28 Jul 2013

You Yangs 50km Ultra Marathon


So I think I covered my lack of preparation in the post preceding my race effort at the You Yangs... If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you are probably well aware of the result too! In summary, I haven't been getting as much training in of late, mainly due to work commitments and partly getting the mechanics of my body under control.
Going into the race I have missed my usual rituals of pre race sleep, drinking lots and loading up on Berocca! Combine that with the lack of decent training lately and I felt very worried about this race!
This is Race number 7 in my #13in2013 races for the year, not only that, it's my 4th Ultra for the year!

The weather was a bit of a concern, a week out from the race they were predicting perfect conditions then as it came closer we had rain and thunderstorms on the way! Suffice to say, as it turned out the conditions were ideal. It was chilly up on the mountain (is it just a 'hill' really..?) at the start of the race but after that it was cool and clear for most of the day, a few light rain drops was about all we copped.

The course at You Yangs designed by the evil Brett Saxon, is very cleverly mapped out to include multiple legs (loops) of the park to cater for each race distance. The map, although complex in appearance, was rather simple to follow on race day as things were marked out superbly and there were well informed marshals at any point where confusion could sneak in. As long as you knew how far you had been, it was simple!
on your way up to Flinders Peak
The feature of this course is the 'Flinders Peak' trail which climbs straight up to the highest point for a gorgeous 360 panorama of the whole park area. I believe we gain about 200m elevation in 2km on this Flinders Peak trail!! The best part is for the suckers who signup for the 80km (50 mile) event, they get to run this peak three times! I'll have to admit though, coming back down that particular trail was the absolute highlight of my time at this event :)
One side of the fantastic maps provided by Trails+

The course covers a range of terrain, from gravel walking tracks, to rocky narrow paths around the mountain to the gently rolling smooth trails set up for cyclists. The aid stations are gloriously well stocked with all sorts of lollies, chips, cakes, gels, water and electrolytes. Granted there aren't that many aid stations compared to your typical bigger events, it was still regular enough to allow most participants to travel fairly lightly.

20 Jul 2013

Pre race jitters and general updates

So HI everyone, life has been hella busy lately, I've barely ran much and feel like I'm far from ready for this weekend (You Yangs 50k) and more-so the scary and massive month of August where I'll be tackling Brisbane, Alice Springs and Perth...! 

I've been pretty excited about this part of the year up until recently, now that it is nearing d-day, I'm (naturally?) starting to get worried about everything!

So to refocus, I'm going to do my best to get back into routine and make time for the sleep I've been lacking. Hopefully my body will catch up in time to carry me strongly through the tough month ahead!

I've busted out another jigsaw, trying to keep my head clear, getting myself some downtime

I love jigsaw puzzles..  Lame?

Now I haven't completely forgotten my blog, there is a draft post to recap both Barossa Marathon and the Warrnambool 50k ultra, it needs some finishing touches but I really want to get them out for you to read! I have had some really good and enjoyable races recently and I'd love to share it with you all!

I've been training sporadically, blame winter, and my mates wedding, and work, and... Ok I should suck it up and try harder!

Anyways I just wanted to get some blog love going here and show off my jigsaw puzzle skills!
With how my body feels at the moment, only 6 marathons down for the year, I can barely imagine what the ever awesome marathon man is feeling with something over 70 marathons down for the year already! 

I'm sure I know plenty of people that will be taking on the Run Melbourne half marathon tomorrow, and good luck to you all! everyone else, give me some comment love for the ultra I'm hitting tomorrow!
My first Half Marathon medal :-D (it was actually 2009 but I can't find it so I figure two medals make up for it)

Run Melbourne was the first race distance beyond 10km that I tackled, i absolutely loved this event and I'm sure this year will be just as good! Their mantra "anyone can" was one of the driving forces behind me pushing on to greater races, and as a result I tell people this every day, anyone can run, just take that first step!