Narrowneck Night Run

This race is the one race of Running Wild series that I looked forward to the most. The basic premise was a 20km run as a simple10km out and back on wide 4WD track. We were to set off at 7:30pm, head lamps on at half way and return in the dark. On the way out views into the valleys on both sides with a setting sun. However the weather had other ideas.

As we drove up the mountain it was clear that the overcast weather on the flats was actually low cloud and mist in Katoomba... This was actually pretty good. I hadn't been on a misty run in the mountains for a few years. It would however throw up some other challenges.

Since I had never attempted a night run before the question of lighting needed to be answered. I had a very cheap (free) head lamp given to me. I had also read that some runners prefer a hand held as it helps with shadowing etc. I decided to cover my bases and take both. Also that fact that I was running with a mate who had a decent light meant I was confident enough. The conditions however would make my selection a foolish one. Had I not had a friend to run with I would not have had much light. Running side by side we did OK but only OK. The thick fog and later rain meant that the beam of light from the head leamp basically just made for white glare in front of my face. If I aimed further ahead it was not bright enough to bounce of anything and basically didn't work. The hand held LED fared a little better and I would consider using it again with a better head lamp. If I was ever to run again at night I would pay for at least 55 lumens of light. Lesson learnt.

The folks at Running Wild, once again put on a great event. After parking at Katoomba Pools we shuttled down to the start line in a minibus. We set off  on time and with a field of 200 runners there was plenty of traffic in the first kilometre. The track, while graded was very rocky and picking a path that didn't bruise the feet was an early challenge. I stopped to answer the call of nature just after 3km in and we cruised along easily for a while. I got a bit of a stitch under the ribs from the undualting climbs and  form was probably a bit loose down the hills so I  had to back it off  for a little bit. It passed and we came across a runner who had had a fairly decent tumble about 8km in. We reached the halfway point and it was dark enough to warrant lighting. With brief pause to have some grapes, a decent drink and a chat to the officials about the injured runner we set off on the return trip.

Watching the lights coming towards us through the dark and fog was a surreal sight. The quiet of the bushland at night time was amazing. The rain picked up and it was a bit breezy in parts but having to concentrate on the little patch of light in front of you was intense. My memory of the return trip is as though it was in fast forward but in reality it was much slower than we wanted to go. The feeling of disorentation was the thing I remember best. Not being able to tell whether you are running up or down a slope. Cresting a hill and losing the track even if only for a split second. I now have a lot more respect for those Ultra runners who tackle night running under heavy fatigue. It was definitely a unique challenge. A few times I dared to look up ahead or shift my gaze and was rewarded by kicking my toes on big rocks and almost taking some falls of my own. A couple of times we had to caution each other to watch the edges. More times I can remember my left foot stood on sharp rocks and the ball of my foot took a pounding.

When we finally finished in just over 2 hours we were wet, foot bruised and totally pumped. We were smart enough to bring a dry shirt with us to the start line but at about 12 degrees and light rain I will remember for next time to bring all of my dry clothes to the starting area. One of the older runners had hypothermia and had to be bussed out early. We finally got back to our cars at about 1030pm and the seat warmers in my mates car were a welcome respite. My head didn't hit the pillow until after midnight. Overall a great experience with a few lessons learnt and another trail to put in the diary as a great run.

Running Wild Race 3- Kedumba Half Marathon

The longest race of the series so far and even though I have run further before it would be my first official run at this distance. The distance however was not the greatest challenge. If anyone had entered this race and not been confident of their ability to complete a half marathon the return trip would surely have broken them. The course began at Wentworth Falls and was a  simple 10.5km then turn around and run back. The difference being that the first half of the race was all descent and the second half all climb. In all there was 890m of elevation gain on the return trip meaning an almost 9% average grade for 10.5km.

The day began as usual with an early rise and light breakfast consisting of a handful of macadamias and grapes washed down with some water. Stopped for petrol and a coffee at about 5:15am before picking up a mate heading up into the moutains. The forecast was for a hot day so I made sure to pack the camelback with some ice but was heartened by the misty morning conditions. As the two of us agreed  that a run in the mist would be good we instantly found ourselves "above the clouds" by the time we hit Faulconbridge. The rising sun looked as though it would live up to the forecast.

Arriving at the starting line it was clear there would be a big turn out and by the time we were sent on our way there were more than 200 runners with most of those doing the full course run. We started near the back and began picking our way through the crowd up the first, slight and only rise of the trip out. About 3km into our descent the two of us were bounding down the steep track but my running mate was feeling some discomfort. We stopped briefly as he attempted to look after it with short trip into the bushland a number of people passed by and I looked down at my watch realising I had left it in the wrong mode and accidentally stopped and cleared the timer. No big deal. We both continued only a few hundred metres before slowing again. My friends stomach issue seemed to be getting worse. We walked, then jogged then walked again as more runners passed us down the hill.


As we came to the short course turn around point a few of the organisers politely asked if we were OK and pointed out the obvious.... It would be a long day for us if my running mate could not resolve the issue. He began to get frustrated and told me to go ahead without him. I did not. After some persuasive encouragement from me he managed to make creative use of some Elastoplast and disappear into the cover of the bushland a second time. More runners passed and there began to be longer and longer gaps between them.

 Hoping that we were all sorted and good to go we set off down the trail again but once more the pain and discomfort of the stomach cramps became too much. Once more he told me to go on ahead. Again I would not. He stopped off into the bushland for a third time and by this stage I had seen the last runner (an older guy with the slow shuffle) go through and disappear a good few minutes ahead of us down the trail. We still had at least 4km to go before the turn around and any hopes of competing for a solid time were long gone. I was not disappointed though. Despite the problems, I have only ever entered these races for the fun of running and I would much rather run with someone to chat with and be able to push each other along then to gain a position or two and run on my own. In all honesty I am glad that I did not go it alone as later on it would be him pushing me along.

With our problems behind us but the entire field in front of us we readjusted our goal. We caught only one person before the turn around, that being the older gentlemen shuffling down the trail. I said to my friend I hope that when I am his age I am that much of a champion... We crossed a river at the bottom of the valley after passing the whole field running back the other way and guessed that we could probaly catch 20-30 people. As we turned around for the return trip we picked up 2 more runners. As the track angled back up out of the flats of the valley we sloshed our wet shoes against the hill.


The hills were so steep that most of the runners were forced to walk.We resolved ourselves to run... no matter how slowly. We passed 10 people much quicker than we thought we would, then 20 then 30. I cannot explain how long and steep these hills were.. I have run Wanda Sand Dunes, Giant Staircase in Katoomba and many others but for sheer, unrelenting climb this is unparalleled. Still we climbed and with about 5km to go we had caught about 40 people. The slope got steeper after this point and for about 100m I walked... not necessarily through exhaustion... more because my short shuffle up the hill proved slower than long, striding steps. It also allowed a little respite for the glutes and calves that had been climbing for so long.

With about 2.5km to go the sun was now beating down on us and we were towering above the valley below. The track flattened somewhat and my legs were heavy. It was me hanging on now as my friend would climb ahead, urging me to drag myself up the hill. The runners were were passing now were stronger and not so easy to drop. We would collect our 67th runner in a fast 500m spurt down a hill to the start/finish line.

We crossed the line together in 2hr 25mins 9s. Due to my earlier issues with the watch I did not get too much reliable data from the out trip but I did get the following from the final 10.5km:

- It took us 1hr 17mins to run the return meaning we took about 1hr 8mins on the out trip. Data from the early kilometres of the out trip had us covering the first half  of the race in just under 50mins before we struck problems. In all we could have lost anywhere from 15-20mins from stoppages on the way down.
- 890m of elevation gain on the return trip.
- Average HR for the return was 174bpm or 91% of Max HR. This was the avg over 1hr and 17mins.
- Max HR was 195 which could be an anomaly of the monitor however I did exceed 180bpm in 6 out of 10 of the final kilometres.
-Graphs etc here- http://connect.garmin.com/activity/129714220

We finished in 93rd place out of 160 runners. A pretty solid effort considering how far ahead of us they got. Overall another great day, well organised by the folks at runnign wild and a great lead in to pre-season training which offically starts on Tuesday.

Running Wild Race 2- Wentworth Falls

Wow. Just amazing views in this race. Starting from a park in Wentworth Falls at 7am there were over 200 starters for this one and they started the race in two waves. Dan, Stoney and myself deciding on the second wave as we were again running socially rather than competitively.


After watching the first wave do their 150m loop around the park and onto the track it became apparent that there would be a bit of a traffic jam as the path narrowed. We moved off fairly briskly but still spent the first one or two kilometres behind a long line of runners. When the track angled upwards and widened allowing for overtaking the three of took advantage and moved through the field.

About 4km in, after stretching our legs a bit over some gentler terrain, nature called for me and I ran ahead and found a secluded spot. The track angled downhill from here and though rocky we cruised along at good speed. At some point after this we rounded a corner to what can only be descrbed as breath taking views. The Jamison Valley spread out below us as we scaled very steep stairs down the escarpment. The steepness meant running would have been reckless and the field bunched a little in this section once more.


From here on in the track became fairly technical. Steep climbs... up and down. Stepping stones across creeks and waterfalls, low hanging rocks and moss. We stopped for a photo and as some runners passed us we heard that a guy had actually hit his head on one of those low hanging rocks. he followed through soon after and aside from a bit of a gash on his head seemed OK.





The track continued along the escarpment until the inevitable rise out of the valley arrived. The steps were narrow and slippery with a runners banking up again. This was not a problem as it would have been stupid to attempt to run up the stairs. The stairs began to widen and allowed for passing as we rose out of the valley and once completing the climb we paused to regather as a group.

With only a few kilometres to the Conservation Hut and the aid station our group picked up the pace slightly before stopping off for a quick cordial and some fruit. Buoyed by the encouragement of race organisers and assured that the hardest was behind us we ran down the hill with reckless abandon. Passing a few and pulling away from anyone who was nearby. The final kilometres had some really muddy sections meaning the shoes once again needed a good wash at the end.

By the final kilometre we tried to keep the pace failry high but the legs were heavy and after 2hrs of running what seemed like a good pace was probably not so fast. After finishing I smashed down two egg and bacon rolls and a wild berry slushie. Final time was 2hrs 4mins with an average speed of about 8km/h. Despite this slow pace I averaged about 163bpm which is about 85% of max heart rate for the whole run.


Once again I am amazed at just how different trail running is to road running. The variation in stride keeps the legs fresh. It also keeps the pace down but the  heart rate up. I commented to the boys on one of the decents that tearing down a hill where you are literally jumping off large steps and switching across the trail for the best route makes you feel like a little kid. The need to keep your eyes down on the trail keeps you constantly in the moment too. So much so that the race starts, then it finishes and 2hrs feels like a few seconds.

Overall an amazing race, outstanding scenery, well organised by the folks at Running Wild and good company. Next up trail 1/2 marathon.

10 Things I Learnt About Tonga

The following is a short overview of my stay in Tonga where I refereed the Tongan National Rugby League Grand Final.... actually I refereed both the Tongan NRL Final and the Tongan Reserve Grade Final back to back on the same day. In any case I learnt some things about the culture, the people and about travelling in general which are listed below.

View across from my hotel in Nuku'alofa

1. Being early finally payed off. I always find myself arriving places early. I leave with plenty of time. I am rarely "fashionably late" and as result I often spend time waiting for others to arrive. This time, knowing my flight was at 9:40am I wanted to be at the airport with at least the full 2 hours beforehand to check-in. From my home to the airport is 45min drive with a clear run. The math says I should have left home at just before 7am. Knowing Sydney peak hour on the airport route can get nasty I left home at 5:30am. The M5 threw up its worst morning peak hour and it took me the full 2hrs 10mins to get to the airport. This meant a long queue at check-in. Add to this a 3 hr delay in Auckland  and I didn't arrive in Tonga until 11pm, crashing to my hotel bed at midnight after leaving home at 5:30am.

Sports Hall where rules clinicwas held.

2. Tonga is 2hrs ahead of Sydney time but that is not what is meant by 'Tonga Time.' 'Tonga Time' means that while I was due to be picked up at 10:30am on my first day to do a rules clinic with the Tongan Referees at 11:00am, the clinic doesn't actually start until 11:45am. This is a concept I was familiar with after visiting Fiji in 2009 where they run on 'Fiji Time' and after years of coaching young Polynesian boys who are never too concerned what time the game is due to kick off. As a result of 'Tonga Time' the 3:00pm final kicked off at 3:45pm and nobody seemed to care too much. I think everyone should add a little 'Tonga Time' into their lives.

3. Drink bottled water. Not that I got sick or had any bad experiences but if you look carefully all of the locals drink bottled water. The guys who looked after me always stopped off for water first each day and my thinking is if the locals are doing it then I should be too. I got through plenty of it as well. The weather was basically 27-28C each day and humidity was high as well.

The friendly bar tender.

4. Tonga really is the friendly island. There were several examples of this during my stay. One night in a bar near my hotel I met another Aussie guy who was in Tonga doing aerial survey. He asked the bartender where in town he could get a massage. The bartender casually stepped out from behind the bar and proceeded to give him a 20min back rub and refused to take any payment. I was taken out after the Grand Final and could not have payed for a drink if I tried, they bought me lunch every day and bought all my water.  Despite the fact that many of the people do not have a lot in the way of material possessions they would give you the shirt off their back. One of there referees had a wife who was on my flight back to Australia. He asked me to keep an eye on her getting through immigration and customs on arriving into Australia. They gave me some hand woven bags and shell jewellry for my wife. I was given then best cuts of the suckling pig and given the only two lobsters at the table. Amazing people.

Tongan Sports Minister

Myself and my touch judges...photo taken by the Sports Minister.

5. You shouldn't ask the Minister for Sport to take a photo of you. This pretty much speaks for itself. I unwittingly asked him to take the photo below and didn't realise my mistake until they boys joked about it at the feast the next day. To his credit the minister was neither shocked, surprised or annoyed. He just smiled and took the pic.

The losing team

The winners 38-34. If the game had been 5mins longer they would have lost. They lead 16-0 at half time and only just hung on.

6. There is plenty Rugby League talent in Tonga. Both the Reseve Grade and Top Grade Grand Finals were a showcase of very tough and skillful Rugby League. What they lack in structure and endurance they make up for in flare and physicality. While obviously not NRL standard I could easily see these teams competing in Bundaberg Cup with a few individuals definitely worth a contract at an Australian club.

Mormon Temple

7. Religion is very important in Tonga. Grand Finals were played on Saturday because everything is shut on Sunday. The bar closed at 12am sharp and one of my fellow referees, a mormon, sipped lemonades while the others drank. The homes and buildings in Tonga a very basic. Even my hotel had seen better days but the churches are immaculate. It is illegal to be shirtless in the township and there were prayers before and after the games.

8. The village is still important. The teams I refereed were village-based. I was taken through some of the referees villages and as far as I can tell they are often grouped based on religion and family links. One of the former referees there was a chief and he was greeted by all who entered the bar and afforded  respect by everyone. In fact I was introduced to one woman whom I later found out was the prince's daughter. I was told I was lucky because royalty don't usually address the locals but she did briefly chat with the chief and say hello to me.

9. It is a tropical island in every sense of the word. Covered in banana and coconut trees, surrounded by reef. Apparently some white sand beaches on the western side ( which I didn't see) and the blowholes on the south (which I did see).

10. Nothing beats being home. No doubt I had some great times but man it is tough travelling alone. Getting off a plane in a strange country and waiting for someone you have never seen or spoken with to pick you out of the crowd is a little stressful. Being away from my gorgeous wife and daughter for 6 days meant my sleep was not as deep as usual and seeing other little families around made it even harder. I felt priviledged to have been given the opportunity to go and even more so to return to my life here in Australia with a new appreciation for what I have. A full life, a loving family, a great job and no troubles worth mentioning.

Running Wild Race 1- Mt Portal

Getting out of bed at 4:45am is a tough task at the best of times but when I spent the night previous being awoken by howling wind and driving rain it proved even more difficult. Despite this there was just no way I was going to miss this run as I had been looking forward to it for a quite a while. The original plan saw to mates driving to my house before a quick stop at Penrith to pick up a fourht runner but the rain whittled us down to three. As we approached the base of the mountains the rain was little more than heavy mist so I was optimistic of favourable running conditions.

At the start line there was plenty of time for registration and a quick chat with the eventual race winner who spends his spare time training referees. The race kicked off at about 7:30am and headed straight down a steep hill and across the causeway. The three of us watched as the field stretched out down the hill and eventually only about 4 or 5 of the 100+ strong field remained behind us. A lady at this point commented that three of us "looked" as though we should be further toward the front.

Once across the causeway those who were somewhat adveturous down hill runners slowed to a walk on the first hill and our group of three steadily made our way through the field. Despite a very relaxed pace according to the watch the steep grade ensured that I felt as though I was pushing a little harder than I had anticpated over the early kilometres.

As the asphalt turned to fire trail the grade eased and we chatted and continued to pick up a few runners. I commented to the others that with the cold and rain that it would have been a difficult day to be running alone and I am hoping that I can hook at least one other person in to each of the races.

A left hand turn took us down a steep hill into Euroka clearing where one of our three made a short stop at the toilets. We slowed a little allowing others to pass as he caught up. Some nice single trail and bush stairs took us around the clearing before a sharp right up a very steep and slippery hill. Again the more experienced people slowed to a walk using their hands to push down on their quads knowing that they would lose little time by doing so. I on the other hand was determined to run the whole 16.5km so our group of 3 huffed and puffed our way to the summit.

This took us to about half way where we skirted a waterhole, and passed an aid station. Considering I have sworn of sugary drinks it was a relief to grab some orange slices and a piece of banana. The lead runners passed us on their return from the look out meanign they were a good 3-4km ahead of us at about the 1hr mark.  A steep climb saw us pass a small handful of runners who were walking up the hills before the gradual ascent to Mt Portal lookout. It was a specatacular view which we took in all too briefly. With 11.25km under our belts we were all feeling pretty good and head for the finish. A gradual climb, a steep descent, saw us onto to a brief flat section of track before a right hand turn took us down more single track and bush stairs.

The final kilometre took us back onto asphalt and down to the causeway before the brutal steep climb home. The final 500m took me almost 4 and a half minutes but I didn't walk.

Final time was 1 hr 37mins which is just under the 6min/km pace.  I have to say running, chatting and taking in the view was a great way to run the race. Surprisingly I pulled feeling really good and did not feel stiff or sore until I begain runnign the final hill. I think the variance in ground surface, slope, obstacles etc forces you to adopt a lot of different stride lengths and speeds. You therefore avoid the repetitive stress of a flat road run... perhaps? All I know I never thought 16.5km would be that easy.

We finished morning with a bacon and egg roll and a dry change of clothes and head back home in what was now very heavy rain. Wearing the Merrells for their first hit out on the trail was a complete success and despite the fact my feet got wet and muddy fairly early there were zero problems with rubbing or blisters. I chose to go sockless which I think was a good choice.

A tough training week...

A number of factors have added together to make this week a tiring but satisfying on. Attempting to resume  normal sleeping patterns after 2 weeks of watching the Tour de France was not so easy.

Returning to work after two long, restfu andl relaxing weeks at home has taken a bit of a toll as well.

Add to this that I also had somewhat of a down week with no offical training last week and I had only touch lines on two slower than average games.

Finally some heavy winter rain,  some very solid sessions, some challenging games ahead and I am left making the most of a quiet Friday night at home.

Training this week has included:

Tuesday- Hard interval session Tuesday. 10 Degrees Celcius. Windy. Heavy rain. 8.6km of running in the form of 300m repeats, 100m repeats, 120m shuttles and fartlek efforts. Boots felt like concrete with all the water and mud. Average HR of 157bpm (82% of max) but the graphs here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/100878659 indicate that during the efforts HR was consistently over 170bpm with a max of 182bpm (95% of max). Sometimes after a session like this though you have an appreciation of being young enough and able enough to actually do it. One of these days, many years down the track I am sure that I will be wishing I could still complete a session like this on a cold winter night.

Thursday- Boxing session. A good 80mins of work. Was feeling good and really went hard in this session which of course left me somewhat sore but nothing too bad.

Monday, Wednesday (and Thurs),were mainly following progressions for pushups, pullups, light back squats (60kg), plank holds, ring dips and moderate presses (40kg). The purpose of these progressions is merely to build some volume in some light/bodyweight style exercises. The hope being that it will just put the muscles through a range of motion without taxing the body too much and interfering with other sessions. Seems to be working so far.

Looking ahead to the weekend I will have a tough wet game to referee in Bundaberg Cup and a touch line for Toyota Cup. The heavy rain in Sydney meant that the Toyota Cup game has been rescheduled as it was supposed to be played at ANZ Stadium tonight.

NSW CUP Touchline

A very tough game today with both teams willing to push the envelope and play very physically. A lot of stoppages for scrums, penalties, fights and injuries brought the avg pace right down but with an avg HR of 139bpm at 72% it was slightly more up tempo than last weeks game but still below average. Legs felt good after a week off.
Full details http://connect.garmin.com/activity/97820378

On a side issue with a new smart phone  (HTC Desire HD) the world of android apps has opened up and a few interesting ones I am playing with are the 50 contiuous pushups and 15 consecutive pullups apps. Both are progressions to the goals with reps and sets displayed on screen. I like the idea of daily bodyweight stuff just to put joints through a range of motion and will continue to follow the progressions.  Examples of todays progressipns are as follows:
Pullups: 1-3-3-2-3
Pushups: 10-10-12-11-9
Rests were various up to 1 min.