 Minutes". The marshal replied.
Cool with this I was off and running out of the Check point area. My pack felt tight. Immediately I hated it. I stopped and dropped it to the ground and checked to see that I had my gels. I was starting to lose my concentration a bit. I forgot that I packed everything into the pack so I would be totally organised. I just forgot how organised I was.
I put my pack back on and it again felt so tight. It was making it difficult to breathe. I undid the bottom strap and wished that I had my UltrAspire pack back on. It just felt so much lighter, softer and it fitted my body so much better. This particular Solomon pack just felt totally over engineered.
I caught up with another Kiwi guy. We chatted for a while. He, like the other Kiwi's hated the stairs. "There are a few to come." I said thinking of the Giant Staircase just up ahead.
We followed the road around Katoomba past the three sister and heaps of tourist. It felt to surreal running this 100km race and passing the tourist just going for a little walk. I felt so special running past these amazing Australian land marks and having crowds of people to cheer me on. I tossed away one of my water bottles in a bin hoping that it would give my chest more room to expand in the tight Solomon Vest like back pack.
I soon descended the Giant Stair case. I always hold the railings and try and take 2 steps at a time where possible. There were heaps of tourist on the track who kindly moved over for me acknowledging that I was in a race. I love this section of the track. I just have so much fun hooning down the stairs trying to catch myself from falling whilst trying to have a few glimpses of the view. I spotted the 70km mark. Only 30km to go I thought to myself. Your on target for a great time.
I hit the bottom of the stairs and I started to feel sick again. I have been fighting the urge to vomit for most of the day. My gut felt like it was full of mucous. I slowed to walk for a few steps. I ate some food then continued on. I was soon passed my another Pairs runner. I tried to re-focus and enjoy the ride along the single man track down to the valley floor.
I past through the Leura Forrest over a small bridge then onto the small goat track to follow the trail deeper into the valley. I then caught up with the Kiwi guy again filling up his water bottle in the creek. I did not stop to tell him that I probably would not drink out of that creek......(I hope he was okay the next day. If he was out of water here he is in trouble because there is not any water for 20km......That is why I did not tell him not to drink the water in the creek. He probably needed the fluid even though it was most likey contaminated. I will only drink out of Nellie's Glen).
I leaped over a fallen tree and I was filtered out onto a grassy meadow of the Jamison Valley. I past a marshal and stopped to have a pee. When I turned around I spotted Julie Quinn only a few hundred meters behind. I ran on. Knowing that she is an amazing climber, and I was almost defenceless on Sublime Ridge and I was going to be a sitting duck on Kedumba.
She soon caught up with me.
"Hi Shona I've been trying to catch you all day. They kept telling me that you were just up ahead. That was from the 54km mark it's almost the 75km mark." She said pretty impressed with my run so far.
"Hey Julie, I knew you were going to catch me. Well done. Beth's just up ahead. About 15 minutes". I tried to encourage her.
"I'm not running this to chase down Beth I'm just trying to finish. The next girl is just behind me. About 150m back. She looks like she is starting to hurt though". She warned me.
"Thanks Julie." I replied and we ran on together for a while. But at the first incline she started to build a gap on me. I did not panic. I just nutted out my rhythm and soon the biggest descent of 100km began and I soon caught up with Julie and then past her. I lead her for the next 5km before the biggest climb of the day started to Jamison's Creek at the 80km mark.
"Man you can run down hills". She said as she past me for the last time that day.
I smiled to myself. Knowing that I was mixing it with the best. I pulled of to the side of the track and had a nature-stop my guts were not feeling the best. I wanted to be as light as possible before I tackled Kedumba. By the time I had finished a guy ran past. I was starting to hurt and it showed. I had run 80km and I was tired. My right knee was starting to play up where my hip flexor inserted into my knee joint. My hamstrings were screaming at me. My gut felt rotten. I had just lost 2nd place and the 4th place lady Bernadette was hunting me down. I jumped up just infront of a guy running down the track near Jaimson Creek. We ran along beside each other for a few minutes hurting. The 9km climb had just begun.
"What's your goal time?" He asked
"Twelve hours." Was all I could manage.
"Just keep going and you will get there". The way he said it was just so unforgetable. It was almost straight out of one of those war movie scenes when they tell the blood soaked dying solider with his guts hanging out that he is going to be just fine when everyone knows he is stuffed as they inject morphine into his veins. He was hurting just as much as me. We both only half believed what he said about making it under the 12 hours. I looked like crap. I was slowed to a walk because my knee was starting to give me grief with every running step.
Another guy can up behind me with a beard and a red shirt. "There is a lady wearing an orange top just behind you. She is running all the hills." He warned. Knowing that I was in the places and I was just about to be knocked off the podium.
"There she is" I said looking back.
I put my head down and tried to run. I counted out my steps 12345678910, 22345678920, 32345678910, 4234567890, 523456789210, 62345678910. I then lost concentration and had to walk. I was hurting. I ate my gel and had a rest. I looked back and Bernadette was just nudging closer. I tried gain to run. 12345678910. I again could only make it up to 50 before I had to walk. By the time we had made it to the 84km mark Bernadette was next to me.
"Hi Bernadette, where are you from?" I asked trying my hardest to sound friendly. I was losing 3rd position and it hurt.
"WA" Was all she replied back. With that put her head down and ran past me up the massive 9km climb.
Bugger. I tried to run. I could only make it to 20 before I had to walk. Again my knee and my head just got in the way. So I tried to walk and run 20 steps at a time.
I started to cry. I felt like crap. The climb was huge. I felt like I had failed. I'd lost two spots on this one climb and I was not happy with myself about it. I held both women off for 40km and I lost in the last 15km. I cried. Tears rolled down my face. I won't be on the podium I thought. I felt so low. I was tired, sore and now in 4th place. Who was this Bernadette lady? I also noticed she had one of the elusive UltrAspire Omega back packs on. Bugger. I wanted one of those packs I thought as the much desired back pack disapeared off in the distance 400m ahead of me.
I past the turn off to Mt Solitary and I spotted another check point and Bernadette was just leaving it not looking so fresh. This spurred me on.
"Do you have your Thermal Top and Compass?" The marshall asked.
"Wow, I feel out of it....whhhooo. Here they are" as I found my Thermal Top and Compass. " Thermal Top and Compass, far out man I'm pretty out of it. Whhohoo". I said swaying in front of the desk.
"You still look pretty fresh." The Marshal said.
"Fresh, you've got to be kidding. This is me looking really out of it." I replied.
"Do you need any water?" They enquired.
"Nah, where were you guys last year. I ran out for 10km last year through this section." I informed them.
With this I was off and chasing down Bernadette. I again tried to run. I could only manage 50 running steps. I decided that I was just going to power walk the rest of the climb. My knee was hurting and I needed to rest. I settled into a strong rhythm.
At the top of the climb I begged myself to run. Run, run, run. Urged and I slowly got myself moving. I knew I had only 3 km to go before the next check point and I had to make to most of the fading light. I put on my head torch and made sure it was working. I fastened to my head and arranged it so it was nice and comfortable. I use Led Lensor with lithium batteries. It's nice and powerful and so light. I ran along and I tried to remind myself how far I had come in a year. At this section last year I was without water. Totally delirious and hardly able to run. This year I still had legs.
I hooned along the gravel road and tried to stay positive. My knee no longer hurt and I was starting to recover. Bernadette and Julie could only catch you on fire trails. They can't catch you on single man tracks. You are a single man track specialist. I reminded myself. There is 8km out of 11km of single man track ahead. You will chase down one of them there. Come on dig deep you just never know what is going to happen. I told myself. You have your trusty Sustain mix up ahead. I decided I now hated the Hydralyte mix. Too much glucose for my body weight and glucose needs. It is probably better for a 75-80 kilo guy not a 52 kilo girl. I really believe I use more fat now when I am running and less sugar so my nutritional needs have changed. I kicked it on past the top gates of Kedumba Track and coasted into the cheers from the crowds of Check Point 5 at Queen Victoria Hospital 89km 10 hours 29 minutes. I still had a chance of finishing in less than 12 hours. Come on Shona I said to myself.

Check Point 3 Old Ford Farm to Check Point 4 Katoomba Aquatic Centre.

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Thu, 24 May 2012 03:27:00 +0000

I ran into Check Point 3 feeling sick but happy with my time of 5 hours 54. As fast as I could I filled up with water and hydration fluid and grabbed my gels. Within 3 minutes I was off and running again.
I spotted my mate Noel again. We were both really happy to be exiting the Check Point under 6 hours. We ran on together out onto the 6 foot track and I enjoyed the company. The 6 Foot Track is special to most trail runners in NSW. It is our stomping ground and we know it well it always hurts and it always delivers some great stories so it is a special trail in my running heart.
Soon we were fed out onto a wide fire trail that slowly climbed for 6km to the base of the stairs of Nellies Glen. On this fire trail I was passed by a female runner. She was as fresh as could be and was running in the Pairs Division and had only just started 6km ago. Immediately I recognised her from last year. In 2011 this same runner had speed past me with hiking poles while I was taking a piss in the bushes. Ten meters after she hooned past me she let out the biggest scream, a huge Red Belly Black snake slithered less than a foot ahead of her.
"Going well Shona. Don't worry I'm in the Pairs" She said as she raced past.
"Hey did you not pass me last year at the exact same spot then almost step on a Red Belly Black Snake?" I asked.
We then both burst out laughing. We both could not believe that we were passing each other on the exact same place on the track and that we both remembered exactly what had happened the year before. It was a nutty day of chances. Thank goodness this year there was not a Red Belly to step on. I was feeling better now and I no longer wanted to be bitten by a snake. How your moods can change in olny 20km.
Noel dropped back a bit and I tried to catch the guy in front. The fire trail soon steepened and Noel passed me again. I followed Noel up the gorge and I soon passed him.
"I'm cramping". He grimaced and started to walk backwards."Walking backwards can sometimes help, but it is not making a difference"
"Take a salt tablet, you'll be okay" I reassured.
He was hurting and his obvious pain slowed him down. I reached the steps of Nellies and I could not have been happier. I have a love hate relationship with this section of the course. The steps are murder for your quads but they also indicate that you are close to the top. You just have to climb up 800m of them. It is the only place I would drink out of the creek it is just so beautiful and the stream is so clean. I pushed my hands into my quads and did my best to take one step per step up the massive climb. I spotted another male runner close to the top. I remembered what my friend said to me about Julie and I knew she would just keep coming. I pushed on and looked back a few times but I could not see anyone hunting me down and tried my hardest to stay focused on my goals.
Close to the top I caught the Kiwi Barefoot Inc Runner Brendon Keenan. I ran along behind him along the single man track and we soon caught up with my mate Shane.
"Hey Shane how are you going?" I asked.
"I'm cramping" He replied in pain.
"You cramped at this same spot last year. You never eat or drink enough. take a salt tablet". I replied. With that I was off and running with Brendon. We chatted and for a while and I did my best to stay with him on the climbs and before long I was able to pass him on the descent into the Katoomba Aquatic Centre.
I spotted Mikey and my two daughters Keisha and Milla standing in front of the brick Aquatic Centre holding fluro orange and yellow signs. Milla's sign read. "Go Mummy. 'Don't look back leave it all on the Track'" A quote from Racing Stripes a kids movie. Keisha's read "Go Mummy. Keep Going. Don't Quit".
A marshal came up to me and informed me that I would not have to carry my fleece or water proof pants in my back pack. Last year we had to carry the extra safty gear due to close to freezing conditions. The year the weather was so nice and warm. This must be my lucky day. Excellent, I thought. My back pack was probably a bit too small to carry the extra gear from check point 4 to the finish line. I did not have to worry about my back pack any more. Sweeeeeet!
I smiled and waved and ran into the 4th Check Point of the Day. Katoomba Aquatic Centre 65km 7 hours 24 minutes. I was feeling better. I could feel the end getting closer and I just love the next 15km.

CP2 Dunphy's Camp to CP3 6 Foot Track

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Thu, 24 May 2012 01:35:00 +0000

I ran into the Check Point 2 at Dunphy's Camp feeling good. I was on schedule for a great run. I just needed to get over Iron Pot Ridge and recover before I will start to feel more confident about my position in the race. Iron Pot Ridge is a bit of an unknown element of the race. It is a scared indigenous site and it is protected by the local indigenous land owners. You can't train on that section of the track. So you can't prepare your body for the ruggered onslaught that it gives your body. The most similar terrain that I can think of is the ascent up to Mt Solitary. I guess in a way making it "Out of Bounds" to us local runners makes it a more fair race for the interstate and international runners.
At the Check Point 2 I was asked to show my Thermal Bottoms and my maps. Bugger. I packed my thermal bottoms at the bottom of my pack so I had to empty my entire bag to get to them show the marshals then quickly repack my bag again. I ran over to the water station and again replenished my 600ml water bottle with Hydralyte Sports and then I was off.
I was feeling a bit sick. The hydration mix was not agreeing with me. I had to keep going. Julie and everyone else will be on my tail shortly. I kicked on up the wide fire trail and I spotted a bunch of chips and rice crackers on the dirt track. I giggled knowing that they were Beth's. Only Beth would be out here eating the most simple every day food items and still be running like super woman. She is amazing. She can run on almost nothing. It was a sign that she was up ahead.
The track started to climb through the most amazing bushland you could ever see. A lone stallion cantered by the track playing as a few of us runners jogged past. I was happy to say there were no cows in the area.
Before long I was at last at Iron Pot Ridge. I was all alone. Just me and the ridge. Last year this was the exact spot where Julie Quinn past me and romped to the finish line beating the World Champion Nerea Martinez with a record breaking time. This year Julie was no where in sight.
I put my head down and climbed. I was smarter this year. I was careful not to fill up with too much water before climbing up this scared indigenous ridge. Soon the track all but disappears into a trail of foot prints of the runners that have been before. I put my hands on my quads and tried my hardest to climb as fast as I could. I was stronger this year. I was able to train in the mountains more often and it was paying off. I got to the top with still no one chasing me down and I again urged myself to "Run".
I ran along the ridge hurting but so happy I was achieving my goal of beating Julie to the top. I still had a chance of getting a place. I pushed on along the trail that was a line of dotted rocks surrounded by long sliver green fluffy grasses. It was beautiful. I can see why the Indigenous land owners want to keep it in pristine condition. Iron Pot Ridge is a special place.
A kilometre or so later I spotted Beth and some other runners along the turn around section of the track.
"Well done guys". I said as I dodged and wived along the track trying my best to stay out of their way allowing them a clean run through the track. The track etiquette is to pull over for the people ahead of you.
"Doing well Shona". Beth said before she past me.
I could tell that she was about 2km ahead of me at this stage. Cool. I just wanted to see her at some point on Iron Pot. It meant that I was not doing so badly. Along the most exposed section of the track the Ingenious Land Owners sat on the rocky out crop and played the didgeridoo and tapping sticks and sang to us runners as we bounded past. It was a tricky section. The rocks can be ankle killers, and if you dare to take in the amazing view of Narrow Neck in the distance you will fall over. I felt slightly a bit rude not paying full respect to the land owners. I did thank them when I jumped from rock to rock past where they sat.
I ran to the end spotting more friends and wishing them well and a run safe. I made it to the end of Iron Pot Ridge and thanked the marshall and started to run back along the same track. I again thanked the Land Owners as I past and I soon spotted Bernadette and Julie. Who is Bernadette I thought? I knew Julie would catch me here. But who was this other female who was matching it one of the best? I was not happy. Bugger . I'm going to have to work harder to get on the podium. Have I done enough? Am I good enough to beat either Julie or Bernadette?
"Well done Bernadette, well done Julie."I then spotted my mate Matt. "Well done Mate" I said as I ran past.
Within a few hundred meters I was happy to be descending. I was all alone again and I was not going to be held up by anyone. I slid down the steepest section of the course following pink ribbons to indicate where the track was to go. This section of the course was so un-touched that there is barely a track to follow. The dirt was a lovely deep brown, and the most gorgeous long silvery green grass grew in long fluffy toughs and trees were scattered along the side of the track. I enjoyed the ride down the side of the ridge knowing that I had to make the most of my agility and go for it without getting injured. I grabbed trees as I tried to control my descent if not sliding or running but falling down into Green Gully. Last year I strained a quad through this section of the track. This year I felt good. I managed to make my way to the bottom of the gully in one piece and un injured.
At the 45km when the track began to climb again through the gum trees I started to hurt. The track was so pristine that steps were freshly cut into the soft dirt by the land owners so the trail would not be eroded and we would have a more stable footing to follow. I felt like I was in an untouched virgin forrest. Clean, pristine and remote. I climbed up the dirt cut steps and I looked up and I spotted Lisa Tamati. She was standing beside a cameraman near a dirt bike.
This was so surreal. One minute I was totally alone in the middle of the most pristine bushland the next I had a camera in my face. It was just bloody funny. They caught me off guard.
"Shona, how are you going". She asked.
"It's hurts. I'm hurting". I said as I pushed on up the dirt steps past her. Run. I urged myself. Run. With that was off and running through the bush. The trail soon widened and I started to hurt some more. I was thinking of Julie and Bernadette chasing me, hunting me down. I thought of Beth way out in front. I started to think about giving up. I felt sick in my stomach and I had a little vommy. I will always vomit after coming down a big climb if I am not feeling the best. The vomit did not really bother me. The fact that I was feeling tired and out of energy bothered me more. I had tried hard to get over Iron Pot Ridge before Julie and I was now feeling really low. I was hurting, feeling sick and tired. I wanted to give up. And who was the Bernadette person anyway?
At the 46km I looked in the long grass and wished that a snake would bite me on me ankle. I little snake bite did not seem as bad as pulling out for just feeling sick or tired. But a snake bite that could be acceptable reason for having to pull out of a race. I had my compression bandage in my pack. I've done first aid courses I know how to strap a snake bite. I was not that far from a road. I could just hop over to the road that I can see just a few hundred meters away and wave down a car and get to the local hospital. I'd get some anti-venom and I'd be up and running again in no time.
I looked around and I tried to remember how far I have come in a year. I checked my watch and saw that my splits were still okay. Not a winning split but they were still good enough to get you a respectable time. I started to count again. 12345678910, all the way up to 100. I ate some food and just wished I had my old trusty Sustain mix at the next check point. I knew I did not.
I ran out onto the road and I started the next big climb of the day a 200m climb up to Euroka Ridge along a fire trail. Again I started to count. 12345678910 all my way up to 100. I checked to see who was coming behind me and I could not see any one coming up the ridge after me. One of my great running mates warned me that Julie won't slow down she will just keep coming after you. I remembered this when I was hurting on the steep fire trail. I just had to keep going keep running and keep moving forward.
At the top of the climb I spotted three guys. I had caught up with my mate Noel.
"Back from the dead" He said to me.
"I hate climbing." I replied. It was funny. I caught him at the top of the climb. I'm really not that bad of a climber after all. I just think I am not that good. I made it to the top and I got my legs on and started running. I had to make the most of this descent and try and crawl back some time I had lost near Iron Pot. I hooned down the wide fire trail which soon turned to a road then turned right and headed through the golden grass of the Private Property of Old Ford Farm and up a final climb and into the Check Point 3, 6 Foot Track 54km 5 hours 54 minutes. I had made it over half way in under 6 hours I was stoked. I was still on track for a great time.

Narrow Neck CP1 to Dunphy's Camp CP2

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:28:00 +0000

I quickly filled re-filled up my hydration mix at Narrow Neck Check Point. Hydration and fuelling is so important in a 100km event. If you get it wrong you stop running and you are walking. In this event I had changed my nutritional strategy. I was going got use Hydralyte Sports and Gu Roctanes. I was to have a Gu Roctane every 30 minutes with water then drink my electrolyte mix every 15 minutes. I had tested it out in my last training session and it seemed to work.
I ran on wanting to get to Dunphy's Camp in less than 2 hours from here. I knew Beth and Julie were chasing me I had to push on and work hard through this exposed fire trail section of the course. The ridge was full of spectators, film crews, photographers. I felt like a move star being followed by the film crew in a 4WD up the ridge. It did not bother me. It is great that our sport is getting the exposure it deserves.
Never have I seen such a pristine day on Narrow Neck Ridge. I could see mountain ranges in the distance that I have never been able to see before. The air was so clear and clean. The sun was shining. Perfect conditions for a mountain ultra. Perfect conditions for filming an event.
I pushed on as the guys who I passed on the Golden Stairs one by one passed me on Narrow Neck. A few kilometres later a friend of mine Noel passed. "Hi Shona, Beth is not far behind". He warned me.
"I know". I replied. I knew she would catch me on Narrow Neck. We know how each other inside out. We were able to train together on 2 occasions and we had a fair idea of each others race plans. She is an amazing athlete. Her name I etched in my brain since my first 6 Foot Track 3 years ago when I first saw her fly past me up a fire trail near the Pluviometer. She is an amazing climber. So light on her feet. So strong in her mind.
I pushed on trying my best to get the most out of my injured hamstring. One of my clients leaked to a his mate (not naming names but you know who you are...hehehe )who trains with Beth that my hamstring was buggered. The information was then all over Facebook. You can't hide anywhere any more. I injured it while I was sprinting in the Foot Point Trail Series 10km only 2 weeks ago. I had to go and see my Physio for the first time in a year to get it worked on. Before the event this injury played on my conscience. I really did not know how it was going to hold up. Less than two weeks ago I could not run. I had to really nurse the injury to get to the start line of the event. I always remember Paul Roos the old Sydney Swans coach saying something like you can always tell a true athlete by the way they can work through any injury. He was talking about Tadhg Kennelly and his come back from a serious knee and shoulder injuries juste before they won the Premiership in 2006. In a way I had to prove all the non believers that I could run though anything. I'd run my first 100km Oxfam TW with 2 broken feet. (After the event I took myself to the hospital and got crutches and I was unable to run for 3 months). I could run with a hamstring strain.
My goal was to average under 6 minute pace for this section to stay ahead of Julie and Beth for as long as possible. At the 23km mark a few minutes later Beth came up next to me. She looked so strong. She had a real push through her legs that I have not seen in her before.
"Hey Beth. Well done". I said to my mate.
"Hey Shona, how are you going? You are doing so well". She encouraged.
"Just chilling". I replied. I was hurting a bit. You will always hurt when you lose first position. I dug in a bit and started to pick up my tempo again. I stayed with her for a further 2km until the 25km mark before I lost her. It took me until Tarros Ladders to catch her again. I descended the ladder as fast as I safely could. Unlike in training the ladder was an aluminium ladder with a rope cage around it preventing the runners from falling so I was as fast as ever. The trail then changed from an open fire trail back to single man track. With in a few hundred meters I was back on Beth's tail flying so fast she heard me coming and jumped out of my way. In doing her best to to not hold me up she almost injured herself as she fell into the grass next to the track.
"Beth I could have waited to pass, I was eating a gel". I yelled as gravity had it's way with me on the descent.
"Take me out why don't you Shona!" Beth yelled joking as I disappeared up the track.
I felt bad, I did not mean for her to fall. I would have waited. She is just so nice. She went out of her way to help me and I appreciate that.
On the next climb she was hot on my tail.
"Tell me when and I'll move for you" I said to her as she followed me up Mount Debert.
"Now" She said and I made some space and let her and my mate Shane pass.
At the top of the climb I spotted them again and within 50 meters I was again on their tail. This time they were ready for me and I was way more careful. I purposely cut a corner on a switch back so I did not get in their way and I was off and flying again. I was able to hold my lead as the first female until the 34km mark before Beth's strength of high cadence tempo running saw her take the lead near Breakfast Creek.
I was hurting on the climbs. I check my hydration, drank some water. Chilled out again. Took 20 walking steps walking and rested a little. I re-focused and checked my splits. I was still on time for a sub- 4 hour 38km at CP2. I just had to get up and over the next few climbs.
I hate open fire trail running. It just does my head in. It is a weakness and I have to work on it. I knew I had a tough climb coming up after the check point and I prepared my head for it.
"Run" I urged myself. I started counting out a tempo to run to 12345678910,2 2345678910, 32345678910, 42345678910, 52345678910, 62345678910, 72345678910, 82345678910, 92345678910, 102345678910. (If you are a Pt client of mine you will know this high knee drill well) .Usually by the time you get to 10 you are at the top of the climb or the climb gradient has eased.
My guts were starting to get a bit sore. I decided that I hated the Hydralyte mix and I just wanted my old trust Sustain mix but there will be none to have until CP5. It felt like there was too much glucose in it. Either that or I was sick and the mucus in my gut was sending it a bit off. I made it to the top of Lyre Bird Ridge and just tried to hold on. A few guys caught up with me and I did my best to stay with them as I ran up the final climb and slid down the steep fire trail into Dunphy's Camp. I had completed 38km in 3 hours and 56 minutes. A PB for the 38km by 10 minutes. I just hoped it will be enough to stay ahead of Julie and anyone else who was chasing me down.

TNF100 2012 Fairmont Resort to CP1 Narrow Neck

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:50:00 +0000

I was awake all night with a sinus infection. I almost went through an entire box of tissues trying to clear my airways before the start of biggest race in the Australian Ultra Running Calendar The North Face 100km (TNF100). I felt sick in my stomach. It was either nerves or I had swallowed some mucus through the night and it was sitting in my gut. It was probably a bit of both. I was not the only one who had this head cold and was still racing that day so I was not going to let it hold me back. I took my antihistamines and had my nasal spray and I was ge'd to go.

I skipped the race briefing and chose to warm up outside instead. It was so mild in the Blue Mountains this year. I took off my Inov8 bluff, started the race in just my singlet, compression shorts, bra and socks, cap and Inov8 Roclite 285 shoes plus my UltrAspire Pack, tri belt, gloves and the and all the mandatory gear and started to warm up along the road up the first hill. I always like to run up a few hills before a race. It helps pump the blood to my legs where it is soon to me needed.

The top 10 women and the top 15 males were offered a GPS tracker to wear in our packs this year. Just before the start of the race each of our names were called and we were introduced and given our GPS units. It was the first time my name has ever been called before an event. I felt like I had finally started to make an impact in the sport. The best of Australian Ultra Endurance Athletes and some special guest from NZ, the UK and South Africa had travelled to the race that day. Finally for the first time this year due to the 6 Foot Track and Mt Solitary Ultra races being canceled, we can see how we all match up against each other.

At 6:55am the count down started 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and we were off. I ran out at the front just behind the fastest International and Australian guys. I had my own race plan. A plan that worked to my strengths. I was to go out fast, but stay under my an-aerobic threshold. So the first 2km I ran at 4 minute pace and I felt great. We soon hit single man track and the pace slowed a bit before we were flung back out onto the road through the streets of Leura.

I like leading the females. I like to know who is in front of me. I run to how I feel and at that point I felt good, so I went for it. The crowd along the streets of Leura was fantastic. I was cheered by everyone as I ran through the streets. People knew my name and it felt nice. I checked back a few times and I could not spot a female who wanted to chase me down. So I relaxed into a rhythm.

We soon hit the single man track again and along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk and then started the steep descent into the Leura Forrest past the Leura Cascades. Here the pace slowed. The line of runners started to bottle neck I was starting to get held up by the guys ahead of me. I am an awesome descender. I relish anything that goes down. I have to make the most of my strengths. Last year I was held up by by the world champion Nerea Martinez. This year I was getting held up again and I was not going to let it happen. My two main threats for the top position are Beth Cardelli and Julie Quinn. I know I am faster on the descents than the both of them. They are faster than me on the climbs. So this was a descent, and a single man track so I have to run at my pace or else they will catch be before I can make a dent in the field. If you ask for advise of how to run this race most runners will tell you to take it easy in the first 20km then start to build your pace it's a long race. This would work for someone who is a great climber with amazing straight line speed. I am fairly new to the sport. I live by the sea not in the mountains so the climbs are still not my strong point. Julie lives in Canberra near the national park and Beth lives near Kuringai National Park. I live in the Inner West of Sydney near Newtown. If I want to train in the mountains I have to drive for 1-2 hours. I have to rely on my natural agility to get me through. Anywhere on the trail that is single man track I must excel.

"Guys take the steps two at a time." I suggested. "Take two at a time". No one answered and no one let me pass. "Have none of you guys been down Nellie's Glen? Take two steps at a time it's heaps faster." I again suggested. "Come on pick up the pace otherwise I'll have Julie chasing me down." I again pleaded.

"We don't have steps in New Zealand". Kristian my freshly introduced Barefoot Inc team mate said. Probably not the best way to meet your team mate demanding that he go faster or move out of the way.

With this one of my mates Shane recognised my voice and moved over and said. "First Female coming through move over for Shona". With this I had a clear run and I took the steps 2 -5 at a time depending on railing and if there was a landing at the bottom of the step of stairs or not. I was an elite gymnast as kid and I love to jump and leap and spring and use my agility to fly along the trails. I hardly feel like I am using any energy at all. I have to work to my strengths.

At last I could run at my pace and I was off down the steep descent and into the Leura Forrest. I ran on alone and I felt good. Just enjoying the ride of the Federal Pass. It took the guys 3km to catch me again near the 3 Sisters where the track climbed again and I stayed with them until the Landslide. I ran along behind them them and rested. Again the pace slowed a bit. But it was a long race and I needed to conserve my energy for the Golden Stairs that was just up ahead.

We ran on as a group and I kept checking my watch to make sure I was on track with my splits. We ran over and under trees, longs, through mud along a the track to the Golden Stair Case.

At the stairs the pace slowed down again and I sat behind the guys. But the pace felt too slow and I needed to get past them. "I've got to get past" I said. "Can I pass?". I'm not use to having to ask so much on a climb and I did not want to pass then get in their way. For the first time ever the 300m ascent of the Golden Stairs did not sting my quads like they had in the past and I asked to pass the guys again. Stairs is what I do. I'm a personal trainer and I make my clients climb stairs all day every day. The guys can pass me on the fire trail. I won't be holding them up there.

I came up the Golden Stairs without swearing or hurting too much and I was for the first time able to run up the first steep climb on Narrow Neck Road. Every training session I have ever done I have had to walk this section. My calves usually scream at me. But today I could run it. I felt good. I was focused. I then spotted a film crew with an Ultra Running Hero of mine Lisa Tamati. She was asking me how I was feeling. Too funny. I've just run 17.5km out of 100km I should be feeling great. "I feel good" I said.

I ran into CP1 Narrow Neck the 18km mark in the first female position. I was 4 minutes faster than my time from last year. I was happy. 1 hours 58 minutes. I was running on schedule for a PB.

TNF100km Bags are packed, I'm carbing up, getting my hair cut, I'm feeling good.

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:23:00 +0000

I'm all Carbed up and ready to go for the biggest race of the Trail Running Calendar, TNF (The North Face) 100km Ultra Endurance Trail Event in the Blue Mountains in 1 and 1/2 days time. I've got my gear all sorted, my nutrition is rationed out my hydration mix is organised with my water bottles. I've checked and re-checked my mandatory gear twice and my body is feeling about as good as it gets.
I have an easy day of personal training tomorrow of only 3 sessions and I only have 2 more sessions to get through tonight so I will be as fresh as I can get.
My Gear for the 100km will consist of the following;
Inov8 Roc Lite 285 Trail Shoes, Injinji performance socks, Line Breaker Compression Calf Guards, 2XU Elite Compression Shorts, Inov8 Branded 2XU Singlet, Inov8 Branded 2XU Tri Bra, TNF100 Visor, Inov8 Bluff, "Jazz Hands" Fluro Ronhill Gloves, Spi Belt, Lucky Chip (I have never lost with it), High Visibility Vest, Thermal Top, Ugly stripy blue thermal bottoms, Hard Wear Water Proof Jacket, The North Face Fleece, Water Proof Pants, Led Lensor Head Torch, Led Lensor hand torch, whistle, emergency blanket, compression bandage, Gu Roctanes, Hydralyte Sports Hydration Mix, plastic zip lock bag, maps, compass, UltrAspire Back Pack, Hydrapak Bladder , water bottles...I think that is it. I would have forgotten something.
I have to carry it all except for the Fleece and the Water Proof Pants for 100km. At the 67km mark I will probably have to carry the fleece and the water proof pants.
I will be trying to take over 50 minutes of my time from 2011 of 12 hours and 50 minutes. I think I can run faster. You will be able to track me via GPS at the below link.
http://www.trackmelive.com.au/alltrackersmap.aspx?id=10038
I have been mentally preparing myself for this for 6 months. I just have to stay focused and remember my plan and run to my advantage.

TNF Last Tough Sessions Testing Inov8 Roclite 285

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:08:00 +0000

I have the perfect end of training for The North Face 100km. On Saturday I helped out the organisers from Wild Endurance http://www.wildendurance.org.au/ 50km and 100km team event to raise money for the Wilderness Society. I was the Forerunner for the second leg CP2-CP3 21km from Katoomba to Queen Victoria Hospital (QV). I put out markers through the Furber Stairs, check the makers through the Leura Forrest and Sublime Ridge and to put out count down markers for the last 5km heading into the Queen Victoria Hospital up Kedumba to the Kings Tableland road.
I had a fantastic day. I felt great. The sun was shining and the early frost was melting and I had the dream drive from Sydney to the mountains, it only took me 1 hour and 15 minutes. Helping out Wild Endurance also meant that I got a last hit out in the Blue Mountains before I hit the taper. There is just something about running in the Blue Mountains with a back pack on then coming back to the sea level to run without a pack, everything just seems so much easier.
On the run from Katoomba to QV I past many The North Face (TNF) runners doing the same as me, everyone was out just getting in their last session before the taper began. I tested out my new Inov8 Roclite 285 and they are amazing. They are everything that I could wish for in a trail shoe. Super light. Mine being a size UK 5.5 only weigh 217 grams. The teeth like grip on the sole of the shoe locks into any surface and they have enough padding under the balls of my feet so I not feel a single rock as I descended down Sublime Ridge into the Jamison Valley. They have all the protection I need but they still feel extremely racy. On the flat it just felt so natural to kick on and run fast. Just perfect.
I also tested out the Go Pro Hero 2 on the run and I had a ball descending dow the Furber Stairs recording it on my chest brace. Stay tuned for the footage from that descent. I was happy to say that the strap did not chafe me once. I also tested my new Garmin 910. At first I was in swim mode, and it did not read my heart rate. Hey that's why you test it all out.
I tried out a new hydration formula Hydralyte Sports and generally worked my legs on the climb out of the Jamison Valley. When I arrived at the QV I spotted Marcus Warner running the next section for Wild Endurance. He was only meant to run 35km. But he ended up having to run 61km because someone removed some of the markers that I put out or checked through the Leura Forrest. It was not the best lead up for his race the next day the 10km Footpoint Trail Series Race 2 or an ideal preparation for TNF. He is a strong and experienced runner. I am sure he will pull up just fine.
I also spotted the two most amazing women at QV on a training run for TNF. Meredith Quinlan and Jess Baker out training together again. Both women broke the record for the Great North Walk (GNW) 100 Mile and they now how the record for the GNW 250km. Those two women are an unstoppable force. They both looked fresh and as fit as ever. Their presence together is so powerful, they work so well as a team. It is clear to me that all the kilometres they have put in their legs have not taken the spring from their legs. The are both bound to have a great run at TNF 100km.
After some of my usual chit chat with anyone who will listen, I jumped on my road bike and headed back 15km to Katoomba Oval where I had parked my car.
On Sunday I ran a 10km Footpoint Trail Series Race 2. http://www.footpointshoeclinic.com.au/footpoint-trail-series It is the same as the down hill version but in reverse. I was not looking forward to running an up hill event after putting so many tough kilometres in my legs the day before. The race started at Sirus Cove and followed the trail around Bradley's Head, Chowder Bay, over the Balmoral Ridge, down the stairs around the Balmoral Oval, along the Espanade then up the steep climb of Manderlay Street and finished at Alan Boarder Oval.
I lead out from the start and I was past by 2 guys who later got lost in the bush around the 4km mark. They later re-found the track but ended up running an extra 4kms. I almost went the wrong way on a few ocassions but I asked the guy my friend Keith Hong, who was running behind me where to go. I ended up winning my first ever event out right with a time of 43:12 only 14 seconds slower than my down hill time. Everyone got "Chicked" that day it was awesome. I had 4 of my personal training and bootcamp clients run the 5km event. They all surprised themselves too. It was a really fun event. I will be back in July to try and make it 3 wins in a row.
I've pulled up okay from my mad 10km sprinting though the bush and I can't wait to race TNF 100km in only 10 days time. I have realised that I can climb and I can climb fast. I can run faster than I think I can when I am pushed. Bring on TNF100km.

TNF100 Fairmont, Golden Stairs, Narrow Neck, 6 Foot Track, Nellies Glen

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 07:25:00 +0000

I had the best time for a long time running in the mountains all by myself on Saturday. The Running Wild NSW Mt Solitary Ultra 45km was cancelled due to the deluge of rain that the Sydney area received a few days before. I’d already organised my mum to look after my kids for the weekend so nothing was going to prevent me from missing an opportunity to train in the Blue Mountains.I decided to head out and train on The North Face 100 (TNF) route the Fairmont, Leura Forest, Narrow Neck, Danphy’s Camp, 6 Foot Track, Nellie Glen route, then decide how I was going and what time it was and try and find a way back to my car at the Fairmont Resort.

I started late at 11am because I had to take 2 “Make Up” personal training sessions on Saturday morning due to the wet conditions we have suffered in Sydney. So even before I started my run I had already spent 2 hours on my legs. It was just going to be one of those days for a fantastic day to run. The weather was just perfect, still really warm, no need for gloves or a beanie. I was just running in my Inov8 singlet, compression socks and shorts, visor running belt and as much of my mandatory gear I could find in my UltrAspire Surge back pack. Just perfect. I have put on weight since 6 Foot Track Training, I am a kilo heavier, but I am two kilos lighter than last year. I think I put on extra weight in my quads and glutes to carry the extra mandatory gear that is required to run in the event and keep all the runners safe.
I left the Fairmont Resort a few minutes after 11am, I had the pleasure of spotting the great runner Andrew Lee out training as I drove into the resort. Everyone was going to be out training this weekend, with only a month until the big TNF it is so important to get extra mountain training in.As soon as I headed up the hill, a local wanted to chat to me. I stopped my watch, stopped running and walked next to him while we chatted about the up coming events Wild Endurance and TNF. I think it is important to chat to as many people as possible when I am out training. Trail running is an emerging sport, and I am running though these locals back yard. I have to be respectful everyone I meet, maybe my good manners will pay off someday. If you know me personally I can talk your ear off for hours.
He turned right and I started to run and continued straight, then turned right onto Willoughby Rd and hit the bush track. I ran along the trail and I was soon spat out onto the streets of Leura for the next few kilometres before I was again on the trail at Abbey Rd near Gordon Falls. I check my maps, followed the signs and before long I was stopped again by some very confused European Tourists. They were lost and I was the only one in the vicinity carrying a map. I gave them some simple directions which they were not to pleased with. I told them to follow the Cliff Walk to Katoomba, or the Leura Falls route to the Federal pass. I don’t know what they wanted me to do. But they still had 5km to go until they were at Katoomba.
”These trails are like spaghetti, it is easy to get lost” I cautioned. I guess in Australia everything does seem further away than in Europe. I explained to them that they would be okay and told them that I was planning on doing about 60km so 5km was not really that much.
“Do you have food and water?” I questioned.
“Yes plenty”.This shut the bloke up at least. “I’m a runner, I love to run,” He then added “I’m not a navigator” He admitted.
“I know, that’s why you are lost”. With that I was off and running.I ran on before I again could not help myself I had to help out another European tourist taking photos of the Leura Cascades with a 1/2 decent camera. I lined them up and took a shot for them. They were of both a large frame so I was having a few problems fitting both them and the cascades in the shot. I showed them the shot on the view finder and I asked them if it was okay. They were satisfied with my shot and with this I was off again.
I descended the stairs to the bottom of the valley passing an annoyed Aussie mother with her young kids flying through the trails chasing after them. I stepped in a puddle and splashed mud on her.
“Thank’s a lot” She said.
“It’s just dirt it’ll wash off” I yelled behind me. I don’t know what she expected from a bush walk in the Blue Mountains after the biggest rainfall Sydney has seen for 15 years. She was going to get dirty no matter what. I really felt like saying "Toughen up princess". But I guess that would not have gone down too well. I sped on up a set of stairs and just enjoyed the freedom of running on my own at my own pace. I love descending especially on single man tracks, so when I passed through the Leura Forrest down the endless sets of stairs and onto the technical Federal Pass I hit my rhythm and enjoyed the ride. My shoes were fantastic. The more I wear my Inov8 shoes the more I love them. I have been wearing the same pair of Inov8 Roclites since December for all my long trail runs and they have looked after me. Initially I did not like them so much. They are different from regular shoes. I found them a bit too flexible at first. My feet did need to become stronger. I have built up my strength in my lower calves and my feet I just love the extra kick I have developed in my running action. My husband has commented that I look effortless when I am running. I make it look easy. I am faster than before and I can now run faster without so much effort.
My favourite Road shoes at the moment are the Inov8 f-lite 195. They are just pure freedom in a running shoe. Since I wear these shoes on the road then I swop to the Roclites on the trail I know my feet are stronger. This especially comes in handy when I am threading my way through the muddy, rocky , uneven single man track of the Federal pass. My agility has to be lightening fast to keep my speed through this section of the tack. The stability must all come from my feet and work it’s way up.
Soon I am stopped again my a group of three young Northern European guys. They are freaking out. One of them had a leech on him. The three of them were all huddled on a rock less than a meter squared. “Excuse me what should we do? A leech is on our friend? Is it dangerous?”. They did not have a lighter, they did not have salt or aeroguard, so I asked them.
“Has it attached? “. I asked as I checked my own feet and jumped up onto a rock out of the leaf litter and ferns.
“Yes” One replied.
“Just leave it on, it will drop off when it has had its fill. If you pull it off it will just bleed and you won’t be able to stop it, if you leave it on it will clot the wound when it’s finished, it won’t hurt you.” I advised. Still checking my own legs. They did not seem too pleased with this thought.
”You guys are moving too slow, run and then they won’t get on you”. With this said I was off and running. I was later than normal, starting at 11am and all the tourist were out in the tracks. I feel bad when I come running up behind them. I am a silent runner, landing on my toes, light on my feet, not making a sound. I usually scare the crap out of tourist. Sometimes I warn them calling out ahead. But I find this this can scared them just as much as just running fast up behind them. The ladies are especially frightened when I call out to warn them. I do apologise when I scoot past. I came across the Scenic Railway, and advise a pair of Chinese tourist to take the tourist broad walk, but they were determined to check the Landslide out. This impressed me. I soon came across another pair of Chinese guys who were almost at the Landslide. They asked me how far I had come and where I was going. They were really interested in what I was doing and what I was wanting to achieve, as well as what I was carrying in my back pack, and what I was wearing. I showed them the maps, and started flipping the pages, following the route I was about to do. They were pretty impressed. My goal for the day was just to complete as close to 60km as time would allow. I had already completed about 7km. I needed to be at a friends birthday party later that day too. I was on borrowed time. Everyone wanted to chat to me, and I love to talk, I love telling people about my passion and I wanted to set an example to these people of what was achievable if you trained for it. But I was losing time, I was going to be coming out of Nellies Glen in the dark if I was not careful with all my chit chat to tourist. I left the guys with this in mind and started to run again.When you are training for an event like TNF you just do the training because you have to, I just get the job done. I was on my own and this was how I liked it. I needed to sort my head out and work on my fuelling, hydration and pace. Work on my self belief. This I needed to concentrate. I started to work out which songs I would sing to myself to have the correct tempo for the flats and the climbs.
I pushed on and soon twisted my ankle whilst passing the Landslide. The trail turns from a single man track to a rocky, clay ankle killer. I tape my ankles to prevent a sprain. I am double jointed. I can click out my jaw, hip, wrist and now one ankle can click out. My knee caps use to slip around to the outside of my knee. But that had stopped the last time it popped out was after having my second child 5 years ago. I have built up a balanced muscle strength around my knees, I try not to pop my hip out , again I have built up strength in my glutes to prevent this from happening also. But my ankle is a bit of a lost cause at the moment. I did feel it pop out but it pops back in just as easily. It does hurt, but not enough to prevent me from running fast.
I carried on down the even ground. I hopped on through the landslide and soon I scared the crap out of another pair of Northern European guys as I dodged through the heath scrub just past the Landslide. I did not have enough time to warn them before I frightened them. The look on his face was of primal fear, then relief. I again apologised and headed on. I enjoyed more rolling up hills of single man track on the Federal Pass and then I stared to worry, as I crossed over three large trees that had fallen over due to the soft ground. I petrified of the possibility of leeches attaching to me as I passed over these fallen trees. I scooted over the first tree soon to be followed by another then another, then another. The final tree was almost un-passable. But I found a hole through some branches. I barged my way through but I was caught on the vines that was tangled in the tree. I tried to make the least amount of contact with the tree thinking that the longer I stayed still the higher the chance of a leech attaching to me. I scraped my knee and elbow in the branches trying to free myself but within thirty seconds I was running again and I soon came across the Golden Stair case.
TNF100km 2011 was my first ever solo 100km. I had the pleasure of running with the world best. In 2011 I managed to hold off the World Champion Nera Martinez up until this point. I just had to pass her through the Leura Forrest but she passed me on the Golden Stair Case. I was pretty proud of myself, even just running along side these professional athletes was a privilege and I cherished every minute of it. Again those stairs stung my quads but I did my best to run when I could. I came across some “Wild Endurance” Team runners. I would like thank all the organisers of these amazing events. When I am out training for TNF, I am constantly passing “Wild Endurance” runners. They are usually running the opposite way to TNF so I pass them regularly. This makes training so much safer. Especially for someone like me who has a family and can’t just train without negotiation from my parents and husband. I usually find it hard to find runners who can train when I can. I also run differently to the other top runners. They are usually amazing climbers but I am the opposite, I relish the descents. I gain valuable time running down hills lightening fast. I usually end up “Yo Yoing” runners when I am racing them, they beat me on the ups, I pass them on the downs.
I got to the top of the stairs and it took me about 2 hours with getting a bit lost adding about 500m of walking on running in my aerobic system. I made it to the gate to Narrow Neck in 2 hours 13 minutes. I felt good. I was going light on my fuelling holding off my glucose making my aerobic system work harder. I kicked on along Narrow Neck hurting a bit from my ankle twist at the Landslide. I told my pain to “Fuck off” and I started to analyse the pain and adjusted my running action to eliminate to sharp stabbing sensation I was feeling on the medial side of my right ankle. I suffer from an ankle impingement, but I ran the GNW with it. It felt the same as it did out on Narrow Neck. So I knew eventually I would block out the pain and it would just go away. Soon my body would work out that I was not going to stop so the pain receptors will just shut off. Pain is felt in the brain not the muscle. When you realise this you will be able to work through any injury. (Apart form a broken bone or a completed muscle tear, you will know when to stop).
I ran along Narrow Neck remembering the last time I was out here. It was the day the “6 Foot Track” was cancelled. I ran with my local heroes Brendan Davis, Beth Cardelli, Alex William’s, Mick Douges and many more. Only the week before I’d run 50km in a team event Coastrek and won with a new record of 6 Hours 14 minutes in gale forced southerly winds. My allergies were preventing me from breathing properly. I was in so much distress I really did think I was asthmatic. My husband and a few of my close friends were really worried about me. I then went for an exercised induced asthma test and I was cleared of asthma. I just had really bad hay fever. I then went out again with Beth for a training run after having a flu shot and I was sick, fevered with ache and pains, sweats, the works of Flu symptoms plus allergies and I failed miserably I could only complete 36km. I did just complete a Long Course Tri of 2km swim, 120km bike and a 20km run the week before in 6 hours 50 minutes, so I was not fresh.
But today I had it all under control. I am taking antihistamines everyday as a preventive and I am finally able to breath properly through my trachea. My trachea in the past would become swollen when I exercised, meaning that I was struggling to get more oxygen into my lungs. My nose would also become blocked and I would not be able to breath and run up a hill.
But I was in control for the first time in a long time, and I felt great. My legs felt like they were full of strength, and I was ready for all the climbs the Blue Mountains was going to put in my way. Last year I could not do any flat speed interval training, as it would flare up my stress fractured feet. I could not do any training on the road at all. This made it really hard when I live right in the middle of Sydney. There is concrete everywhere. But this year I could run anywhere without thought.
I ran along Narrow Neck, again the views were amazing along the wide fire trail. I was able to run up all the climbs and I soon came to the Pluviometer 25km. Some of the climbs do sting your quads and calves, but today I felt awesome. I came across two Aussie Chinese husband and wife hikers. They were so impressed when they saw me coming up the fire trail they stopped me and wanted to chat. I guess it is not often that you come across a young female running on her own in the mountains.“I want to get into extreme marathon running” The guy said to me. They were dressed head to tow in bone hiking chinos and shirts with hiking boots on. I mentioned that I was a personal trainer and that I love teaching people how to run. I told him I had a blog and he could read about trail running and the races I have completed. He was interested in what I was wearing, and the pack I was carrying. I excitedly told him about the up-coming runs that he should try. He'd heard of "Coolrunnings" I mentioned that my first trail run was "The Great Nosh". I could have chatted all day to this lovely couple but I had to keep moving if I was to get out of here in sunlight. I had a funny feeling I was going to come out of Nellies Glen with a head torch on. I ran on to the end of Narrow Neck and thought about taking a photo but the light was not good enough. I headed to the right down the single man track, descended the narrow ladder and I soon came across a pair of climbers assailing down Tarros Ladder. I felt really under pre-pared, they had full climbing gear on, helmets, harnesses, ropes. I was willing to trust the climbing spikes that I had descended a few times previous. I felt safe though. If I did slip and fall I had two people here to rescue me. Before long I was off and running again along the gorgeous single man track. I purposely packed the large compression bandage, knowing that I was running on my own. The chance of a snake bite through this area felt plausible. I just wanted to get through this section before it got too late. There are a few climbs through this section, but they are over soon enough. I was able to run over most of them. When I did slow to a walk on one of the rockier sections of the climb of Mount Derbert 30km, I just said to myself "Don't Give Up", and I was running again.
I hit the open fire trail at Medlow Gap and I immediately felt safer. The fire trail took the fear of a snake bite away, and I coasted down the hill to Breakfast Creek and I started the climb. The last time I was out training I had a "moment" here. And I was slowed to a walk for a few minutes. But today I was stronger and I was able to run the entire way over Sliprail Creek 35km up the two climbs to Bellbird Ridge, where I ate again, finished the last of my fluid. I had only consumed 2.6L of fluid in 37 kms, and I felt good.
I rolled down the incredibly steep rocky fire-trail and jogged into Danphy's Camp 38km. I drank some water and re-filled my UltrAspire Hydra-pack Bladder and my 600ml water bottle then headed on down to Green Gully. In TNF you continue on through to Iron Pot Ridge. But this is out of bounds for training. I hooned down Megalong Valley Rd and came to the Cottage at Green Gully. I was stopped by the owners of the property. They were curious about where I had been, where I was going and what I was training for. When people find out I am a personal trainer the questions just come flying. I felt obliged to answer them all I was running through their land but the sun was fading and I had to get going if I was ever going to make it back to Sydney in time for a party.
I ran along the fire trail and followed the road straight up a massive climb of 300m. I ate and chugged into my rhythm straight up the climb. I felt good and just concentrated on my legs and keeping them strong. This climb always hurts but it is over in 3km. I just punched through all the way to the top of Euroka Ridge. When I was at the top and waved to the farmers and some other local of the area. I then stopped and took advantage of the warm a setting sun light. I posed for a self photo and then kicked on down the descent into the Megalong Valley. Any "6 Foot Track" Runner will know this section well. I turned right onto the 6 Foot Track and followed Nellies Glen Road for 8km back towards Katoomba. The sun was setting and I was surprised when I saw a pair of hikers heading out from Nellies Glen near one of the locked gates."How far to the Cox's River?" One asked.
"It's 15km from the start, we are about 7km in so you have 7-8km to go, do you have head torches?" I asked.
"Nahhh, we will be right we will just camp when it gets dark". He replied.
The land in between basically Nellies Glen and the Cox's River of the Megalong Valley is private land. Technically he will need permission to camp there. I was not want to be in his shoes later on that night. I pushed on myself knowing that it was soon going to be dark. I heard my phone go off. I stopped and sent a text to my friend and my husband telling them where I was and that I was about to come up Nellies Glen. I switched my head torch on and ran up the fire trail. Again this is a steep climb that hurts like hell, before it just hurts some more when the trail narrows down to single man track. I had not had the opportunity to train under ahead torch since August Oxfam. GNW I did not need one. So this was perfect training for me.
Coming up out of Nellies Glen in the dark all by yourself plays havoc with your brain. I was convinced that there was someone lurking in the bushes. A crazy hermit, living close to the fresh water source of Nellies Glen, hiding amongst the small creek caves. Adrenaline is an amazing thing, I was flying, hardly noticing the burning in my quads. Breathing heavily as I climbed up the wet narrow creek bed. I was so frightened, I kept checking behind me to see if I was being followed. Any noise I heard in the bush was being investigated. The sound of the creek washing into the vegetation freaked the pants off me before I realised it was just the sound of the water washing through leaves, not a monster about to grab me. I soon pulled my head back together. I realised that I was a sitting duck to any attacker that may be living in this gully. There was no way out if I did come across someone. But reason came back into my thoughts. If there was a crazy hermit living down here he probably did not have a job. If he did not have a job, and he did not have an address to get dole payments, then he probably could not afford batteries for in his torch, and he had run out of batteries, sohe was in the dark with no light and I would blind him with my head torch if he came to attack me. Nice thinking? Always look on the bright side....
The steps of Nellies Glen never looked so good. I was close to the top and I was going to get out. I pushed up the massive set of bush stairs, only allowing one step for every stair and I was soon out on the fire trail at the start of the "6 Foot Track". I ran out onto the Western HWY, put on my high vis vest and headed back to Katoomba. I felt great, I had a kick on in my run and I was doing really well. I followed the footpath along the road. I checked my Garmin and it said I had completed 57km. I'd already completed 7km that morning and I needed to get back to Sydney to see my friend and Husband back at a party. I was worried that I would not be able to get a taxi at Katoomba. I was worried that I was going to take too long running to get back to my car. I hooned along the path and I then spotted my way out.

I saw a young girl with "P" plates on a car start her car. I asked her. "Can I have a lift to Leura or where ever you are going so I can get back to Sydney?" I asked. I told her what I have been doing for the past 7.5 hours, 6.5 hours of running. I chatted to people through out the day for an hour.

Her dad soon got into the car and he dropped her off at her work and then he did the nicest thing, he dropped me back at my car at the Fairmont Resort. After finding my car, with it's door ajar and unlocked I must to have left it opened, I was so happy my car started first time and nothing was stolen. I then drove home back to Sydney, jumped in the shower and I was at the party my 8:30pm. I do have good luck. Or is it just good karma.

TNF100km Training Session Roc Lite 268 UltrAspire Surge

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:18:00 +0000

I headed out with a new training buddy Beth from Katoomba on Easter Sunday. I almost called the session off. I'd had the Flu shot on the Wednesday before the Easter long weekend in the hope to safe guard myself against the Flu virus with TNF and other events coming up. I was feeling a bit sick, with flu like symptoms, but I did not want to let my new mate down. I guess that is why you schedule in training sessions with friends, they make sure you complete your training goal.

Our intended training run was to head out from Katoomba, down into the Leura Forrest, over Sublime Ridge, up Kedumba, across the Kings Tableland, through Wentworth Falls , past the Fairmont Resort and back to Katoomba and depending on how we were feeling add on another 15km to make it a 50km plus session. Both Beth and I were not feeling the best. She had only just completed 60km on the Friday, and I was feeling a bit feverish. It was a foggy morning, not too cold, as soon as we ran off the ridge and entered the Leura Forrest I was stripping down to just my sports Bra, compression shorts and socks. The mountains were warmer than the year before, and this surprised us both. We cruised down through the Leura Forrest and hooned out onto Sublime Ridge where we enjoyed the long descents into the Jamison Valley. We past Leura Creek and started the climb up onto Sublime Ridge, before we again descended to Jamison Creek before we started the real climb of the day. I was feeling feverish, my head felt hot and cold all at once. I was not feeling the best but I had enough energy to completed the session. My goal for the day was just to climb with Beth. She is one of the best climbers going around. Her cadence is extremely high, like a humming bird and she just can turn her stride rate up to propel herself up the long 9km climb.

I am so use to training by myself that it was really weird training with someone matching your pace for every step. I did my best to stay with her and by the time we made it to the Swine Fence close to the top of the climb I was achieving my goal. On my feet I was wearing Inov8 Roc Lite 268. They are just great, perfect grip, enough protection for my speedy descents and enough traction for the climbs. I wear compression shorts and compression socks. I tape my ankles and my big toe where I have lost a toe nail from my last training run in the mountains. I even tape one of my big toe straight. I'm rehabbing it at the moment. My Inov8 road shoes, Inov8 f-lite 195 and 230 are helping realign my big toe whilst running around the city.

The compression socks help with the blood flow back up to my heart from my feet. I use to get pooling of blood under the balls of my feet. I would loose circulation under the balls of my feet and then not be able to feel my big toe. Since I have been wearing compression socks I don't suffer from this annoying side effect of running on my toes.

Two weeks ago I was sent off for a lung function test. I was concerned that I may have been developing exercised induce asthma. My results came back all clear for asthma. However it did show that I had a narrowing in my trachea when I exercised. I have to now go for allergy test, to see what could be causing this reaction when I exercise. When I breath heavily whilst running up long climbs you can hear me struggling to get enough air through to my lungs. I am finding antihistamines and anti-inflamatries are helping relieve this sensation. (I never take anti-inflamatries whilst exercising, I always will take them the day or night before an event to refuse the risk of a stomach bleed). I did not take them before this training run, I probably should have considering I have just had the Flu shot. But at the moment I feel like I don't have a plan. I know my allergies are holding me back. So with this feeling and with the flu like symptoms I was doing well to be staying with Beth up the Kedumba climb. I need to sort out this problem before TNF100km so I can breathe normally when racing.

We made it to the top and ate some food. We both ate together. I was eating Gu Roctanes and Beth was eating rice crackers. We are different runners, with different strengths. Beth is so talented, she is like a rabbit when she runs, hopping her way along the track. We past the old Queen Victoria Hospital and headed towards the Fairmont Resort. Beth filled up with water at a house. I was wearing my UltrAspire Surge caring 2.6L so I had enough water for the time being. I was really surprised that I could fit in so much of my mandatory TNF100 gear in my pack. Head Torch, thermal top, thermal pant, wet weather jacket, bandage, phone, whistle, laminated maps, Hydra-pack bladder 2L, high visibility vest, plus my gels and hydration mix in a separate 600ml bottle. The only things I was missing were my water proof pants, fleece, back up head torch and emergency blanket and jiffy fire litters and matches. But I think I could possible fit them in if needed. The UltrAspire Omega, is a better choice for TNF100. But this pack the UltrAspire Surge, is a good choice for early on in the race, when you usually don't have to carry the fleece and water proof pants. (Last year we all had to pick up our water proof pants and fleece at Katoomba Aquatic Centre, the officials also do a spot check along the course to make sure you are carrying your two head torches). I had my gloves and beanie on my running belt so they were easily accessible when I was running. I could even fit my running singlet in the back compartment with my maps. I ran with my sports bra on, and lathered my back, underarms with Paw Paw ointment and I only chaffed a small amount on my front where I forgot to put the paw paw ointment. The pack fits perfectly to my small frame, and it barely moves when I run.

I was feeling a bit flat, the flu shot was catching up with me. Last Sunday I had just completed my second Long Course Triathlon, a 2km swim, 120km Bike Ride and a 20km Run. I managed a 20th place, I was 2nd last out of the swim and I just had to work my butt off to ride and run everyone down. It took me 6 hours and 50 minutes. I had gut issues during the run, and it took my longer to recover from the Tri than expected. I had gastro for a two days, so it was probably not wise to get the Flu shot and then attempt a 50plus training run the week after the longest Tri I had ever completed. But there is never a good time to get the Flu shot and life is not perfect, you have to take your chances to train when they come up.

We ran along the Kings Tableland then headed back onto the single man track back towards the Fairmont Resort. It is a really good idea to familiarise yourself with this part of the track. In TNF this section will probably be completed under head torches. Last year in my first solo 100km, only my second 100km event I made a few rookie mistakes. I forgot to change my batteries in my head torch. I'd run out of water 10km back and I hit the wall. I was in the worse way possible. I remember a runner giving me some of their water, then another runner made me get my back up torch out and use it. I was a real mess. I can't wait to attempt it again, but with a years more experience hoping I'm a better climber, and that I have my nutrition and hydration sorted out.

Beth and I headed back through the bush and past Wentworth Falls and followed the signs to Conservation Hut. Beth was relieved that I knew my way through this section of the course, as it can be very tricky. It is a spaghetti land of trail around this section. But if you just follow the signs to Conservation Hut you will be okay. Last year I spent most of my time lost whilst training. It's nice to come back this year and cut out heaps of time just though my navigation skills. We then followed the trail to Edinburgh Castle then down to Lillian's Glen then over Lillian's Bridge where we then climbed back up to the Plateau along a kilometre of bush stairs across a broad walk then we spotted the golf course and re-enacted the finish in to the Fairmont Resort.

We were then disgusted by a group six of the Fairmont Resort guest who were riding on two wheeled electric scooters. It was the total opposite of what I am about. I'm a personal trainer, my job is to get people moving. I was shocked that these people could not be bothered walking 500m from the hotel to get to the bush track. No wonder Australia is the fattest nation in the world. Sometimes I feel like I am fighting a loosing battle against obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

I always find it hard to start up again after leaving the Fairmont Resort. It is the finish of TNF so I feel I should be finishing here. Running on the road again just does my head in. I was feeling lethargic, sweaty and run down. My breathing was starting to get harder as I could feel my throat getting swollen and running on the road is so boring. It's hard to add on extra kilometres at the end of a run to make up distance for your goal time, and Beth mentioned that she might just stop at her house and let me run on by myself. She had already completed enough training for the weekend. With all this in mind my heart just was not in the training session.

We ran along Sublime Point Road and after consulting the maps turned onto Willoughby Rd and stopped at the sign to take some pictures. I love this section of the track, the views are amazing. The Three Sisters are visible and the amazing beauty of the sand stone cliffs are showcased from this vantage point on the track. We descended a set of stairs to then climb straight back up another set, and we were then ejected back onto the streets. Again the thought of running on the roads did my head in. I am so happy this is the start of the race. Here I said out loud "I feel so bad". I must have said it in such a way that Beth immediately replied. "Oh Shona, you poor thing, let's find our way back the quickest way via the roads". It's funny my guard was let down. I was tired, feeling sick, I had a temperature, my joints were starting to ache, I felt like crap and I just did not want to risk getting really sick. I'd rather cut this training session short 14km , still be able to complete my job as a personal trainer with 30 sessions of face time a week, plus my own training and then come back next week and complete a 60km training run when I am feeling better.

I pulled out my maps and we then decided on a route to run back the quickest way possible. Beth was so nice to me. She lead the way, chatted to me trying to take my mind off my rotten illness. I kept checking the maps, seeing where we were, those maps acted like a security blanket. I could concentrate on them and take my mind of how I was feeling. I had a bad day out there. We were 2km from her house but I was adamant that I had to know exactly where I was. It must be a coping mechanism that I have from training on my own. Quiet often I will go out by myself for 60km and run by myself, just me, the bush, my maps and my head. We ended up completing 36km plus in 4 hours and 11 minutes, including navigational pauses water stoppages....

Beth made me a hot chocolate, fed me some lollies, gave me a cookie whilst her dog Jack demanded a pat by growling at me constantly and resting his head in my lap. Normally after one of those training runs I am buzzing off the wall, and I have trouble sleeping. Whilst driving on the way home from the Blue Mountains back to Sydney, I was almost fell asleep at the wheel and I had to try my hardest to stay awake and alert. I was shattered. When I arrived home, I could barely muster the strength to get out of the car. I was lethargic, feverish and just plain old sick. I just needed to rest and get my energy levels back up again.

Bateman's Bay Ultimate Tri and Inov8 f-lite 230

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 01:37:00 +0000

I geared up for my longest Triathlon ever in the Bateman's Bay Ultimate Triathlon of 2km swim, 120km bike ride and a 20km run,as part of my cross training for THF 100km. It was t be my second Triathlon.

I knew I was going to be on my legs for a long time, and what better training for me than to have to chase down an entire field of people.

The swim leg is the first leg of the event and it is my weakest leg. This time I had a new wet suit, and I hoped that it would help improve my swim leg. It was a mass start of about 240 people entering the water at once the guys and the girls all starting together. This did not bother me. I had a wet suit on and I was more buoyant. I'd only swam with a wetty once before, a week earlier and I found it much easier so I was hopping that I would improve my time.

The siren went and we were off and running into the water. I ran into the water of Bateman's Bay up to my hip then took a few dives before I started to swim. One of my coaches said to go out as fast as you can for twenty five meters then recover. This should get me into a better position in the pack and hopefully reduce drag and I will get pulled along with the main pack.

I did my best to swim as fast as I could, but the murky water with no visibility just did my head in. From the start I was having problems with my navigation and my head space. I need to see where I am going to feel comfortable in the water. I could not see a thing, the water was brown and there was not way of navigating from the sea bed below, to navigate I had to keep lifting my head to spot the buoy whilst trying to swim. I hated it, but that's life and we don't just get to do what we want all the time.

Then the funniest thing happened, everyone stood up and started to run. We hit a sand bar, and it was shallow enough to run for 20m. I loved this, and it gave me a chance to rest and recover. Before long the sand bar disappeared and I was swimming again. The wet suit was great, I was so buoyant and it was so easy to kick, but the arms began to get heavy with the lifting and stretching of the wetsuit fabric. My arms started to burn, and I had to resort to breathing every second stroke and just hoped the pain would go away. I passed the first buoy and turned left to swim to the second buoy. I tried to put my head down and find a rhythm that I could hold for the 2km and attempt to breath every 3rd stroke. I soon found out that my navigation was crap due to my inexperience and the murky water and I would find myself five metres of course. It was better for me to breathe every second stroke and to check my position than to breathe every 3rd and go off course. I soon passed the second buoy, and then the 3rd buoy, and past the start finish line to complete the first lap of the two lap course.

By the time I passed the start and finish line I was at the back of the pack and I was just thankful that I had not gotten lapped. I swam on throughout the murky water, ran over the sand bar and swam again. I was determined that I was not going to come last. I knew my speed was better when I breathed every 3 strokes, but with nothing to line up with in the soupy water I kept going off course and I was just so frustrated with myself and my broken arm. My left arm has been broken three times and the third time it was not set properly, so it is on a 66 degrees angle. When I was free styling I would always over steer towards the right, and would soon find myself on my own five metres off course in the murky water with nothing to navigate from on the sea bed. I'm just learning how to swim correctly and I just have not got the knack of it yet so my unbalanced body sends me a off course to the right if I can't see anything below to line up my position.

I passed the 1500m buoy and tried my hardest to think about my stroke and work on my kick. I was close to last and I was adamant I was not going to be that last person out of the water. I passed the finishing buoy and I turned on my kick. My feet hit sand and I started to run. I passed some mates who cheered for me as I exited the beach and ran across into transition.

I was knackered, but so happy to be out of the water, my legs were flying and I was so proud of myself to have achieved a personal best in the 2km swim by over a minute, 46:03. I could have been so much faster if my head was in the right place, but hey a PB is PB. I was second last female, fourth last out of the water.

I got out of my wetty, put on my helmet and sunglasses, sat on my towel, ate a gel, drank some sustain, dried my feet put on my socks, cleats and tri belt, checked that I had not forgotten anything , turned on my Garmin bike computer and ran out of transition.

I felt good, I was on my bike and I had set myself strict goals. I had to keep my heart rate over 155 bpm for the entire 120km. The bike leg ran along the coast from Bateman's Bay to Broulee Heads, near the airport then it turned around and returned back to Bateman's Bay. It was a 60km loop so we had to compete 2 laps. The first 17km was cruel, creasty rolling hills. I passed about 4 people within the first five kilometres. The next 13km were flat, with a slight climb. Again my legs could handle more strain than my competitors and I continues to pass people as I put my head down and concentrated at keeping my speed as close to 30km as possible. I turned the bike around at the airport and did my best to keep my speed at 32kms per hour for the next 13 kilometres. I was passing people the entire way, and I was unsure of the drafting rule, so I pulled out of the other competitors draft zone to pass. I soon learned from the officials that this was called blocking. I was blocking the traffic that was driving beside the race. I was confused, but as long as I was not yellow carded or worse off red carded and end up in the penalty box or disqualified I was happy.

I then hit the climbs, and continued to pass people for the next 17kms. Climbing up the steep hills my speed would reduce to as low as 10km/hour in some sections but riding down them I would be able to reach speeds of over 60km/hour. On one particular descent I was almost run off the road by a truck, and I missed out on gaining the best advantage from the long roller coaster of a descent .

I was so happy to see the start of the event at the 60km mark and just knuckled into my rhythm to climb for the next 17kms back out again. The farthest I'd ever been before on my bike was 83km. I was riding almost 50% more. But I knew that if I just kept my heart rate in cardio, I would be able to have some legs after the 120km of the bike, to run 20km even on this cresty course.

I hit the flat and did my best to spot riders in front of me and ride past them. I soon made it to the turn around and started my final straight back. I switched to a bigger gear and tried to ride at 34km an hour for the next 13kms. At the end of the straight I caught a group of people , grabbed some dextro hydration mix, as I was out of Sustain and Hydralytes and started the last of the 17kms of climbing. I realised I was heavy from the extra litre of hydration added to my bike, so I tipped out half of it and rode up over the 17kms of crests back to Bateman's Bay.

I descended the last hill and dismounted my bike and ran into the transition area. I covered the 120km in 4 hours and 17 minutes. Averaging 28kms per hour. I was stoked with my time, as it was a tough course , even the leaders had to resort to using a low gear to conquer some the climbs. I hung up my bike, threw off my helmet, sunglasses, and cleats and put on my Inov8 f-lite 230, inov8 cap, grabbed my nutritional pack full of hydralytes and Gu Roctanes and started to run. I felt great, unleashed. I bounded out to the transition and started my 20km run. I felt great, my shoes were awesome, the Inov8 f-lites 230 were nice and light and I was flying. I was bounding past all my competitors. The first kilometre was 4:07, my 2nd was 4:27, 3rd 4:30, 4th 4:44, 5th 5:10, 6th 4:49, 7th 4:55, then my battery on my Garmin ran out and I was lost. I had no way of telling how fast I was going. I was not even wearing a back up watch. I spotted Mikey my husband and he said I was flying. I was passing people all the time and I felt great.

I ran around the Start Finish Line and proceeded to start my second lap. I must have slowed down too much and my digestive system started to kick in. 3kms later the cramps were unbearable and I started to loose the spring in my legs. I ran across the bridge and spotted a SES volunteer. "Is that a public toilet?" I asked almost pleading. "Yes, I think it could not have come soon enough" He replied, almost laughing at me. I ran into the toilet and dressed my Tri suit and relieved myself. Never before in a race have I ever had such gut issues. I am blaming the French meal Mikey suggested we have the night before. I ate too much protein and not enough basic carbs. What made it worse was that the meal was a tomato based broth, the acid from the tomatoes must be mixing with the lactic acid from my exercise and I then have been adding a acidic tasting dextro energy drink on top. My gut was in agony.

I got out of the toilet in quick time, and I continued to run down competitors in front of me. It is a tough run the 20km after a 120km bike and 2km swim. No hills, or descents just straight flat footpath. But is is boring and I needed to set myself a heart rate goal. I felt sick, and my cramps kept coming in waves, so I could not push too hard in fear that I would lose my guts. My watch had lost it battery and I ended up just cruising the final 7km back to the finish. I still caught people right up to the finishing line, and I finished in 1:42 including transition. It was to a good time, and I will have to do more brick sessions to improve this.

I spotted Mikey and I gave him my medal and towel, and headed straight to the port -a -loos. My gut was in a bad way. How was I going to drive back to Sydney. After I had finished in the toilet, I grabbed my bike and things and walked back to the car, got changed, I went to the toilet yet again then proceeded onto buying some hot chips and strawberry milk. I ate the hot chips slowly whilst I drove Mikey back to Sydney. I may as well practice my concentration, I was going to have to concentrate for 12 hours for the North Face 100km in a few weeks time, so the drive was a nice way to train my brain.

My gut was screwed, I informed Mikey that I was going to need a toilet before we get back to Sydney. To cut a long story short , my gut was shocking for the next day and it took me so much longer to recover. I gave my all on the bike, I but I need to get all three disciplines right to move up the field. I managed a 20th place out of 44 women and 4th in my Category. It took my 6 hours and 50 minutes. It is only my second tri, and I love competing in them because they have helped me stay nice and lean throughout summer. I am injury free, no hamstring strains, no stress fractures, no ITB band or hip issues. I really have to put it down the the cross training that I have been doing across the swim, bike and run. I think completing in the Triathlons will help me be a better trail runner, it just works my cardio so hard and it challenges me mentally. I start at the back of the pack and I have to ride or run everyone down.

Bateman's Bay Ultimate Tri Final Training Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:01:00 +0000

Bateman's Bay Ultimate Triathlon is to be my 2nd Tri. Again it is a long course Tri consisting of 2km swim, 120km bike and a 20km run. My goal is to beat my swim leg of 47 min and my run leg of 1 hour 36 minutes and to harden up on the bike (Hardening up on the bike is much like hardening up on hill climbing when you are running).

The start of the Tri will be a mass start of 900 people entering the water at once. This will either scare the shi#t out of me, or get my adrenalin pumping. I think it will suit me more putting me up amongst the better athletes rather than being in the 2nd last wave like my first Tri. I am looking forward to this new crazy challenge of a beast of a swimming pack starting like a huge uncontrollable tidal wave. It shall be interesting. Thank goodness I have just bought a new wetty.

I have a brand new wet suit that I tried out on the weekend swimming about 1km along the Shelly Beach to Manly Broad Walk Return and a few extra hundred metres to get use to my wetty. The first thing I noticed was that I did not need to kick my legs to stay buoyant, I was able to just float in the water with just the wetty keeping my a float. My legs will be used for speed.

I think this will make the 2km swim a breeze down at Bateman's Bay. The 2nd thing I noticed was that within only a few hundred metre my neck was chaffed raw, and I lost a fair amount of skin from my neck. I will have to wear body glide or paw paw ointment around my neck, wrist and ankles. I also did not have the wetty pulled up high enough so it did drag on my neck, so I have to make sure I pull it up my legs more. I may even cut a inch or two off the hem to allow for me to get out of it more easily in transition.

The ocean swim, or bay swim for me in training was a bit nerve-racking. The wild life beneath the sea was just amazing. Huge schools of fish, kelp, and a few baby sharks were spotted as I made my way along the edge of the bay. I was just so distracted by what was going on underneath the surface that I was having trouble concentrating on my stroke. I am still learning how to swim properly and i have just joined a squad session a week plus I attend a stroke correction session a week.

I have one every bent arm that I broke if 3 times when I was a kid. The first time I broke it when I fell off the fence in the backyard of my suburban house in Turramurra when I was about 5, the second time I broke it was only 6 weeks later when I fell out of the bath whilst my mum answered the phone. "Saty in the bath" She said to me. So what did I do? I stood up on the side of the bath and slipped and fell on the hard tiled floor. The third time I broke it showing off, as a ten year old attempting a roundoff back flip in front of school friends. I was staying at a friends house for a sleep over for a few days and I did not want to go home, so I put up with the pain of a broken arm for two days before I told any one about it. I told my Mum when I arrived home and I eventually went to the doctor, and the doctor said that I was not in enough pain, so it must not be a break, even though the x-ray showed clearly I had a broken elbow. I'd broken my arm twice before and no one could remember what it looked like previous to the accident. My elbow was never re-set and I still have a angle of 66 degrees pointing away from my body or up when I straighten my arm. It took my gymnastic coach to pick up the break, and I was then sent to specialist....to cut a long story short, I was still good enough to become an elite gymnast, even with my crappy bent arm but not good enough to make it any further.

This arm does not make a good swimming arm for full extension or technique in the water or power for the pull under the water. Finally my swimming coaches are just starting to realise what they are dealing with when I am swimming, and we are working on the angle that I put my arm into the water. If I straighten my arm on the surface of the water, my arm points up at a 66 degrees angle to the sky, totally in the wrong direction to where I need it to be pointed. But hey, that's life and I will be able to work around it.

That arm has given me so much more than just grief, it has taught me how to toughen up, work through the pain and believe that anything is possible as long as you work hard enough and do the training. Every time I think or mention my arm, I look at it like a gift. It has helped make me into the person I am today. I love showing people, it looks pretty bad, and no I can't straighten it, that is straight. Check out the picture below.

Whilst swimming near Fairy Bower,at Shelly Beach I stopped and chatted to a middle aged swimmer and her friend. I had decide that I was not going to swim the full distance to Manly, I had just spotted two baby sharks and I felt extremely vulnerable in my seal like brand new wet suit. I felt like a shark snack.The lady was swimming with her girlfriend who was recovering from a stroke. She could not walk but she could swim. She had swum that route for 20 years once a week and she just enjoys is so much that she just had to continue on with the ritual that she loved. Swimming was a form of exercise she could still preform and her friend felt free in the water. She was looking after her girlfriend making sure she was safe, as her friend was disabled from the side effects of the stroke. I chatted to this lady for a little while about my new wetty, health and fitness and started to swim back towards Shelly beach when the husband of the stroke effected lady came over for a chat. This entire scene just amused me. Here we all were in the bay, swimming along enjoying the most amazing scenery having a chat about health and fitness just like we were on the side of the road. But we were all in this bay swimming along this amazing swim route like it was the most natural thing in the world. The water was so clear and clean I could not believe I have never swam that route before. I had scuba dived around that area, but never really swam in it .

I expressed to the Husband my goal, and that I was turning back because I was a bit distracted by my fears.

"I spotted two baby sharks over there", I gestured out towards the opening of the bay.

"They won't hurt you". He assured me. This I knew he was right. It was just my head that was letting me down. So I decided to go on and finish my initial goal and I swam all the way to the point, just before Manly beach and I then swam back towards Shelly Beach again. I passed the ladies again and thanked them for distracting me from my fears. Because of them I went on and achieved my goal. I thought the stroke effected lady was just an inspiration. She made my bent arm look like a well angled ore.

To finish off my final weekend of training, I'd complete small bush way with me kids and a 13km run and on the Sunday 60km bike ride around West Head over rolling cresting hills and down to Akuna Bay, with a nice 9km climb out, then West Head Circuit again, followed by a 5km sprint along a trail in my Inov8 f-Lite 195. I felt good. Just a week of resting as much as I can with over thirty face sessions a week with personal training and bootcamp clients. Life is pretty good.

Oxfam TW Sydney Team Work Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:32:00 +0000

Oxfam Tw Sydney is tough. The first 60km are murder there are over 12 major climbs on mostly on single man track climbing bush stairs. The start is just cruel, climbing straight up to elveation of 200m in the first 10km. But with the correct training, preparation, nutrition and hydration you will be able to finish this rewarding event.

Team Event

Oxfam TW is a team event. If you do not finish as a team your time does not count. You need to work together as a team to have the best experience over the 100km. Delegate jobs to all team members. Navigation, Hydration, Fuelling and Timekeeping tasks are to be divided up between the team.

Navigation.

Map reading, and GPS positioning are a skill that is needed in your team. Assign this task to the best person for the job. The person should always run with a map in my had. Constantly cross referencing their position to land marks on the trail. Look for creek, street, and track crossings. Also gauge position from power lines that are over head. Wear a Garmin GPS watch or any GPS watch to tell the team how many kilometres you have covered or watch also gives me pace /kilometre too. The Navigator will be constantly communicating with the Timekeeper and their other team mates.

Hydration.

Oxfam TW Sydney is in the last week of August. The temperature usually reached about 24 degrees.

This sounds like perfect exercise weather. However, you and your team are emerging from training in winter. So this sudden increase in temperature can play havoc with either you or a team mate.

Drink fluids every 15 minutes. This is done by having small sips out of a hydration pack. Drinking too much water without enough salt in it is dangerous too, and will only make you feel sick.

It is encouraged to drink every 15 minutes, and have hydralyte tables on hand to have every 30-60 minutes or Salt tablets can be taken every hour. This keeps your electrolytes at a nice level allowing your muscles to function, preventing cramping and helping for your body to sweat properly.

1L of water should be drunk for every Hour of exercise that has taken place.

Hydralyte Icy Pols are fantastic to have at the check points.

They cool your core temperature down and hydrate you at the same time.

Carry 2L of water on you.

Fuelling

The first 60km of Oxfam TW are brutal. 60km of climbing in and out of gorges works your anaerobic system to the maximum. You are burning so many calories, and most of them from glucose. Your legs are burning and it just hurts.

If you fuel your body correctly you will be able to continue on for the next 40km.

I encourage my clients to eat every 30-40minutes. My experience has shown me that any less eating than this only leads to your body running out of glycogen in your muscles and you "Hit the Wall".

The fuel needs to be easily absorbed. I recommend energy gels. They take a while to get use to, but it is too hard to do it any other way and this is what works for me.

After 3 hours of exercise pushing your body to its limits, your digestive system starts to shut down because your blood is delegated out to your legs. So your body will not be able to break down any solid food. If you try and eat a cookie or a chocolate bar you may end up feeling sick.

Eat a gel every 30-40 minutes.

If you and your team mates have enough glucose to run and for your brain to function properly it will be a much nicer and safer experience for all. You will have less falls, and you will have less personality clashes between team mates. Running low on glucose will mean that team mates will get grumpy. So avoid unnecessary lows, and look after your body by keeping your glucose stores high.

Caffeine should be limited to 30-35mg per gel. Any more than this I have found makes some people aggressive.

Caffeine is great as it increases your muscular endurance by up to 28%. But have small doses regularly.

Eat well and you will preform better, safer and you will have more fun over the 100km.

Time Keeping or Goal Setting

Time Keeping or goal setting should be put under the same heading. Set small achievable goals for the team to work towards. Remind them of the team goal, and keep everyones mind focused on the what team goal is.

Goals can range from pace per kilometre goal, 5km, 10km , or check point goals, then the ultimate 100km goal.

For the race, I set the 100km at the pace of the hardest section of the track that is complied twice. For example if we train from Mt Kuringai to Brooklyn Return. What ever the pace per kilometre that the team achieved for that section of training I take the pace and extent it to the 100km.

The time keeper then will work out the pace for every kilometre and times it out over all the sections of the course.

The Timekeeper will keep the team focused on the goals of the team and will make sure the team makes it to the check points in the time frame set.

Mental Challenge.

Oxfam TW is 50% physical and 50% mental. Self belief is the most important aspect of completing the 100km course. You can always run or walk twice as far as you think you can. I usually only train up to around the 60km mark before a 100km event I'd rather avoid injury and be fresher for the event.

The training your body for an event like Oxfam TW is as much physical as it is mental training. Understanding what your body is going through and knowing that you were able to work through many problems that were faced in the training means that the event will run more smoothly and you are stronger for all your training. Believe in your training and know that the training is enough.

It is a mental challenge for the team as a whole too. You have to look after your team mates. Care for the person struggling the most. You can only go as fast as your slowest team mate. So if you look after each other you will go faster. You may know you can make it to the end, but not believe that your team mate can get to the end too, so you have to work together as a team, communicate regally and believe in each other and know that your entire team will do it for the each other no matter what. That is how you will make it to the end as a strong team of four.

Team Rotation.

There are natural leaders, followers and team players. There will be a difference in fitness levels in the group also. However it is so important to rotate the team formation on the track to keep everyone's brains a break, or to look after a team mate who keeps falling behind.

The hardest position is actually at the back. So put the strongest person at the back. They will be feeling great and constantly chatting and communicating to their team mates.

Put the slowest person at the front, they will push harder knowing that their team mates are just behind them , supporting them and encouraging them up every climb.

Then rotate the team between every check point or climb, to swop positions around. Everyone will be feeling strong at some point and weak at another point. Switching positions in the group will also help with team bonding. Allowing everyone to really get to know each other.

Switching team positions and staying together as a group also means that everyone can check on their team mates, making sure they are eating, drinking and are safe on the track. The teams that look out for each other will finish together as a team.

6 Foot Track 2012 Cancelled. Katoomba Aquatic Centre, Narrow Neck Circ Instead

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:56:00 +0000

Over 700 runners were gutted on Thursday the 8th of March. All the training and the opportunities that come from running in the world famous race, the 6 Foot Track Marathon, were washed down the Cox's River. It was the first time in the races' 24 year history that the race had to be cancelled. I really admire the race director Colin Jeftha and the Rural Fire Fighters, they put our safety first, in the end that is all that counts.

The 6 Foot Track 45km race was cancelled but I would never miss a chance to run in the mountains. I booked it in with my family so I was going no matter what. So when the race was cancelled I started to get organised. With the help of Facebook and my many Facebook friends, a group of about 50 runners was rallied together to meet at the Katoomba Aquatic Centre . There were runners of all different abilities, from the ultra fast Brendan, Alex, Beth, Ewan, Campbell, Marc, through to the solid runners of Kevin, Naomi, Jodie and then the back of the pack for the day only, Mia and Nagire.

I grouped my girls together on Facebook informing them that I was leaving a map with Mia. Naomi, Jodie and Nagire had never been on that section of the Blue Mountains before so I knew they would be nervous. With the 6 Foot Track being cancelled I knew there would be about 300 runners roaming the mountains on the TNF 100km track getting in some early training.

It was going to be the safest day in the history of trail running to train in the mountains that day. There were runners everywhere, all enjoying the friendly race between friends. Mia and I ran from our hotel to the Katoomba Aquatic Centre. I was on auto pilot enjoying the cool mountain temperatures of 11 degrees running to Katoomba Oval instead, but I soon realised my mistake and we headed back to the Aquatic Centre. Runners slowly started to appear, one by one we all meet up and started to chat and grouped ourselves into running ability. I introduced Mia to Naomi, Jodie and Nagire. Mia had a detailed, laminated map of the route so I knew she would be okay and would not get lost.

I meet up with Marc and he introduced me again to Beth. We chatted and knew that we would all be running together. All the big guns started to appear and the unofficial 6 Foot Track Race began. I had no idea where to go, I thought we were taking a different route but we soon were following the road out to Narrow Neck. After 10 minutes of running I had to strip down to my brand new Inov8 running Tri-Top, thanks to Barefoot Inc. I was head to toe in Inov8, Inov8 Cap, Inov8 Bra, and Inov8 compression shorts, Inov8 Roc Lite 268 Shoes, I was supporting my brand, running for my chosen code, Inov8 and Barefoot Running Inc. I think Brendan wanted an outfit made up for him too. Brendan managed to obtain a 2012 6 Foot Running T-shirt from Colin Jeftha on his feet he wore Inov8 Talons 212. I was wearing the UltrAspire Surge pack, with 2L of water in the Hydrapack and a further 1.2L of Hydration mix in 2 plastic bottles with pop top lids.

We rolled down the hills of Narrow Neck Rd and soon hit the fire trail of Glenraphael Drive at the first CP of the TNF 100km. We hit the climbs and immediately I realised that I was carrying way more water than anyone else. I was a bit clueless on where I could re-fill so I was carrying enough water for the entire 45km loop. This did not really bother me that much. Training for TNF is tough and the mandatory gear list is insane. I will end up having to carry over 10% of my body weight in gear so carrying extra water will just help me to build the strength that will be needed to survive the race.

I have been in following Beth's form for the past few years. She always seems to fly past me whilst climbing up to the Pluviometer in the 6 Foot Track. So, if I could just climb as fast as her I may be able to get a great result in any event that I enter. It's great to have her back on the circuit as she is such a lovely person and an amazing athlete. On this training run my goal was just to try to stick with her for as long as possible. We hit the first climb and she gained 5m on me, we hit the second climb and she gained more. For the next 10km, I did my best just to keep her in sight and to try and make up ground where possible. I felt a bit silly carrying extra fluid in my pack but I knew it was going to pay off in May.

I followed her until we reached the Pluviometer at Bushwalkers Hill. She had gained about 150m on me.

I was suddenly surprised when I came across the leading guys in the group, they had all stopped and were waiting for the guys to go to the toilet that was located there and for all of us to catch up, a few seconds later we were joined by Marc. He too was also heavy with water and suffering from asthma. We all chatted for a while and then when everyone was finished we started running again together as a group, gas bagging and enjoying the roller coaster of descent until we reached Clear Hill. I had been fighting of hay fever for the past week. When we stopped I had a few puffs of my ventolin hoping it would improve my breathing. As group we all continued on for a few more kilometres then we stopped and took in the amazing view and just had to take a few photos. I was formally introduced to Alex. An amazing young runner also on the Inov8 team, Brendan, Alex and I then posed for a Team Inov8 Photo.
After this intermission we hit the single man track and I giggled to myself as Brendan asked me the way. I thought he'd know these mountains like the back of his hand. We ran along together having a ball, we soon caught up with the others and started our descent down Tarros Ladder.

Last year I had to conquer these climbing spikes all on my own, freaking out, hoping that I would not slip with my maps in my mouth and my then heavy pack on my back, feeling really unstable, trusting the spikes and myself not to fail. The climbing spikes are pinned into the cliff face about one meter apart. This year I felt as safe as could be in a large group of people. I'd been down them before and I knew I'd be safe. When we all made it down the 10m of ladders, we were joined by Kevin, he took a photo from the cliff top. We waved to them standing above and then headed off not wanting to be caught by the next group. Our completive nature took over.

The shoe of the day was definitely Inov8 Talons 212. Their tread was unmistakable in the soft trails. Brendan, Alex and a few of the others had them on, and I had on the Inov8 Roc Lite 268. They are a good lite weight racing and entry level shoe to minimalist running. Inov8's are just so good over rocky uneven terrain. I could trust my Roc Lites no matter where I put my foot. They treated me well on the descents, gripped to the rocky outcrops at Mt Debert and dried quickly at all the creek crossings. They ate into the fire trails and I felt great all day in them.

After Mt Debert we again re-grouped again at Medlow Gap, we lost Marc and Alex who vanished from the trail and took time to find it again. I was not used to all the stop starting that we were doing, I usually train on my own, trying to keep the group together it was just allowing the lactic acid (Hydrogen Ions) to build in my legs. We then climbed out of the valley past Breakfast Creek, Sliprail Creek and then headed up to Lyrebird Ridge. Here I had a little moment, all the super speedy had gone on ahead and it was just Beth, Marc and Myself left. I was feeling a bit flat and I had to slow to walk for twenty steps. I rested for a bit, ate my food, made sure I was hydrated and then worked my way back into a run to catch Beth and Marc at the top of the climb. I thanked them for waiting for me but they assured me that they only stopped to eat. I was buoyed by this, thinking that I was not doing as bad as I thought.

We ran along in our group of three when we picked up another runner, Christian. He had stopped to pee and the others had run on. We picked him up and he ran with us, he was hurting but still looked okay. We hit the top of the climb and made our huge descent down to Danphy's Camp. Beth ran on and filled up with water. I had enough, for the entire 42km plus kilometres so did Marc and Christian. We soon rejoined Beth and headed down Megalong Valley Rd, past a farm. I started to freak out, there was livestock near the track. Beth said it just horses. "I am afraid of cows" I admitted.
We did spook one of the horses so we slowed to a walk so we did not upset it any further. We then hit the climb out of Green Gully up to Euroka Ridge. Again Marc and Beth gained some distance on me. I stopped and walked for twenty steps, ate some food and re-hydrated, then started my run up the ridge to catch them. I was feeling tired, I think the 50km Coastrek the week before was starting to catch up with me but I pushed this self doubt out of my head and did my best to catch the others. At the top I caught up with them and was ready to descend as fast as I could down to the start of the 6 Foot Track on Megalong Valley Rd. I took off and Beth followed, we had a ball chatting together about training, nutrition and running. At the bottom Beth and I had to wait a while for the boys to catch up. They were not as fast as us on the descents.

We waved to a group of three females on the trail and wished them good luck as they ran past. When the boys caught up I handed everyone a gastrolyte. Beth, Marc and Christian all downed a fizzy tablet. We chatted about GNW100km (Great North Walk 100km) and how I was drinking three Hydralytes at every check point. Beth was concerned, "Man how many did you have?" She quizzed me.

"I was only following the directions, it say three per half and hour". I replied." I thought that on a hot day I could down three at every check point, it added up to way less than three per thirty minutes". Too funny, I must have looked hilarious, the check points were about 30km apart and it was about 27 degrees out on the track, hydration and keeping cool was the most important factor of the GNW. You had to carry at least 3L of water, so when I came into the CP's I was needing some replenishment in the form of Hydralyte Icy pols. They were just gold.

We hit the single man track of the 6 Foot Track and again we passed more runners. It was highway of trail runners out there, people were running all over the place. We waved, cheered and well wished all the other runners. We soon caught the group of girls and spotted a few mates and headed up towards Nellies Glen. It was the first time that I did not notice the climb to Nellies Glen, the fire trail up to the base of the Glen usually always kills me but this year I did not feel it. I only started to feel the climb when the trail narrowed to a single man track. Christian ran straight past me and Beth, then Beth like the rabbit that she is hopped her way up the track and was soon out of sight. Bugger, I'd lost her. I ate again and tucked into my running walking rhythm. I soon reached the stairs and promised myself to only take one step per stair as I climbed the thousand odd stairs out of the Gully. I passed a runner two thirds of the way up. I pointed straight up, and suggested that he should just get it over and done with.

"Training for TNF? Just go, don't stop" I encouraged. He was knackered. I soon lost him and was up on the plateau running towards the Katoomba Aquatic centre.

I did not have a map and I was left alone. I had to use my intuition and my memory of the trail from a year ago to find my way through the single man spaghetti land of tracks. I followed the trail almost tripping over, willing myself to stay focused. "Keep your eyes on the prize", words came into my head. Too funny, these word were from kids movies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
I then ran out on to a street, turned left, and then followed a sign that said "Pedestrian Access", scooted along a wire fence and out onto a wide street. I ran to the top of the hill and I was soon amazed by the sight of Beth and Christian running out onto the road in front of me. They must have taken a wrong turn adding about 100m to their journey. I watched Beth and Christian fly down the hill and I smiled to myself, knowing that I had stayed with them and I was catching them on the final descent. They finished and turned around and spotted me immediately. When we finished I was only 5m behind. I still had more to give.

"You guys must have taken a wrong turn" I said. "Where are the others?" I asked expecting the speedy guys to be already here waiting for us.
Marc soon appeared, he was not feeling the best, his asthma was playing up, he grabbed a lift off another runner on the track at the top of Nellies Glen.
Okay, now the story of the other runners (speedy guys) is that they all got lost near Danphy's Creek and added 8km onto their run. They then calculated that if they ran to where the Megalong Valley Rd meets the 6 Foot Track then it would be about the same distance run as us. They then called for help from friends and family and they were all deeply sadden that they did not have to climb 800m of elevation out of Nellies Glen. The 42km took us 4 hours and 10 minutes. So we were happy with the pace, it was a friendly, so we all could have run faster and we had Nellie's Glen Climb at the 40km.
Naomi and Jodie managed the entire route in a solid time about 5 hours of running and Mia got her period when she was out there. I don't know how but she always manages it. And Nagire had a dangerously low iron blood count so she was a champion to even finish it. She also had a ITB injury flare up at the 40km mark. They were both looked after by the un-official 6 Foot Track sweepers. Two guys had come out on the track that day with first aid packs to sweep the track, give directions and to generally look after everyone's safety. Whoever you are, thank you for looking after my mates. I think you two are the reason why I love trail running so much. We do all look after each other out there, from sharing a gel, water, salt tablet or offering a lift to someone to get them home safely. We do genuinely care for each other.
I personally had the best day, I was able to run with all my local heroes, I just feel so humbled that I was invited to run with them.

Coastrek 50km Record Winning Time

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:28:00 +0000

(I have to excuse the above pic, it was torrential rain, and my husband only has one good camera, and he had to shoot a wedding the following day so he used his crappy iPhone.)

I was going for 3 records in 3 trail races when I was lining up for the start of Coastrek Trek 50km, a trail event that runs from Palm Beach to Balmoral Beach to help raise one million dollars for the Fred Hallow Foundation.
I had the best team of four, Brian, Jeff, Renae and myself . Renae and I already hold the course record with a time of 7 Hours 42 minutes. I guessed we were going to be pushed this year and a time closer to 6 hours and 30 minutes will get us first position. I knew with the right team, I could get across the line close to the 6 hour mark. I hand picked my team mates. I was so was fortunate that Renae knew a super fast runner, Brian, who narrowly beat me at City2Surf 2011 (I did have the flu, he he he), and I then found another strong runner, in one of my bootcamps, Jeff. Jeff is a machine, and he can run a Marathon in 3 Hours 24 minutes, without knowing how to properly fuel himself, and Brian ran the Blackmores Marathon, his first ever Marathon, in 3 hours 41 minutes in scorching temperatures of 37 C. So my boys were strong and the girls, Renae and myself are great mates, and we would do anything for each other. Our kids go to school together. Renae and I love to head out to the mountains and get lost , have an adventure and then live to tell the tale.

I set a time goal for our team of 6.5 hours, taking the splits from the slowest training session, knowing that you can only go as fast as your slowest team mate. My husband was on support crew, I warned my team mates that there was going to be swearing, and to ignore Mikey and Me, as I get a bit temperamental coming into the check points, especially the first one. It is something I need to work on. I'm a control freak, and I am not use to leaving things in other peoples hands. Also, I hate to generalise, but husbands never listen to exactly what you say, and Mikey has an uncanny ability to tune out to the tone of my voice. So there is always a communication break down between Mikey and myself. But this year, thanks to Barefoot Running Inc, http://www.barefootinc.com.au/?gclid=CPrhybqe064CFQYdpAod5ma8bw I was given two UltrAspire packs to try, which I love, and with all my other hydration packs that I have accumulated over the past 3 years, my team had enough packs to do a bag swop at the only check point. So bags, hydration and nutrition were totally pre-packed the night before, all we had to do was put one pack down and pick the check point 1 pack up. I also had a secret weapon on the check points, Mia, my Oxfam and Coastrek Team mate from 2011. I spoke to her before the event, and CC'd her in the many emails were sent with support crew check list of what to do when the runners come in. So for once I felt like I was in good hands.

The rain was torrential at Palm Beach for the 6:30am, at the start of Coastrek. We were told to prepare for the wet. Due to the climate of Sydney in March, Race Day being 21C, and the access to the course from the roads, I thought it was safe enough to say that A Cap was sufficient wet weather gear for the race that day. We lined up at the front, my team, plus 2 more teams of 4 females which I had been training since October.
I had 3 teams entered under the Great Outdoor Runners name, we are a motley crew of mum's, chicks, party animals and blokes who half of the team of 12, have never really run in an event like this before except for Renae ,Gemma , Jane, Margaret K, Margaret C and Myself.
The count down went off, 10, 9, 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, and we were off with a cheer, along the sand and quickly off the sand and onto the nature strip at the back of the sand dunes. We were in the lead and I wanted to keep it that way. Renae was nervous, she is always nervous, her anxiety gets to her. But this year, I told her it was just adrenaline and to use it. Off we went, out in front and we ran past Palm Beach, the first of 20 Beaches to be crossed for the day and up a set of slippery wooded stairs. There was a fit looking group dressed in blue behind us. One of their team members left his group and ran with us. I ran up the first step of stairs passing my team mates and waited for them at the top, looking back to see who was coming up behind.

Renae was struggling a bit, she had been ill with the flu only the week before, and was a champion to be even at the start line. I took note of her exertion rate as I ran across the road and up the drive way through to the nature reserve. I waited again for my team and noticed that Renae was hurting. I ran along side of her. I lifted her heavy back pack up with my right arm, taking all the weight of gels and water in my right arm. The Blue Guy ran with me, but when I got Renae onto the single man track, I told her to push. "Let's get some distance between us and them, I want a beach between us, then we can rest, we are going to have to work hard for a bit now, run, take little steps, push". Renae being an absolute fighter, pushed, she ran, and we were soon out of the track onto another steep climb on a road. She needed to rest. "Walk 20 , run 20 until we make it to the top". That we did and we hit the top and the Blue Team were out of sight.

"Well done guys, but we need more distance between us and them, release your breaks and roll down this hill, let's go". We rolled off the top of the Hill at Little Head, Palm Beach and rolled into Whale Beach, ran down the stairs, calling to the 100km event racers who left 30 minutes before us "Runners, on your right.Thank you. Sorry, Well Done" Half apologising, half asking permission to pass, as we scooted down the slippery stairs to Whale Beach.

We hit the sand and we were running, Brian and Jeff out the front myself and Renae in the back. The Blue Guy, Mick, caught us again, leaving his own team mates 50 m behind and ran with us along Whale Beach chatting. "I'm just us here trying to find out your tactics". He cheekily said.

"Our tactic is to stay together and work as a team". I bluntly replied. Imagine someone trying to give me shit? (If you knew me a person this would make you laugh). We compared Oxfam and 6 Foot Track Times, and I decided that he was going to be tough to beat. We hit the climb out of Whale beach and Mick ran straight past us, proving that he was the business, but soon had to walk. I again helped Renae with the weight of her pack up the climb, staying with her, chatting with her, encouraging her , reassuring her and reminding her, that she could do it and she was more than good enough. Renae, had to walk, 20 on and 20 off running and walking, until we soon caught and past Mick.

"Guys, slow down a bit, just a bit, and let Renae warm up". I shouted to Jeff and Brian. The two guys were so powerful and they were just doing it so easy at the front. We then rolled down the hill and chatted about the pace we were running at. We felt good, Mick's team mates were no where to be seen. We headed straight up another set of stairs, the biggest climb of the day, again trying to be as polite as possible to the 100km Racers.
I'm petrified of leeches, and I was stuck walking behind Renae. I probably pushed her harder than she would normally climb, just so I could get out of the rainforest and away from the possibility of a leech attack. When ever there was a flatfish section, I said to Renae,"Run, take small steps and run it, you can do it, flush out the lactic acid in your legs, go, go, go". Renae had me as her personal cheer squad for every step she took, I just wanted to get out of the leech farm.

The boys were are the top, and they took the wrong turn, "Wrong Way!" I shouted, with Mick just behind us. "Renae let's keep going they will soon catch us", and Renae flew down the single man track using all her agility not to slip on the flooded bush stairs. We ignored the photographer wanting us to stop and pose for a shot and flew down the remaining bush stairs and descended the grassy headland of Bangalley Head, past the multi million dollar houses, and out onto the road towards Avalon.

This year the course had changed, including more beaches than ever before. More than 10km of sand had to be crossed out of the 50kms of the course, and Avalon Beach was the first beach to be crossed. I kept checking for the Blue team to follow us out onto the beach and they were no where to be seen. Excellent. I have my beach. Cool we can recover. The tide was low, and the sand was thankfully wet from all the rain, so the sand running was much easier than expected. But it still not as fast as running on grass or concrete, and when the waves come in they wet your shoes, and no matter what shoes you wear they will always be heavier than running dry. The beaches are more exposed than running on the foot paths, and on the event day there was a strong gale forced southerly blowing. It felt like we were running in a wind tunnel.

We ran along Avalon Beach pushing into the wind, waved to the Coastrek Staff, and headed up the climb between the houses towards Bilgola. Again Renae was slow on the climbs. I grabbed Renae's bag and exclaimed "What have you got in here? It weighs a tone!" While I was running, I started emptying out the contents. A bandana, strapping shape, bandaids, gels, compeed blister pads, hydralytes, 500ml water bottle filled with hydralyte mix, plus 2L of water. I even saw tampons in there, but I left them alone, and started to put the remain contents into my bag. I emptied the extra water out and stored the container in my pack. I think I took 700grams off her back. Jeff helped me store the hydralytes in his pack also.

While we were reorganising ourselves the persistent Blue Team showed up on our tails again. Bugger. Jeff and I looked at each other and ran. We flew down the hill, I was going so fast and distracted by them being on my tail that I over shot the turn off to Bilgola Beach. My team mates called me back and we bounded down the stairs again calling, thanking, well wishing and apologising as we passed the 100km Racers. We hit the beach and again Mick left his team mates, I turned back and noticed they were suffering on the descents. We crossed Bilgola Beach along the sand dunes, and entered the car park on the other side. I sent Brian and Jeff up the stairs as I stayed with Renae. Mick followed us up.

"Did you run along Avalon Beach? I did not see you run along Avalon Beach? Or did you run along the foot path?" I probed.

"I ran along the path just like everyone else, I ran along the Yellow Brick Road" He said. "Everyone else went that way".

"We did not, the course had changed, you have to run along Avalon Beach this year." I showed him the map, I'm a control freak, and I love to run with a map in my hand, I can constantly check that we are taking the right course. "It's a new course and you are meant to run along Avalon Beach. By the way where is your mandatory gear? Wear is your high visibility vest for running on the roads, we have ours?".

Finally I had shut him up.
He stopped pestering us and said. "I'm going to run with my team". Good I thought, it is a team event. Normally I would not be so prickly, but we were doing the correct thing, following the course in entirety not taking short cuts along footpath to avoid running along the beaches, and wearing all the mandatory gear, and we were sticking together as a team. You don't take short cuts, it just ruins the integrity of the event. In the end I knew his silly antics won't pay off in the long run. But it still just sucks, knowing that you have run the full distance and another team did not.

We climbed out of Bilgola Beach and Renae and I ate. Renae and I were eating every 30 minutes and I let the boys decide how often they needed to eat. We ran along the back of Newport Beach then started the steep climb out of Newport. At this point the Blues were still in sight, so I took Renae's Hydration Pack off her and I wore it on my front, making the climb easier for her. The Blues were hot on our tails, less than 50m away, but we needed to show them how strong we were, by running up the longest climb of the day. We ran up the gradual climb, and when it was only 25m from the top, we walked and ran 20 on and 20 off to the top. We gained an extra 50m doing this. At the top we were greeted with the steepest descent of the day, and we zigzagged our way to Bungan Beach and zapped the first Check Point of the day.

We ran along the soft sand down to the tide line for a few hundred metres then straight back up the steepest climb of the day out of Bungan Beach. I looked back and watch the Blue Team, again they looked unstable on the descents. This comforted me, knowing that descending was a strong point for our team. We ran up through the soft sand dunes. Again Renae struggled. I was carrying her pack, and she was still showing signs of fatigue. The week of illness was starting to bite her. I waited for her and encouraged her up the climb, Renae may have a different word for it. The climb was a quad burner, but we all hurt, and the climbs are small compared to the Blue Mountains. Renae has accomplished most of her training out in the Mountains so she should be preforming better.

We hit the top and we were running. We ran along the streets and out to Mona Vale Headland, and zapped into CP2. We hooned down to Basin Beach, so fast that Renae lost her footing and ended up on her arse, I picked her up, brushed her off "It will only hurt for 5 minutes, get up and run", I ordered, we zoomed down the single man track and ran along the sand. This year both Basin and Mona Vale Beach were added in, 1500m to the total of extra sand running. The sand was on an angle and it put un-even pressure on your hips, knees and ankles. I looked back a few times and we managed to get a few more hundred metres between us an the Blue Team. "I'm Sorry" Renae said. She knew how close they were, and she is one of my best mates, and she knows how I love to win.

"What are you sorry for, let's just stick to the plan and make our splits, you can do this". I replied. I tried to run in front of Renae, sheltering her form the strong wind. I watch some of the other 100km contenders running on the soft sand, trying to keep their feet dry. I thought they were nuts, struggling in the energy sapping sand. I felt so sorry for them I even yelled out to them and told them it was easier to run on the wet sand. I hope they listened to me, as there was over 10km of sand running and that was just in the first 50km, they were doing the 100km event.

We crossed Mona Vale Beach, then headed up the sand dunes to the wooded stairs up to Robert Dunn Reserve. We passes the houses and headed down another set of stairs to Warriewood Beach, we glided past the cafe and headed up a set of stairs out of Warriewood Beach through a Nature Reserve, following the markers around Turimetta Head. Last year at the 16km mark Renae was already starting to cramp. I chatted to her about how much better she was feeling and preforming this year, and that she was doing really well, we were ahead of schedule. We crossed the soft sand of Turimetta Beach, with another set of bush stairs to climb and prepared ourselves for the 3.5km strain of sand running ahead.
Narrabeen and Colleroy Beaches were included into the course this year. The two beaches joined together added up to 3.5km of continuous sand running. It hurt physically and mentally. I was still carrying Renae's pack for her hoping it would help with her speed along the sand. Jeff and Brian were up the front dragging us along, their coping mechanism was just to get the sand running over and done with. It just hurts so much, and even though it was low tide, the sand still saps energy from your legs, especially when you are carrying a pack, I was carrying two. I looked back a few times and noticed we had about 500m between us and the Blue Team. I noted the splits we were running every kilometre, and told Renae if she needed to run faster.
Renae is fast, faster than what she thinks she is, so when I asker her to push more she did it. By the time we were off Narrabeen, and Colleroy Beach we had gained enough of a buffer for me, for the time being.
We ran across Fisherman's Beach, calling our support crew, warning them of our arrival, making sure they were ready for us, and we hit the climb up to CP6 at Long Reef Point. I handed Renae back her pack, I'd carried it for her for 14km straight. We rolled down the hill past the golf course and prepared ourselves for the first and only Manned Check Point of the day at the 25km, Long Reef SLSC. We were 10 minutes ahead of schedule, 3 hours 25 minutes to complete 25kms.
I waited with Jeff just out of sight, for Renae and Brian to catch up, then we all ran in together to our support crew. Mikey, Mia, Zandra, Ben had all come out to see us and cheer us on. I was in race mode, most of my friends, family and clients don't see me get flustered, but with the extra adrenaline, and knowing they there was a team just behind us I wanted to get in and out of there ASAP. Last year I forgot I was racing. Then Mikey screwed with my head telling me that there was a team ahead of us. "No there is not, we are coming first, it's a 100km Team, you idiot".
I ran in dropped my bag picked up my replacement pack and emptied my rubbish and noticed I was a bit aggravated so I took a few steps back, to get out of the action. Bloody Mikey telling me we were not in the lead. Mia handed me a Hydralyte, I told the Race organisers that the Blue Team took a short cut. And I felt like I was still in everyones way, pissing them off, so I said, "I'm going", and took 10 steps saying that I am leaving. Our packs were pre packed and we just had to pick them up and go. Jeff and Brian had never run in a Team event before, and they had never raced with packs before with check points, so it was all new to them. They just needed a bit more time than me. I was of no help, because I am me, and I know I am shocking at CP's so I tried to stay out of the action.
With in a minute they organised themselves and they were up and running. I realised I forgot the map, and had to double back for it. But we were though the check point , and we had gained 11 minutes on the following team. We did not know this at the time, we could only see how far behind they were by looking back along the beaches. We shot out onto Long Reef beach, soon to be followed by Dee Why Beach, and we all felt better knowing they we were over the 1/2 way point. We were 10 minutes ahead of schedule and I was just so happy. Everyone was doing their job in the team. "Shona you just need to calm down, and let's have some fun out here", Brian rightly said to me. I know Cp's are a weakness of mine, and I need to improve on it. "Cool, Brian, I'm sorry, but I only managed to keep 2nd place overall by 2 minutes in the GNW by being as quick as I could in and out of the check points, and that was over 100km, every minute counts". I think we both understood each other. But I still needed to calm down. So I did my best to stay clam and focused on the track ahead.
We ran along Dee Why Beach, then along the coastal cliff broad walk, through a single man struck, around Dee Why Head, under the Curl Curl SLSC and out onto the last long beach of the day, Curl Curl Beach. At the end of Curl Curl Beach, Renae and Brian emptied their shoes of sand , my Inov8 Roc Lites 268 were keeping the sand out, even without gators, I did not need to stop, but I still waited for my team mates, and looked back for the Blue Team. We had about 1500m between us and them. We ran up the hill around McKillop Park and descended the stairs, rocked hopped our way onto Fresh Water Beach. I love this beach, it is short, flat and sweet.
We hit the climb, up over Queenscliff Head, and again I noticed Renae struggling under the weight of her pack, close to the top I took it off her and ran with it on my front. We passed the Blue Team Support Crew, and then descended the stairs crossed the bridge, and ran along the Esplanade at Queenscliff Beach. I stopped here and emptied out some of Renae's water. She was carrying too much, it was a cold, wet and rainy day, stark contrast to conditions last year, we just did not need at much water. Wheni finished organising her pack, I had to work hard to catch up to my team mates. After a kilometre to gave Renae back her pack, now that it was lighter and she then knuckled in and found a rhythm.
"They are going to fast, I can't keep up". She said. I looked at the splits they were doing and it was not that fast.
"They are just setting the pace and dragging us along with them" I replied, hoping this would change her mind set. Within the next kilometre, Renae just started to fly, she was on a roll, with only 18kms to go and she was finally starting to feel good. We managed a 5 min 53 sec kilometre as a team, then hit the loos, at Fairy Bower. Jeff was starting to slow, but Renae was looking great, I ran on with Renae keeping her rhythm going. We all re-grouped at Shelly Beach, I took Renae's pack off her of the climb up to North Head. And I started to worry about Jeff. In every training session, he would make it to the 30km mark and start so show signs of fatigue. I don't think he was eating enough. He is such a strong and powerful guy, setting the pace winning the race across every beach, leading the team to the top of every hill. He has killed himself to get us up the front and the keep us out in front of the Blue Team. On the top of the single man track I gave Renae back her back pack, as she seemed to have recovered and was handling the climbs much better and I turned my attention to Jeff.
"I need a red bull"Jeff said. I forgot to pack some yesterday, we could buy one at Manly Wharf. We conquered the tough climb of North Head, and looked for the support car. Mikey was no where in sight, bugger, and I just saw a silver commodore driving past our location, just out of view, but in the wrong meeting place. Jeff sat down for a stretch, we decided we did not need the support crew, we had enough food and water on us.
Renae was on fire, and I wanted to keep her moving, so I ran on with her, down to Collins Beach. We decided to push on. Renae and I took off, it was nice to be leading for once. She needed to set our pace for the team now. We rolled down Collins Beach Rd, and spotted Mikey and Matt, Renae's Husband waiting for us. We grabbed the voltaren and gave ourselves a rub down, cut the hydralytes and I was ready to go, we had to wait a minute for the boys to join us. Mikey gave Jeff and rub down handed out hydralytes to the team, and with in a few minutes we were off. Mikey my awesome husband then waited for the Blue Team to come past this point, before heading off. Our mucking around at the top had cost us about 6 minutes. But we were un aware of this.
We past Collins Beach, climbed up over Little Manly Reserve, and descended into the Manly Promenade. Jeff was desperate for a red Bull, I forgot danger money, I had Renae and Jeff run on and Brian and I searched through Brian's Pack for a $20 which we could not find. We then chased down Jeff and Renae and had to sadly inform them that we had to do it all on Gels and Hydralytes. This did not concern Renae, she became our pacer now, but Jeff hit the wall, and was jogging slowly. I offered him a hydralyte and a gel. I ran on with Renae for 500m, and soon realised that I had lost Jeff and Brian. I was starting to feel the effects of the southerly wind. My allergies were playing up, I was having trouble breathing, and I was wheezing. Renae later told me I was going white in the face. Shit. Oh well I thought, let's just keep going and get this race over and done with. Renae and I ran on ahead for a few hundred meters before I stopped to check back on the boys.
Jeff hit the wall. In training for Coastrek Jeff blew up at the exact same place. Brian soon came running around the corner near Forty Baskets Beach, he told me Jeff was suffering. I back tracked to find Jeff. He was exhausted. I handed him a Hydralyte, making him eat it. Now he wanted the salt tablets. I felt guilty again, because I left them back with Mikey, at Collins Beach. Bugger. We soon re-grouped and I slowly got Jeff jogging again. But he soon had to walk. When we were climbing the bush stairs up to Dobroyd Head, he started to stumble. I made him have a gel. I also told him he had to now have a gel every 30 minutes and hydralyte every 15 minutes. He then proceeded to crawl up the stairs on his hands and knees. He was at the 42.2km mark, that is the furthest he has ever been. He was amazing earlier on in the race, his team work with Brian was the reason why we were doing so well and he was paying for it now. We were on a single man track. I started to complain of hamstring soreness.
"Man my hamstrings are killing me from carrying Renae's Pack for her". I grumbled as we climbed slowly up onto the plateau.
"Can you carry my pack for me? Nah, don't worry". Jeff half asked.
"Hand it over" I reluctantly agreed. But with that I had something to work with, Jeff was lighter and more balanced. We made it past the final CP, and Jeff was moving again. I was having trouble trying to stay with them. Jeff's pack was big and bulky, and hard to see over when while I try and watch my footing on the technical single man track. For the next 3 kilometres we ran as a team threading our way through the harbour cliffs of Sydney Harbour National Park. The minute we Clontarf Beach, Renae, Jeff and Brian took off. I was too heavy carrying two packs, so I stopped and emptied some water out. There was 5km to go and we really did not need all this water, so to lighten my load I emptied the pack to nothing. I was getting tired, and I needed some help. I asked Jeff if he could carry is now light empty pack. He agreed I then informed him that he was due for a gel.
Renae and Brian were still out head, and I hung with Jeff, staying behind him making sure he was okay and running. We entered a section rain forest near sandy bay, and whilst holding onto the railings to keep my balance on the wet track I was horrified to discover that I had leech on my had.
"Eeeeeek, I've got a leech on my haaaaandd!" I yelled as I flicked it off as fast as I could before it attached itself. I then ran along stupidly, running on my heals, looking down at my feet checking for more leeches. Doing this unbalanced me and I slipped on the slimy wooden broad walks and fell flat on my butt. Like an embarrassed cat I was back up on my feet hoping that no one saw my graceless fall, but Jeff spotted it.
"Are you Okay?" He asked. I was too embarrassed to answer. I narrowly avoided falling off the boardwalk and onto the rocks below.
We pushed on as a team and ran across Fisher Bay, and ran up onto the Spit Bridge, thankful that it was not going to open and let boats through while we wait on the Clontarf Side. We made it across in time and we were feeling great. I told Jeff how well he was doing,
"We are probably going to break the record by 1.5 hours, only 27 minutes of running left". I remarked.
A few cars tooted us and we spotted Mikey and Matt waiting for us near Parriwi Park at 47.5km. They had hydralytes ready for us.
"The Blue Team are only 5 minutes behind." Mikey nervously informed us.
"Jeff , Renae you have to run, we did not come all this way, and hurt this much to be beaten in the last few kilometres". I said. "Come on run. 20 on 20 off". We ran and walked our way up the climb to the top of the hill where Brian was waiting for us. He had been so solid all day. Such a fantastic team mate. I did not have to worry about him once, and he took the pacer, and just kept them going.
We ran up past the Rosherville Lighthouse, down the stairs, along the steep descent to Chinaman's Beach, past the kids play ground and up the final climb of the day. Again Jeff and Renae slowed, but we used the 20 on 20 off rule and before we knew it we were at the top of the final climb of the day, and descending down to the final beach of the day to Balmoral Beach.
We ran along the last few hundred metres of sand, past the photographer, who we dare not stop for and have our photo taken with, and crossed the final patch of soft sand back up onto the Esplanade. We jogged together, quickly at first, but we soon had to slow.
"This is the best I have felt all day, I can finally stretch my legs" I said.
The finish line always seems so far away, at the far end of the beach, I looked around a few times and I could not see the Blue Team Following us. We past the expensive restaurants, and tried to ignore the bemused faces of the locals of Mosman, and we just kept our eyes on the finish line. Again we slowed, sorted ourselves out and held hands and ran across the line. We completed the 50km plus is 6 hours and 14 minutes and 54 seconds.
We did it, we preformed better than expected, not once could the entire team get together for a training session, but it did not seem to matter. We all knew how to run, and we all knew how each other ran. We proved ourselves as a true force in the trail running world. Renae and I now have the title back to back. I can't wait to make it 3 out of 3. Winning Coastrek meant that I have 3 wins from 3 trail races, 3 records from 3 Trail Events. It's been a great 6 months.
We narrowly beat the Blue Team by 11 minutes. My two all female teams finished 2nd, 8 hours 18 minutes and 3rd 8 hours 44 minutes. It was an awesome effort for our humble running club.

Huskisson 2, My First Triathlon, a Long Course Tri

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:20:00 +0000

I woke at 5:30am to get ready for my first ever Triathlon, the Huskisson Long Course Triathlon. Most people work their way through the distances of the Triathlon, the Enticer, the Sprint, the Olympic and then move to the Long Course. But I decided that I am already an endurance runner, so surely a Long Course is my distance, to soon be followed by a full Iron Man after I meet all the qualifying cut offs. I'm an Australian, this is our sport, I must be able to do this.

The Long Course Tri distance at Huskisson 2 (the distance can change depending on the course) is a 2km Swim, 83km Bike Ride and a 20km Run. I bought my first bike as an adult in August 2011 for my 33rd birthday, I had not been on a bike in 20 years. I had never worn cleats before, I had never used gears or hand breaks. When I was in the bike store trying out the bike and cleats I stacked it into all the 10 thousand dollar bikes in the show room. I had to have the sales assistants walk on either side of me, holding me up while I rode my new bike though the store. I had a long way to go before I would even be able to ride on the road, let alone race it. I stacked it every time I put my cleats on. I just could not get them on the pedals or off them quick enough. I was constantly grazing my knees, shoulders, wrists, and bruising my joints. Just before the GNW 100km in November, I stacked it twice whilst ridding in the city.

In October I decided that I needed swimming lessons, I love breast stroking, but this was not going to get me 2km in the cut off time, so when my kids were having their swimming lessons, I took some of my own. I could barely swim 50m in the pool. How was I going to swim 2km. But I knew I was fit enough, I just needed to build the correct muscles for swimming and work on my technique. I entered the Bondi to Bronte in December, 2.5km Ocean Swim, I almost died of Hyperthermia, it took me 1 hour and 3 minutes in horrendous conditions, gale forced winds. But it toughened me up. I then entered the Cole Classic in Feb, which also improved my mental toughness as I swam 2km in the ocean on a day where most, if not all the beaches were closed across Sydney. The 2km swim took me 54 minutes. I had to get better.

I started to ride my bike more often with my husband, he killed me, he could beat me up the climbs, thrash me ridding down them, and his skill level was much higher than mine. You could really tell I had not been on my bike in my teenage years. I started taking my bike to Pt sessions, and after I finished a session with a client, I would go for a ride. We traveled down to Huskisson to complete the course, to test out the gear. We then found a great ride we could do near my Mum's house, so Mikey and I could ride together and Mu could look after the kids. The 3 gorges, Galston, Berowra and Turramurra (Bobbin Head) Gorge 59km of just the most beautiful scenery. I was soon smashing Mikey on the climbs and staying with him on the descents. I then got some race wheels, new tyres and I found that my times improved even more. A week before the Triathlon Mikey bought me some aero bars. I tried them out on the Gorges ride, they were really hard to control, but the day before the race, I gave them another go and realised I could channel all my leg power though the pedals and not lose any energy through my upper body. I trailed my Tri-suit and my transition gear again, I was ready.

The day before the the big day, I picked up my race pack, got my bike serviced by the Shimano Mechanics, dropped my bike off into transition, then headed back to the campsite at Green Patch Jervis Bay. I rested there out of sight of the Triathlon Festival that was happening in Huski. I ate my quinoa, rice, dates. Drank electrolytes, avoided the leeches that were hunting our family, and got to bed early.

On the event day, I arrived at Huski an hour before the briefing, packed my things in the transition area. I soon realised that I had lost my goggles, I never have any luck with my goggles. I had to buy new ones from the expo tent before the race, feeling really stupid, but there is just so much gear you have to remember. Tri-suit, watch, compression socks, goggles, swimming cap, tri-belt, raced numbers, bike, cleats, helmet, sunglasses socks, running shoes, cap, hydration, nutrition. The new Eyeline goggles, ended up being better than my other goggles, I found my old goggles after the swim leg, that's life. After my wardrobe malfunction, I felt relaxed, no pressure on me today, I just had to go out there and do my best, I was not lining up for a race as one of the favourites, it was just Shona, who was again just giving something go. Competing in a Triathlon has been a goal of mine ever since watching TV as a kid, growing up watching the Nutral Grain Ads on TV. It was nice to be finally in a position to be able to compete in a Triathlon. I gave my self small goals for the Long Course, under 50 minutes for the swim, less than 3 hours for the bike and about 1.5 hours for the run.

It was time to race, I walked down to the bay, ate my gels, drank my energy drink, it is hard fuelling for the swim leg. But I made sure I had more in my system, than not enough, knowing that I was going to be out there for a while. I warmed up in the cold water and I soon realised that I have made my first rookie mistake of not wearing a wet suit. Everyone else was wearing one, it makes them more buoyant, thus faster in the water, and it saves energy. Bugger. I will have to buy on for next time. I did not let this worry me, I'd swam 2 ocean swims, so I knew I would be okay, I was just going to lose time on the other girls. I swam out to the start line and with in a few minutes I was off. The crowd and the speed of the group was amazing, I just did my hardest to stay afloat, and I tried my hardest to follow the stream of swimmers whilst holding my positioning the pack. The sound the wave of swimmers made in the water was like a rumbling freight train. I felt overwhelmed, but I was okay the water was flat compared to what I had swam in. Only the waves that the other swimmers made it hard to breathe over. The pack soon thinned out and I ignored my tired arms, and the sick feeling I was experiencing in my gut, and tried my hardest to find a rhythm. For the first 25m I breathed every 4 or 5 strokes, I then cut back to breathing every 2nd stroke, allowing myself time to warm up get comfortable and when I had swam 500m, I was able to breathe every 3 strokes, and I was soon passing the buoys. I was doing it, I was making ground and I was swimming fast for me. I tried my hardest to concentrate on my stroke length and my pull under the water, and just tried to float my legs out behind me. I chased the bobbles down when I had a chance, trying to stream line my swim. I soon made it up and out of the water in 218th position, 3rd last of the female finishers, in a time of 47 minutes, but a 7 minute improvement on my Cole Classic 2km Swim Time only 2 weeks ago. I heard a few people cheer my name as I got up and out of the water, and I was so proud of my effort. I cheered as I ran out of the water, "47 Minutes, Woooo Hooo!".

I found my legs, and ran up the beach, flew up the stairs and hooned to my bike. I had a slight sinking feeling when it looked like my bike was one of the only ones left in the transition area. I sat down on my towel and dried myself off, whilst eating a gel, drinking some electrolytes, putting on my socks, cleats, helmet, sunglasses, race belt with my nutrition in it. I ran out of the gates. I mounted my bike, switched gears and I was off and loving it. I spotted my Husband and my two kids as I flew around the round about and I was off my my chase. I had so much ground to make up, but I wanted to give it a go.

I settled into my bike, using my new aero bars, and took note of what the other riders were doing. Drafting was not allowed, but as soon as I hit a group of girls it look alike 2 were drafting each other. I did my best to stay out of their way and before long a marshal on a motor bike was whizzing up behind them and giving them a warning. I stayed out of trouble and I tried my hardest to keep up with these girls, who were in a faster wave, as their number suggested. But they were soon too strong for me and they were lost. I moved through my gears and I was amazed that my leg strength had improved so much since the last outing here that I was able to keep my cadence up nice and high in the big gear. I made an effort to get up and out off my saddle towards the top of the climbs and tried my hardest to fly down the descents pedalling the entire way. I was passing people constantly, and I was feeling great. I ate 1/2 way around the course, and near the start of each lap, drank every 15 minutes and tried to look after my energy levels. I was feeling good, I even broke out into song by Boy and Bear, Feeding Line. I was flying, when do you get 1/2 a road to yourself in Sydney? Riding in this Triathlon was bliss. No traffic, no stop signs, no lights, no dick heads cutting you off. Just you and your bike and a heap of people to pass. I did try and make and effort to say "Hi" to everyone I passed, and I was even cheering on the super fast guys who people passing me. I thanked all the volunteers on every lap and I was on a high. It was so much fun, speeding around the circuit as fast as I could. Only running down trails in the Blue Mountains is as fun as this. I completed 3 laps of a 27km circuit , coming to 83kms in 2 hours and 50 minutes. I had improved my position. I pulled up to stop and get off my bike. I smashed my knee into the frame of my bike, took a step and almost fell over. My quads were dead.

I wobbled and I ran. I was not sure of transition etiquette but I tried my hardest to be polite and not bump into anyone. Again my heart sank a little as I noticed that almost all the bikes were back into position. But I was off and running. I hung up my bike, flipped of my shoes, chucked tucked of my helmet, grabbed my cap, drunk from some electrolyte mix, grabbed my gel bag and shoved it down my bra, and did my best to put on my shoes. My feet had swollen up from over almost 4 hours of exercise and my shoes were now almost 2 sizes too small. I was in agony. I had 20km to run and I knew it was going to hurt. I spotted Mikey and my kids, they were on the swings next to the course playing, Mikey was taking photos. I rolled down the first hill, spotted Julie, my 2XU rep and she cheers for me with a concerned face, I think she was a bit worried about me, and how I was going. I ran around the first turn around and almost did not understand to pick up the yellow lap bracelet, to prove I had run each lap in full. I then used this as a guide to see how I was going. Seein which competitors had the yellow and red bracelets on their arms. I ran on a spotted a "6 Footer" , and cheered for him, I then spotted my first ever Oxfam Team Mate Millie, who I saw earlier in the morning. She was an amazing athlete, and she was beating me by about 20 minutes. I high fived her and did my best to try and run her down. It was just a slight up hill but after the time on the bike, your quads just did not fire like usual, so I shuffled as fast as I could to get to the top, I was passing people the entire time. I hit the 5km turn around and I was feeling okay, but not great. The crowd was thinning out, the other compeitors were starting to walk, cramp, vomit and just stop. I tried to focus on my running action but the time I had spent on my legs was wearing me down. My feet were killing me, I had a massive blister under my big toe and I could barely feel my big toe. I was wiggling my toes when I was running trying to get the blood flowing back up my leg. I even stopped to adjust it. The atmosphere of the event was starting to die, it was a war of attrition, some of these competitors had been on their feet for close to 7 hours.

I ran past Naomi and Jodie again, who are online running buddies, they cheered for me and I did my best to look like I was having fun, they had stayed out to come and see me. I ran past the start finish line, wishing it was time for me to stop, but I still had 10km to go. I continued on down to the turn around and picked up the last red bracelet. I climbed back up the tiny hill and just tired to hold it together. Small mouthfuls of vomit were starting to come up, every few kilometres I was chucking just little vommeys. My chest was starting to cramp up. I had drunk too much water, and the Dextro electrolyte mix was starting to look like the good option for me. So at every 2km I drank the salt sugar mix and it spurred me on. There was another race going on. A wheelchair race, a wheel chair rider came flying past and he was almost hit by a car, at one of the street crossings. I could not believe that the marshals let the car cross the course at that stage. The wheel chair rider came off this wheel chair and needed help to be put back in so he could continue. I thought this was terrible. Surely more respect should have been given to this amazing guy in his own race.

I kicked it on as best as I could trying to make sub 5 minute kilometres, but could not manage it. I looked at my watch and I noticed I had covered 103kms. I did not even think about the entire distance when I started the race, this was a bit of a shock to me. The fight had left me and I was just hot, blistered, and wanting it all to finish. The dismal run of death for most of the competitors continued.

In the last 2 kilometres the cramp rate was insane, people were just having to stop running and walk to finish. But I was still okay, I had recovered, just enough. I was in one of the last waves of competitors, and I was catching all the slower athletes, it was really unsettling seeing the pain on their faces. Watching how hard they had to work to get to the finish. I am use to being up the front with the faster athletes, so I think I was slowed a bit, just by the lack of energy and motivation left in the field. My chest cramp had left me, I was still able to put on a happy face and look like I was finishing strong. I was well under my anaerobic threshold, but my feet and legs were just exhausted. The ground felt so hard and hot, every step hurt. I rolled into the finish line, heard my name being called by the MC and it was over.

It was tough. So tough. 5 hours and 14 minutes and 35 seconds on your legs trying to go as fast as you can will always be tough. 2km Swim 47 min, 83km Bike 2 hours 50 minutes and the 20km run, 1 hour 36 minutes. If you asked me after the race wether I was going to do one again I would have said no. But, just like most challenges to me, it is a bit like child birth. I am so proud of my efforts, and I am keen to do one again, ASAP. I can't wait to try and beat my time. It was a race that really does not suit my strengths. I am doing a race that took my best asset away from me, my agility, but the training has allowed me to spend more time with my husband, and kids. I have even inspired my Husband, Mikey to go and get swimming lessons. What I like about Triathlons is that there is a category for men over 100 Kilos called the Clydesdales, and for women over 70 Kilos called Athena's. They start in an earlier wave than me, so they are not the last people finishing the course. I think that is really awesome. It's not just about the little girls like me or the amazingly fit guys, it's about everyone giving it a go and challenging themselves. From the tiny runners, to the robust swimmers to the powerful cyclist, to wheelchair competitors. That is what life is about. No excuses , just get out there and do it.

Mt Solitary, Inov8 Roc Lite 268 and Dead Wombat Creek

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:46:00 +0000

Finally the torrential rain in Sydney had stopped just in time for my clients and I to run the Sun Run 6.5km Dee Why to Manly Beach. I then headed from the Beach at Manly to the Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, to Run to Mt Solitary and back again, about 30 plus kilometres. I wanted test the Inov8 Roc Lite 268. I had see if they will with hold the impact of me flying the down Kedumba Fire Train. I also wanted to check out the climb on the Mt Solitary Circuit and get some hard kilometres under my city girl legs.

I managed to convince Mia, to come out with me, she has entered 6 Foot Track, and needs the training. We headed out late, we hit the track at about 11:30am the sun was shining, the sky was a stunning blue, it was getting hot as we were leaving the cold, damp cliffs of the Wentworth Falls area, climbing up onto the Kings Tableland, I was soon stripping off my singlet and running just in my bra. We passed a group of tourist, I thought I would ask the Tour Guide for directions. "Where is your map?" He said in a caustic tone. I giggled, as a map would not help you in this area, there is just a maze he was clearly having a bad day, taking 20 tourist to the falls. He was stressed out, grumpy and in a foul mood. He did not help us, which I thought was really rude, as a trail runner, I always try and help out. We took a few wrong turns, but we soon were flying down the Kings Tableland Road, past the old Queen Victoria Hospital and onto the fire trail.

Mia and I kept stopping to chat to other walkers, I guess we were a sight, 2 hot 30ish year old supper fit runners in their prime heading out together, me in just my bra and my compressions and Mia with her amazing chest and her hot pink running belt were a sight for an old walkers eyes. No wonder we were stopped. I ran with Mia for the first 7kms, we dropped some water at the top of the Kedumba Fire trail and then I had to leave her. I released my breaks and I flew down the Kedumba Fire Trail, loving my Roc Lite 268. They felt great. My foot could move in all directions to accommodate the uneven surface. I could take the impact on the balls of the feet and enjoyed the smooth ride down the monstrous descent of 850m. I was having a ball, the shoes felt great and they offered enough protection from the sharp fire trail stones for my sensitive feet. (2010 I had to take 4 months off running to rehab stress fractures).

I waited for Mia at the Junction on the trail, and once Mia caught up we turned right and followed the trail deeper into the valley, and soon came across the Mount Solitary Walking Route. We decided to run to Chinaman's Cave. So off we went, I stayed with Mia through this section, not wanting her to get lost. Her eyesight is not as sharp as mine and the trail was really difficult to follow. After 2km of a winding single man track we came across a creek. It was fast flowing, mud brown and up to our hips. Technically we should not have entered the dirty creek, but we took a gamble, picked the best spot to enter the rapids and we were soon back on dry land and re-joined to the trail on the other side. We both took a few steps and smelt death. Something was dead. The oh so wrong, revolting smell and the thought of leeches being everywhere was enough to get me up and running again. So with the fear of death and leeches in my head I was off and climbing up to the top of Mount Solitary.

The Roc Lite's were so good at gripping to the wet clay surface that whilst I was climbing up the amazingly steep ridge onto Mt Solitary I noticed how well they adapted to the surface. I was so impressed that I was compelled to take a photo of the terrain and the Inov8 Roc Lite 268. They ate their way up the side for the mountain. I was loving the new freedom the shoes gave me. Finally, a shoe that was light weight, supportive and with amazing grip. My foot was free to make contact with the slope at any angle it wished, so I was able to run up most of the climb. Well enough of the climb, until I started to have to watch out for leeches at the Bush Stairs close to the top.

At the top of the 1000m climb I stopped and asked a couple of medical students take my photo. About 10 of them were nested up on the mountain. I chatted to them for some time, they told me about a dead wombat they had seen close to the creek at the base of the mountain. That must have been that bad smell we had noticed on our way up. I waited for Mia to join me. It soon became apparent that they were all covered with leeches. One by one they spotted a leech on their legs, stomachs, shoulders, backs, they started pulling them off each other. One guy found one down his pants. So he started to undress. The group was starting to gross me out. I was leech free, and I wanted to keep it that way. I was fast enough to keep them off me though the bush I was not going to hang around these guys any more. They were leech magnets. "Mia, Miiiiiiaaaaaa" I shouted down the cliff. I had been stopped for some time and I wanted to get moving again. After a few more shouts she appeared. She had been attached by just one leech on her shin. It had already dropped off her. We ate a gel and took off along the ridge deeper into the Mountain. I wanted to clock up about 36kms, the same as the Megalong Mega. But clearly these kms were worth more than Kms on the 6 Foot Track, and Mia was starting to look tired, so when my GSP clocked up 15.5kms Mia and I decided to head back down off the Mountain. I did have a 2km Ocean Swim the next day, the Cole Classic, so I took the sensible option and headed back.

Again the Roc Lite 268 were amazing, gripping on the soft clay, helping me descend off the steep ridge of the mountain. The heal gripped nicely into the soil, as I slid my way off the canyon and back down to the creek below. I stayed with Mia, making sure we both got to the creek safely. Mia, was adamant that she was drinking out of "a" creek that day. She had drunk out of Nellies Glen whilst on the 6 Foot Track, and wanted to drink some cold mountain water. I suggested that she did not, seeing that the water was dirty, we had had so much rain and who knows what was in there. I was worried about what had run off into the brown creek. She still had water in her hydration pack and we had more stashed up at the 7km to go mark. But Mia is a nature girl, a bit of a hippy and very stubborn, so there was no way I could convince her otherwise, so she drank out of the creek.

With in seconds of drinking, we walked a couple of metres and smelt something dead. Fuck. "It must be that dead wombat those medical students were talking about. Mia, you've just drunk out of Dead Wombat Creek". Man, she could be in real trouble soon. I just hoped that the part that she drank out of was not contaminated.

We crossed the creek, which we now affectionally named "Dead Wombat Creek", and headed back to Kedumba. Mia was going slowly, and I am shit scared of leeches, so I jumped in the lead and ran up the climb about to the fire trail of Sublime Ridge.

I was enjoying the climb, I was also testing out my UltrAspire Pack out again. It was a stinking hot day and I was wet with sweat, and it seemed that I was only going to get one minor chaff mark on the lower middle part of my back. Next time I will have to apply more Paw, Paw ointment on my back. My shoulders, ribs were all clear so this as a positive for me.

Once on the Fire Trail I found a eroded boulder to sit on and text my husband and friends about my adventures. After some time I soon started to spot leeches in the leaf litter, I was surrounded, marooned on my island boulder. Man I've remained leech free for 21km, and I have to wait, I'm just leech bate sitting here. Hurry up Mia, "Mia, Miiiiiiaaaa", I called out into the forest. In just the nick of time, when a leech was attaching it's self to the bottom of my Inov8 shoes Mia appeared from the trail, but not from the opening of the trail, she was a appeared few meters off course bush bashing her way through the vegetation. This made me giggled. She must be out of it, to loose the track so close to the junction. What a nutter.

"Mia, thank god your here, I'm being attacked by leeches!". Well one tiny leech was trying to attack me. I dragged it aggressively through the dirt to hopefully kill it and remove it from my shoe.

"I've been chucking for the last 5 minutes, I think that water was bad, I drank out of Dead Wombat Creek, I'm going to be slow." Fuck, I thought we were 10km from my car, and Mia was clearly sick.

"I'll run back to the car and drive back and pick you up, you just walk out, you have water 3kms up the road, you will be O'kay, can you have a gel?" I asked.

"Nah, I can't hold anything down." Mia express looking a bit stressed.

With this I was off running up the steep climb of Kedumba. I counted my steps up to 100 up the climb forging out a rhythm. The climb is straight up for 850m on a wide fire trail. I used up my last supplies of water just before my re-fill point at the 7km away from my car back at Wentworth Falls Car Park. I swopped water bottles and loved having my Sustain mix back again. I had been eating Nunns (Hydration tablet) for the last hour, but they fizzed up my nose. Sustain just makes my muscles feel nice. With my new supplies on board I was up and running, I felt great. My shoes felt springy on the hard surface, and I was enjoying stretching my legs and getting a kick on the road past the Queen Victoria Hospital. I ran up Kings Tableland Rd, I spotted a bucket on the side of the road, which will later come in handy, and turned left to rejoin the bush track to head back to Wentworth Falls. I passed 2 women walking their dogs and recognised, and greeted the local, who I had seen the last time I was running in the area. I hit the single man track again, hooned down the steps, past over Wentworth Falls and remembered the finish of TNF and tried to run as fast as I could back to the car to save Mia.

I jumped in the car and drove back to get Mia. I found Mia at the Queen Victoria Hospital, looking like she had lost weight. She had a leech mark on her groin, one on her shin and with further inspection she had another 2 leeches on the heals of her feet inside her shoes. Nasty.

"Do you have a bucket in your car?" She asked, looking green as can be.

"Nah, but I saw a bucket on the side of the road up ahead, a pink one, you know those little buckets from the 80s, what were they called?" I said relieved that I take notice of what I pass when I am running.

"An Itty Bitty Bin?" Mia said with a laugh.

"Yeah, and Itty Bitty Bin, it's just up ahead."Too Funny, and Itty Bitty Bin, the craze form the 80s, was going to save my car form vomit. We removed the leeches from Mia's feet and we drove on and picked up the Itty Bitty Bin from the side of the road, and started the long drive back to Sydney. I hogged into the cookies. Offering Mia one, but knowing that they were all mine. She was feeling to sick to eat, excellent, I get them all of my awesome cookies, I thought not at all feeling guilty.

As we were driving back, Mia was belching, and looking sicker and sicker, the curvy roads of the Blue Mountains were making her stomach churn. She puked into the Itty Bitty Bin, and I had to pull over at Woodford to let her chuck freely. Man she was sick. If she drank any water, it was coming back up 10-15 minutes later. I only had gastro stops in the car. I had Maxalon's at home, but we had to drive all the way back to Sydney to get them. She emptied the bin of the spew contents into the weeds on the side of the road and got back in to car and we set off again.

I had lost it by now, everything seemed amusing, I had been awake since 5am, and I had run 39kms that day, (including the Sun run and Running back an extra few kms before I could catch a taxi) , on Oats, cookies, and a few gels. I was low on glucose and my brain was fried. Mia was worried she was making me feel sick. I thought it was just funny, she drunk out of Dead Wombat Creek, I was happy it was not me spewing for once. In the last month I had a really bad case of food poisoning from either seafood or eggs, I then had gastro a few weeks later, I then had a hernia. After the GNW I had a massive spew. I was just happy it was not me chucking in my car. Mia, also expressed that she has only chucked 3 times in the last 10 years, and on 2 occasions it had been with me. ( She was chucking whilst completing Oxfam at the 32km mark). This made me laugh more. Far out, the adventures you will go.

Half way down the freeway Mia puked again, and I found a emergency phone area to safely pull off the free way so she could finish. She chucked up everything, there was not much more left. When she returned to the car we both cracked up laughing. Bloody Dead Wombat Creek. With this thought in our heads, we drove for a further 30 minutes back to my house. I ran inside and got her some maxalon tablets, when I returned I found her chucking again on the side of the road on my street, now we were a sight to behold. Back in the city, only half dressed covered in mid and blood. This time she was bringing up bile. I decided to take her to the hospital only 1500m away and try and get her a Maxalon Shot, a shot of antibiotics any anything else she needed. Off we went to the hospital. We checked her in. I could not stay. I had to leave. It was 7:30pm , I found everything funny, I still had not eaten properly, and I was putting off the really sick patients, with my constant giggling. Every time I looked at Mia I burst out laughing. So I got the nurse to clean up Mia's leech wounds, and I was off. Only to spot a good friend of mine Kerion Blackmore running for the first time on 4 weeks. I told him the story and we were both in stitches on the side of the road. I was in tears, I found the day so funny.What a day.

Mia, soon left the hospital after being able to hold down Maxalon Tablets, and she was out running the next day with friends training for a 1/2 Marathon. Go Mia.

Gastro, Shoe Sponsorship, a Hernia and a Wedding!

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:19:00 +0000

I've had a crazy week, gastro, shoe sponsorship, a hernia and a wedding!

I finished off the previous Saturday, with an awesome 35km Coastrek Training run. Whilst getting dressed for a quick dip in the Ocean and the beach my trail shoe fell down the drain. I was by myself with no one around to help . So I lifted a heavy drain grate to save my old trail a shoe. I've had stress fractures in the past, so I am always rotating my shoes. Trying to prevent one injury gave me another one. In the process of lifting I must have opened up my separation in my rectus abdominis muscles that I ruptured during pregnancy. But I was not aware that I had re-injured myself at the time.

On Tuesday I then gastro, on Thursday then finalised a shoe sponsorship from the Bare Foot Running Inc, and I have been so lucky to have been given Five Fingers and Inov8 shoes to wear. I then had an express photo shoot by Michael Leadbetter, of me in the Five Fingers and Inov8 shoes and accessories. I then ran out to a bootcamp that night and at 11:30pm I woke up in excruitating pain. A tennis ball size mound was sticking out of my abdominal wall. My stomach was still tender from the gastro, so I new something was not right. The pain was so un-bearable that I was not able to lie down. I then walked to RPA hospital knowing that I was going to need some attention. Mikey had to stay home and look after our two children. I was in too much pain to drive, I thought about catching a taxi, a couple passed me, but I was too slow to move towards them out of the shadows, and my stomach was killing me, and the thought of straining my body to get in and out of a taxi was too much to bear. My gut felt like I had 1000 sharp stabbing knives ripping at my stomach in 30 second waves. I decided that walking was my best option. I felt vulnerable, normally speed is my weapon, but I was in thongs, and injured, so I walked to the hospital, only 1.5km away from from my house trying to hide from the cars as I walked through the Inner West of Newtown, avoiding a crazy homeless man at 12pm on a Friday night.

I entered emergency and explained my situation. I visited triage, and was told to wait. I was happy to see that the Tennis was on and the waiting room had only 3 people waiting for a Doctor. The tennis was a welcomed distraction to the pain I was experiencing. After about an hour I was given panadene fortes, blood pressure was taken, and it was low, for me at least, 105 over 59, my heart rate was 65, so my heart rate was elevated. I was soon examined more thoroughly by another nurse. The entire right side of my abdomen was swollen, craping and spasming. She took some bloods, which almost made me vomit and pass out, it was hard to find a vein in my hand and she inserted a canliea into my wrist. "Have you eaten today?". If only she knew. I don't go anywhere with out a solid meal! But I was clearly unwell, I had to lie down or else I really was going to faint. She let me lie there until I recovered and expressed that I was the next in line to see the doctor.

After another hour or so I was taken in see a doctor. He checked me over, and expressed that he thought I had a hernia. Cool, so it was not my appendix, it was something manageable....Usually you need an operation to get the intestines back into position, and they also insert mesh into the abdomen to prevent it from happening again. I was sent off for an x-ray to confirm the existence of hernia. The radiologist ended up knowing me. "Are you a personal trainer?", She asked. "Yes, Iv'e been in here a few times with sting ray barbs, stress fractures, who do you know?". She ended up knowing my neighbour and my nutritionist. "I've been meaning to call you, and join one of your sessions". Too funny, it's 4am, and I am picking up clients . I must have looked like a real sight. Whilst being x-rayed, I was told to keep still, and to hold my breath. While she was finishing up, I popped my head around the screen to see what my x-rays were showing. There was a big black blob the size of my fist on the right side of my stomach just under my ribs. So the hernia was confirmed. Bugger. I have a wedding on for Mikey's family tomorrow up in Newcastle, and I will now have to cancel my 6am bootcamp, which is only on in 2 hours. Damn.

I was then escorted back to my chair to wait some more. After about another hour the doctor told me that the surgeons were interested in my x-ray and they will be in shortly to chat to me about it. Now I was cancelling all my sessions that day, knowing that I did have a hernia, I was probably going to be operated on if the surgeon wanted to see me. I really needed to rest. 30 minutes later I was examined by the surgeon, it was 5:30am, 6 hours after I first felt the pain. The surgeon asked me where the pain was and started to prod the area. The pain had diminished to almost nothing. "Where is the abnormality in your abdomen?"I pointed and after a few more minutes of being poked and pushed in my stomach, I looked and saw that my abs had returned to normal. Well almost normal, I self examined my rectus abdominal and I could fit my entire hand in between my abs. So this was where the problem started.

I could not believe it, I had escaped an operation . After some lovely words of complements form the surgeon about my beautiful obliques and abdominal muscles, I was allowed to leave. I realised that the pain killers, relaxed my stomach muscles and allowed for my intestines to return to their correct position. Holding my breath for the x-ray, pulled my transverse abdominis towards my spine, closing off my rupture just enough to save me from surgery. I was cleared to go and head to the wedding up in Newcastle the next day.

I still need an ultra sound, but it's a week later and I have no pain.I ran 40km yesterday and rode 24km on a bike. I am also working on my transverse abdomens and it feels like has closed off my rectus abdominis.

10 Bare Foot Running Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:29:00 +0000

To Run Bare Foot or not to? That is a huge dilemma for so many runners. I personally love to run barefoot on grass weekly, I just feel like a kid again. I love to watch my eldest daughter Keisha running barefoot also, she just looks so balanced. Untainted.
There are so many pro's and con's on both sides of the fence, but if you want to start running more naturally and freely, and barefoot here is a few of my tips.

1. Start slowly, start on grass or sand. Head to your local oval or park land.
I love to run for 30 minutes on grass weekly as part of my strengthening program for my feet. I use my "Five Fingers" for this.

2. Land on the balls, or fleshy part of your foot. I almost cry when I see runners in Five Fingers "Heal Striking". If you are a heal striker, you will have to shorten your stride slightly, and land on the mid section of your foot, then push through to your balls of your feet. You reduce the impact on your knees and hips, and you start to build up the correct muscles in your calves and hamstrings to allow you to run bare foot.

3. Start with a 10 minute cool down after a session to build up the strength in your feet.
Week 1 jogging 10 min, Week 2 jogging 10 min, Tempo running 5 minutes, Week 3 Jogging 10 minutes Tempo Running 10 minutes Minutes, Week 4, Jogging 10 minutes Tempo Running 15 minutes, Week 6 Jogging 10 minutes running Tempo 20 minutes.
Add 5 minutes onto this weekly and within 6 weeks you will be running for 30 minutes.

4. Get a pair of Five Fingers. Why? To prevent any nasty infections that you can pick up from running around an oval or potentially in an area where fertilisers or other contaminates may have been.

5. Stretch and Massage your feet after your new found feet training program, this will help prevent any weakness for inflexibility injuries like plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendonitis. I also love really hot Epsom Salt Baths and then a massage and a stretch afterwards to help with any niggles.
Key Stretches for Bare Foot Running.

Calf Stretch

Lower Calf Stretch or Achilles Stretch and Planta Stretch.

Step Calf Stretch with your heal dropped down off the edge of the step.

6. When 30 minutes is reached hit the trails next not the roads. I live right in the middle of the city, so my next move for distance is a trail.

7. I personally need some more protection for my feet on a trail with my current injury history, I'm built like a bird and I want to run fast! I want to fling myself around the trails with full confidence that my feet are protected. So I would pick for a light weight trail shoe like running bare foot, Inov8 X-Talon. This shoe is great for Grass, Grass Interval Training, Sand, Dirt, Rocks. I would race "The Great Nosh 15km", or "Coastal Classic 30km" in this shoe.

8. Longer Distances with rugged fire trails with long descents, to protect the balls of my feet on the descent I would switch to the Inov8 Roc Lite 268. It has great toe protection, and extra padding under the balls of the foot but it is still so light and flexible .

9. Tape Your Ankle Joint. I am hyper-mobile, so I tape before every trail run to prevent injury. I have had so many sprains in my ankles that I have to tape. I have found that the correct taping can also help prevent Achilles tendonitis and Calf Strains. I always tape 2-3 stirrups around the heal of my foot up to my calf about 20cm on both feet to make my ankle joint more ridged with a lock. It also helps with energy lost through the down wards push off the surface with each stride. It will also prevent an overuse or weakness injury when you are swopping to a light weight and flexible trainer. So you have the benefits of a light weight trainer with the ridgity and hence more leverage of a heavier weight shoe. It is a win win!

10. Strengthen Your Calves.
I have had Achilles tendonitis in the past, so I always add in calf raises performed on a step into my weekly routine. Stand on a step and drop your heal off the edge of the step and quickly raise your heal and squeeze your calf. Reps 10, with 3 sets. Do this every day for 3 weeks. This will have your calves strengthened in no time. You will find that you can handle the extra force of "Toe Running". This is the exercise I give to my injured Achilles Tendonitis clients, and they are heal in no time.

Coastrek Training 35km North Narrabeen to Palm Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:46:00 +0000

Above is a picture of my Trail Shoe down the drain.

It was again cold, and raining day for our 50km Coastrek Training. We had 3 separate teams head off on Saturday to train for Coastrek. I ran with Jeff. Brain, Renae, Liz, Zandra were away.

Jayne, Kellie, Lauren, Mia and a new runner Gemma, worked together in the 2nd team. Jane and Leanne worked together in the 3rd team. Both Jane and Leanne have had injuries, so I placed them together so they could be nice slow pacers for each other, they could run without any pressure and just nurse their injuries back into running.

Jeff seemed to have learnt his lesson from out 6 Foot Track Training session. He started to take note of the descents he was running down, and he made sure the kept some glucose in his blood for the return. Coastrek will be his first Ultra, and his first Trail Run, so his training is very different from marathon training.

Coastrek 50km seems like it should be an easy run. Only small climbs of a few hundred metres compared with the Blue Mountains. But the sand running and the constant descent, and climbs in and out of the 18 beaches to Palm Beach and then return back again, just works your an-aerobic, lactic system hard. It is really hard to find a rhythm, especially when you are working in a team.

Jeff and I started off and we soon lost the other runners. We were just happy to run at 6 minute pace.

We climbed the first headland then quickly descended into Warriewood Beach, ran up a set of stairs then over the Robert Dumn Reserve, then down a set of stair onto Mona Vale Beach. Here we found the wet sand and followed the footprints int he sand for a few hundred meters, then ran up off the sand onto the footpath past the SLSC, past Basin Beach, up over the Mona Vale Headland through some heath scrub along wooden stairs, then onto a suburban street. The course took us out onto the main road, where we spotted NSR (North Side Runners) training, running the Opposite direction. We waved and cheered them on.

The trail then dropped Jeff and I down a really steep drive way followed by some wooded framed sand stairs onto Bungan Beach. We ran along the soft sand dunes, then onto the wet sand along the beach for a few hundreds metres, then started our steep climb out of Bungan Beach straight up to the top of the Headland. It was the steepest climb for the day so far. Jeff took his time and decided to walk and have a gel. I had a gel too, but decided that I wanted to run it as part of my training. I ran up to the top and waited for Jeff. I was happy that he was being smart about his training today, taking it easy.

We hit the top of the super steep climb and ran down the super steep descent, avoiding the un-expecting traffic in the back streets of Newport. We made great time, but we were not pushing each other as we had in the past. If he was faster than me up a hill, I just tried to stay with him. Giving just a little more. We started to work better as a team. And I knew that this pace would still get us the record for the Event. I am also mindful, that there is no point being quick, and burning your team mates up, and have them slowing to a walk after 30km.

We ran along the reserve and up and over the Newport Headland, through some heath bush, then down another wooden set of stairs and onto Bilgola Beach. Any other day I would want tho jump into the water here, but it was drizzling, and there was a strong cold Easterly blowing. We past a really good Cafe at Bilgola, where last year we had breakfast after the race, and headed onto the soft sand, but tried to run along the sand dunes of Bilgola Beach then to another set of stairs. We ran up the stairs climbing out of the gorgeous beach and past some of the most amazing houses in Sydney. We ran around Bilgola Head, along a street, then onto the Barrenjoey Rd, and found our way through a col-de-sac past some houses and units down to Avalon Reserve.

We ran along the footpath, up the street climbing over the Avalon Head, through a hidden footpath and out onto Bangalley Head. Bangalley Head, has just the best front yard in Sydney, a lush green lawn, that meets the jagged cliffs that make up the Head Land. Jeff and I looked into the front rooms of the multi million dollar houses. No one was awake. Who would be up early on such a awful day. It was not beach weather, it was great running weather, about 19C.

The trail turned from a lawn into a uneven sand stone stairs to climb over the headland, I trailed Jeff on this climb, and did my best to keep him in sight, then catching him at the peak. We rose to the top and ran though the scrub along a single man stone track. I then lead, showing Jeff the way. Like anything in Coastrek, as soon as you are up, you are running back down a set of stairs. This was the biggest descent of the day. Jeff was mindful that he was going to have to come back up them soon. I just enjoyed myself, letting my body go as I flung myself down the ribbon of a trail down into the suburbs of Whale Beach.

Cool, only 1 more climb before the return. We ran along the streets again, then headed down to Whale Beach. On Whale Beach we scooted along the dunes, past Ripples the restaurant, and more beautiful houses, and found a hidden set of stairs to climb. We ran up the stairs, out onto the road, around Little Head, then when you think the climb has finished, the course of the race takes you up over the highest point in Palm Beach, through a slither of a reserve which is only really a path between houses, then down a driveway, down a set of stairs past the rock baths and onto the dunes behind Palm Beach. I ran with Jeff to the Start line, and we stretched. The 17.5kms took us 1 hour 50 minutes. So a manageable speed. A speed I hoped my whole team would be able to manage.

After stretching, I did not want to stop for long, my hamstring was sore, but it is always sore. I still had water. So after a few minutes we started our long journey back. Back over the 9 climbs and almost as many beaches. We walked and ran back up the Palm Beach Headland, over little head and back to Whale beach. On the sand we spotted Jayne, Gemma, Mia soon followed by Kellie and Lauren. They looked great. Still smiling, but they were not enjoying the constant climbing up stairs, and running on the sand. They were almost 1/2 way. So they were only about 5 kilometres behind us. They were doing really well and they were on schedule. Their goal was to manage 10 minute Kilometres, so 6 kilometres an hour.

We said our good byes, and headed along Whale Beach. Jeff was out of water. We filled up at some of the nicest public toilets around. I think the timer on the tap was for exactly 1.5L of water for my back pack. I chatted to a few locals and then headed off up the hill out of Whale Beach. Jeff discovered his pack was leaking. I informed him that my Oxfam Team Mate, Suzy had the exact same problem with her pack by the same company. "Send it back, it's faulty, poor design, whole puts a bind on a water bladder, that's crap?" I said. His back was wet. The pack had been leaking for the 20kms or so that we had been running.

We ran on along the suburban streets I picked out the trail that was covered with over grown trees and started the climb back up the Bush Stairs to Bangalley's Headland. Jeff started to slow down. He was feeling the effects of the 10 climbs that he had already conquered. When he caught up, we ran down the stone trail then rolled down the lawn past the Multi Million Dollar houses, where I waved at one of the owners. We ran out onto the road, around the back of Avalon Beach, where I looked at the surf, thinking that I was suppose to be doing a Ocean Swim there the next day. The Easterly winds, chopped up the surf, and turned it into a washing machine. I was not looking forward to swimming in it.......

We ran around Bilgola Headland, descended the stairs onto Bilgola Beach, ran past one of my favourite cafes, back up a set of stairs, over another headland, down a set of bush stairs and down onto Newport Beach. Jeff was getting slower on the climbs, his back was hurting and he was running out of energy. We ran and walked up Bungan Head. I tried to convince Jeff to walk 20 steps,then run 20 steps. But he was having nothing of it. He was knackered. We made it to the top and speed down the concrete driveway down to Bungan Beach.

Another Beach conquered, only 3 beaches to go. Jeff and I ran along the now soft sand of Bungan Beach, noting a mistake that I made in the race last year, and made the correct turn up the soft sand dunes, up a set of stairs, up a steep concrete private driveway and back out onto the main road. Jeff's back was really sore now. He took his pack off. Trying to relieve some of his pain. I suggested that he tried to stay more up right, "Ear's over your hips, and switch on your glutes". This seemed to help elevate some of the pain.

We ran through the Hill Crest Ave, over Mona Vale Headland, and spotted our finishing point. We flew down the stone stairs down to Basin Beach.

We made some turns and made our way along the streets behind the SLSC and down onto Mona Vale Beach. The tide had risen, we were forced onto the soft sand. This hurt Jeff. He had not run on much sand in the past. Soft sand running is all about technique. You have to lift , not push. Jeff was having trouble with this on tired legs and could only manage to walk. I suggested that he head down to Cronulla sand Dunes for some "Dune Running". They are the biggest dunes in Sydney, and they just take your breath away. I usually have to crawl my way up them at the top. They are just so steep. It also takes a "lap" of the dunes to work out how to run on them. By the 2nd lap, your brain and body works out how to run on them. Just lift, lift, lift. I use to spend 2 hours running up dunes, talking to myself saying "Lift, Lift, Lift!"

We ran up the stairs, up the Robert Dumn Reserve, along the street, and down a set of stairs, past Warriewood beach, past a cute cafe at the SLSC, and up our final set of stairs of Turimetta Head, where Jeff spotted his car, and scooted down our final set of stairs, through the scrub and back to the cars.

I was sore, my hamstring was hurting, but not that bad, just over used. I was sore, but happier to be finished. The 35kms to us as a team 4 hours 18 minutes with stops.

I got my stretching mats out of the car and got Jeff to stretch. We were soon joined by Jane. Jane only completed 25km. She is recovering from an Achilles tendonitis, and we thought that that was good enough distance for her. Jane seemed to pull up okay. She ran with Leanne. Leanne only completed 12.5kms. Which was a huge improvement for her. She has been suffering from a hip bursar. It was her first time out on the track and the longest she had run since her injury was for 45 minutes. She ran for 2 hours, and I think she will pull up okay.

After eating some of my cookies, drinking hydralytes and choc milk for our recovery, I sent Jeff and Jane on their way. I still had to wait for the others. I changed into my swimmers. I had been suffering from hay fever, and I was hoping that a recovery dip in the ocean would help me out. In the process of getting my things together I managed to drop my trail shoe down the drain. Bugger. I was so stupid. I was clearly tired from the 4:30am wake up, and a bit fragile from the training, and the hay fever was playing havoc with my concentration . Bugger.

I tried to think what I had in my car that I could use to hook onto and pull it back out. But I had nothing. So dressed in my bikini, and one trail shoe, I used my childhood skills of drain exploration around the streets of Turramurra, to lift the heavy drain grate up. I almost did my back, I can't believeI use to do this all the time as a kid. I dragged the rusty metal grate to the side, I checked for any creepy crawlies that may be hiding in then the frame drain, and I then threaded my head and shoulders down the square man hole and reached for my trail shoe. I grabbed it and put it back on my foot, and lumbered the metal grate back into its original position.

I headed down the stairs to the Turimetta Beach for a recovery soak. The weather was still crap. Drizzling and a strong easterly blowing. But I had to soak my legs to speed up my recovery. I stayed in the water until I started to shiver, about 15 minutes. I then made my way back up the beach stairs and to a wooden platform, and decided to have a rest and wait for my girls to finish their session. I must have looked like a hobo, dressed in a bikini, a fitted spray jacket, with trail shoes on, all covered in a big towel that wrapped around my small frame.

The girls emerged from the bush, happy but tired and sore after 6 hours exactly. They were on target and that had completed the hardest section 17.5km of the course twice. They are on track for a good time.

Newsletter Coastrek Training 36kms

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:25:00 +0000

Hi Guys,

Welcome back. I hope you all had the best holiday. Let's all get back into training now for 2012.

On Tuesday the 2nd of January Jeff, Kellie, Mia, Renae and I decided to kick start the years training in style. We tackled 31kms of the 6 Foot Track. I think everyone out there learnt something about themselves out there that day. The conditions were tough. It was over 32C, and in some sections of the valley it would have been hotter. Everyone ran out of water. We had to climb 1000 stairs up Nellies Glen, the climb went for 800m straight up.We ran for 15.5km down into the valley, and we had to run 15.5 kms straight back up out of the canyon back up to the plateau again. We all discovered a new respect for the Australian Bush. We were all really lucky there were a few creeks and rivers to jump in to cool ourselves down to avoid heat stroke. We all drank out of trusty "Nellies Glen" (a clean fresh running stream) and survived a hot hot day of training.

After the initial swearing that I copped from my clients/mates when they emerged out of Nellies Glen. Everyone recovered, and was soon filled with a sense of real achievement. I was just so proud of them. I knew exactly how they felt. 3 years ago I was emerging from Nellie Glen feeling just as defeated. But nothing will be that though again for a long time.

On Friday I was interviewed by Subaru Magazine, in regards to Trail Running and Fundraising events like the Fred Hallows Foundation and Oxfam. I will let you know when the magazine has been published.

Coastrek Training 36km

Start Turimetta Beach 6am.

Run and walk to Palm Beach SLSC and then return back to Warriewood Beach.

Allow for 6 hours of Training.

You will need 13 pieces of food.

You will hopefully be finished by 12pm.

It is the toughest session yet, we will be doing all the biggest climbs twice.

If you are injured, you can decide how far you want to train for and turn back at that point.

Getting to the Top of the Whale Beach Climb at Caree Headland Reserve may be enough, you will complete 25kms. So still a good run. It is best to finish still able to run than to be totally injured.

The forecast is for 25C, a shower or two. So perfect conditions for running.

Low Tide is at 6:22am at 0.45m. High Tide is at 12:35pm at 1.65m.

Bring your swimmers for the end.

Enter the Sun Run

http://sunrun.com.au/

It is a 6km run from Dee Why to Manly.

No excuses, all of my clients will be able to run this.

Enter the Cole Classic Ocean Swim.

http://coleclassic.com.au/

There are a few of us venturing into the ocean for the first time. If you wanted to try an Ocean swim try it with me and a heap of friends. I have a club entered as Great Outdoor Swimmers.

There is an entire calendar for Ocean Swimming, check out the link below.

Tell me if you are entering and I might do it with you.

Avalon 1500m is on this Sunday. I am pretty sure I will do it.

Nothing will be as bad as the Bondi to Bronte.

http://www.oceanswims.com/Events.asp?EventID=310

Training Schedule

14/01/2011 Coastrek Training Session 36km Important Session.
22/01/2011 Megalong Mega Run as a Running Group 36km (I sadly can’t be in the real run, I can't do this one either.)
28/01/2011 Coastrek Training Session 38km Important Session.
04/02/2011 Sun Run 5.6km from Dee Why to Manly 6.5km. No excuses.
http://sunrun.com.au/
05/02/2011 Cole Classic 2km Swim, Shelly Beach to Manly.
http://coleclassic.com.au/
11/02/2011 Coastrek Training Session 45km Important Session!!!!
18/02/2011 6 Foot Training Jenolan Caves Rd to Coxes River and Back Again 30km Return Option 1
19/02/2011 1/2 Iron Man Huskisson 2, Triathlon Series
http://www.eliteenergy.com.au/
25/02/2011 6 Foot Training Jenolan Caves Rd to Coxes River and Back Again 30km Return Option 2
2/03/2012 Coastrek 50km
10/03/2012 “6 Foot Track” Marathon 45km
http://www.sixfoot.com/2012entry.php
8/04/2011 TNF Training Kings Tableland Circ
28/04/2011 TNF Training Katoomba Circ
19/05/2012 The North Face 100km
Oxfam 2012.

Start 6 Foot Track to Cox's River Return 31kms

noreply@blogger.com (Shona Stephenson) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:50:00 +0000

I managed to convince a 4 of my clients to join me on one of my favourite training training runs for 6 Foot Track, 45km Trail Marathon, from Katoomba, the Explorers Tree to Jenolan Caves. I am pretty good at motivating people. I got them all up to Katoomba on a hot day to run 31km of the 6 Foot Track, which consists of some of the toughest terrain in NSW. We were going to run from the start of The 6 Foot Track down into the Megalong Valley for 15.5km to the Cox's River, then return the 15.5km back out of the valley, up hill for 15.5km back to Katoomba.

I was just getting over food poisoning. I finished my last anti-biotic tablet that morning. I knew I was not 100%, but I just had to hope that I had enough glycogen stores in my liver to get me though. I'd turned into the cookie monster, I ate almost an entire batch of home made whole meal, oat, walnut, date and chic chip cookies to give me enough energy to train.

Jeff, Kellie, Mia and Renae all met up and hit the track at about 9:15am. The Girls headed off before me and Jeff. I had to run back to grab and extra 1.2L of water, with Sustain mixed in. I ate a gel, as I ran down the roller coaster of a fire trail, and chatted with Jeff. I felt tired. It was a Tuesday, and for 5 days I have been really sick. Not just gastro sick, but full blown food poisoning sick, with injections from the doctor and maxalon tablets to stop me from vomiting. Even the imodims did not work with this. I felt like I had just enough energy in me to run the 31km. But that was it. It would not be one of my best days.

After running for only a few hundred metres I realised I had nothing, nothing extra to give. I was exhausted and we were only running down the first hill of only 400m. It was going to be a long day I thought.

We hit the gorge, and headed down the steep, uneven bush stairs. It was beautiful, we were surrounded by lush green ferns, and the trail followed the creek into Nellies Glen. I think there is over 800 to descent straight down into the Megalong Valley. Jeff and I soon caught Kellie. She was being really cautious on the stairs. I had tapped my ankles, so I felt really secure, and I was able to catch and pass her easily as I leaped down the stairs. Jeff had taped his ankles too. But as well as mine. By the time we had caught Renae and Mia, he'd already twisted his ankle. "Man I need to teach you how to tape your ankles properly". I said to Jeff.

The steps stopped and the trail became a thin and rocky single man track. Jeff then went over on both ankles another 4 or 5 times before the trail open up and became a fire trail. I checked my GPS, we had only run 3 kilometres and already I was feeling really bad. Jeff is really fast. I was doing my best to stay with him, but the minute a small climb came along he just charged up it. On that day, I did not have the energy to kick on. I decided that I needed to slow down, or else I was going to be walking out. "I feel sick, I have nothing". I said to Jeff, really struggling to keep up with him. " I can't run faster than this". I said. "I need to stay aerobic, I have no stores left."I don't know if Jeff totally understood what I had meant. I wanted to give up. "Do you want to go back ?", He asked.

"Bugger that, I just need to slow a bit". I slowed down, and let him go on a ahead of me. I did not have enough glucose floating around in my blood to go fast. I needed to try and stay aerobic.

The fire trail continued to descend down into the valley for another 5 kilometres, I could manage 4 minute 20 sec kilometres, but it was not doing me any favours. I ate a gel, and slowed. I let Jeff go on. He was really funny. He'd gain a 50m gap over me, charge to the top of the hill and then wait. I would then run past and he would start running fast again. I tried to get him to slow down and just "Knuckle" in behind me and try and find a rhythm he could keep going at forever. But he seemed to want to stretch it out when he could. So I let him I guess I just let him wear himself out.

At the 7km mark I left out a 600ml of water for my return. We passed the Megalong Valley Road at the 8km mark, and the trail widens even more, we are exposed to the full force of the summer sun. It was 32C in Sydney that day. It was hot. But the landscape was breathtaking. The trail takes you though lush green farmland, decorated with a carpet of yellow and purple wild flowers. I stopped to take a photo of Jeff. It was hot and it was humid down in the valley.

He was starting to feeling a bit green too. But he seemed determine to charge up all the hills as fast as he could and wait for me at the top, while I just tried my best to find a rhythm. I did not have a push in my legs. No glucose equals, no power.

We ran on. I started to get a bit worried about Jeff and his hill intervals that we was performing on himself. "Just run behind me. Rest behind me, don't go any faster". He sat behind me for a few kilometres, but as soon as we hit a climb and he went straight past me. I stopped had another gel. I think I was having enough problems of my own, that I was not thinking enough about Jeff, and how he was doing. "You need to leave enough in your body for the climb out". I said as I caught him again.

We past the 10km mark and I was happy to do it in about 55 minutes, well outside my best, but good enough. I left another 600ml water bottle out with Sustain in it.

Jeff and I then ran the next 5km down to the Cox's River, with Jeff always increasing the gap on me. When we got to the bottom, the 15.5km took us both 1 hour 28 minutes. "No PB's for me today" I announced. I was very slow for me. I think in a race I will do this section in 1 hour 15 minutes or less. But considering how I was feeling, this time was okay. We took off our packs and jumped into the river to cool off. It was approaching midday, and the temperature was rising. I got out of the water and noticed that my back tape had come off my back. I put Paw Paw ointment on my back and hoped it would prevent any further chaffing. I was ready to go. I knew it was only going to get hotter. I just wanted to get back to Nellies Glen before it really got hot. "Jeff, let's get going, the longer you stay in the water for the hotter is is going to get out there, we need to keep moving." I explained.

"I don't think I can run out, I'm done, you have broken me". Jeff is from Brisbane, he is not really use to running on trails in terrain as tough as this. "Too bad man, you have to run out, it's the only way out". I said feeling a bit sorry for him. "Can you get the car?". He asked hopefully. "Nah man that's 4WD.You have to run out. And I'm not picking you up from Megalong Valley Rd either. It takes 45 minutes to drive down to the track on the road."I replied. "Get out, let's get going, get out of the water, get out". I turned from being his friend back into personal trainer. I had to get him up and moving again. Now I was thinking this was funny. He really did not want to get out of the river. "Get out." I continued. Jeff eventually got out. I made him take his shirt off and I smothered his back with Paw Paw ointment. Put his pack on and we both had a gel and started to head out.

Jeff again charged straight up the hill. Man he still has not learnt his lesson. It's 15.5km straight up a hill, you can't just get it over and done with. I was still struggling, but I had switched to aerobic, and I was starting to feel a bit better. I put in an extra gel in by mistake, and it seemed to have done the trick. I finished my gel and Jeff was again gone. After about 1km, we I spotted Kellie and Renae. Kellie looked great, she looked like she was in fire. Really charging through the trail.

Renae closely followed her. She had the biggest headache. She asked me for panadol. I did not have any. I hardly ever take drugs when I am training or racing. It just plays havoc with my gut. For me the advantages just don't out weigh the disadvantages. "Sorry Renae. I can't help".

The temperature was creeping up, and I think Renae was starting to become dehydrated. I asked her if she was eating her gels, electrolytes. She replied no. "Start eating, other wise you won't get back out. Sit in the creek at the bottom for a bit to cool yourself down too."I said before running on to try at catch Jeff, who again ran off ahead.

We spotted Mia. She looked as fresh as a daisy. She was just chilling, keeping her cool and pacing herself. She had only just had 2 wisdom teeth removed a few days before. She was an absolute champion for being out there at all. She looked great. I was not worried about her.

I ran on up the climb, and eventually catching Jeff. I passed him and told him to stay behind me and not run fast. He tried is best, but I could hear his breathing, and he was in his an-aerobic system. I knew he was at his limit. The trail was a again a rocky single man track. The footing was extremely treacherous. You really had to be conscious of your footing otherwise you can break an ankle. "I'm Done." He said. I turned and looked at him. "Just take little steps." We ran on for a another twenty metres. "Nah, that's it I'm out. I can't. I have to walk." I looked at him and weighed up the dangers of leaving him alone. He had enough food and water. He is a young fit guy. He has just gone out too hard. The girls were only 2 kilometres behind, if he got worse, he could walk out with one of them. He needed to get out at his own pace, not mine.

I said good bye and I turned and started to run. I was feeling better, not my best, but I had enough to get out. I hit my climbing grove and started to run, pushing with my legs every stride. Not as much as normal, but enough. I had LFMAO, songs going though my head. They were perfect for the climb. Before I knew it I had completed 21km and I grabbed my drink. It had taken me about 2 hours. Ahhh. The extra fluids went down so well. I ran on, passing hikers along the way. I passed though the cattle gates and I was so happy that all the cows decided that it was way too hot to move around. They all stayed under the shade of the trees, far away front the track in the fields. Excellent. I have a cow phobia, long story.

I passed over the fence ladders, down into the open exposed Megalong Valley, passing another hiker who I had passed at the start of the run and headed back along the wide fire trail. I was feeling great now, and I was making fantastic time for this climb out. I passed another family of hikers. I crossed over the cattle grates and started to climb. I would now be climbing solidly for 9 kilometres. The trail narrowed again and I starred to feel my reserves of water dry up. I stopped and tried to pee. Nothing came out. Damn, I was de-hydrated. I ran on knowing I had water only 2 kilometres up the road. On this part of the climb, I could still manage a great pace and I was soon re-united with my water. Whew. I drank, and had another gel. Cool. Not long now to go.

The fire trail got steeper. I tucked in, with the silly "Party Rockers" song in my head. But it seemed to do the trick. I ran up the 5km of fire trail. The track narrowed and I welcomed the shade. I was now watching the clock. I wanted to get back to the car in less than 3 hours 45 minutes. I knew I had lost at least 15 minutes running down to the Cox's River, because I felt so lethargic. I did not think I could do a PB on the track just after food poisoning. So when the time still had a 2 in front of it I was really happy with my performance. I drank the last of my water and I entered Nellies Glen. Here I stopped and filled up my water bottles with Creek water. I drank as much as I thought my body could handle without over doing it. I filled my 2 bottles and left them out for my running buddies, who were still out on the track, fully exposed to the full heat of the 32C midday sun.

I had 2 kilometres to go, but it was a tough 2 kilometres. I had to climb straight up over 800 bush stairs. Bush stairs are almost worth at least 2 normal stairs. I hit the climb, feeling great, knowing I had achieved what I had set out to do, and with in the time goal that I had set for myself. I put my hands on my knees and pushed with all my body up the enormous stair case. There is about 3 or 4 sets in total. At the top of each one, you ware just amazed that there is another set to climb the stairs just seem to go on forever. The climb is for 800m in elevation and it uses up all your glucose reserves.

I came to the top, and I technically needed to eat. I had been running for 3 hours 30 minutes. I had run out of water, so I just had to get to my car to replenish my stores. I ran run the steep roller coaster fire trail, but I was soon slowed to a walk, as I started to suffer from cramp in the front of my shin. Who gets a cramp in the front of their shin? Bugger, I wanted to finish strong, but my shin just would not let me. The food poisoning had caught up with me, and I needed some salt and glucose in fast. I walked for a few hundred meters and the cramp went away. I started to run again. Before I knew it, I spotted the gates and I was finished. 3 hours 42 minutes. Done. It ended up being a PB by about 10-15 minutes.

I went straight to the car and got the eski out with a frozen chocolate milk, hydralytes and some ice cold water. I sat in the shade of the information hut and chatted to hikers as I waited for my running buddies to appear from the trail.

Jeff was first. He came out swearing and was desperate for some water. He had just run out. I am not sure of the time but it was about 30 minutes or so after me. I handed him dome water and a hydralytes icy pol to re-hydrate. I think he really learnt something out there and he will become stronger for it. I sent him on to find some more food so he could recover.

Just when Jeff was leaving to get home and recover whilst watching the cricket with his feet in ice and a beer in his hand, Renae appeared. She completed the 31kms about 15 minutes after Jeff. She came out swearing and shaking, she too had run out of water. Again I passed her her frozen chocolate milk , a hydralyte icy pol, and some ice cold water, and sat her down in the shade.

She was soon followed by Kellie who was carrying a set of sticks she had picked to help her with the climbs. She said use was so out of energy she crawled up out of the 800m Nellies Glen climb. She arrived about 15 minutes later, she also swore her head off at me. Which made me laugh. When I first came out of Nellies Glen, 3 years ago, I was totally demoralised, I saw so much of myself in these runners.

Mia, who had run out of water, also was in de-stress. Again I grabbed her a frozen chic milk, hydralytes and cold fresh water. She soon recovered.

They needed to run on the trail, we all live in the City of Sydney or the Inner West, and there are no climbs like the climbs in the mountains. They are 2 to 3 times bigger than anything within 10km of where we live. I can't think of another training run that toughens you up as much as that run in the heat.