Much to my surprise, there is a local 60km ultra marathon, and the course that it follows runs less than two blocks away from my front door. This is kind of embarrassing, as I have frequently complained that one of the problems with ultras is the shortage of local events!

The event was in its fourth year, although I understand that the shorter distance events (marathon, half marathon, and 10km) have been running for a few years more than that.

The course, with markers each km (click to enlarge)

The course starts at Cross Creek, near Featherston. The first section follows the Rimutaka Railway Incline all the way to the Kaitoke entrance, climbing at a gentle rate and taking runners through a series of old railway tunnels. From there the course takes in Tunnel Gulley, going past the start of Tane’s Track and through another tunnel towards Maymorn.

Section three introduces runners to the Hutt River Trail, which they follow from Harcourt Park in Upper Hutt all the way to Petone. Like the rest of the course, this section is mostly on gravel roads, with the occasional section of single track and only a small amount of sealed roads.

Elevation - gentle climb at the start, all downhill after that

I thoroughly enjoyed this race, and not just because it was my first win on the ultra circuit. It had a good sized field (25 in the ultra, many more in the shorter events), and was well supported all along the course. I’ll definitely be back in 2012 to have another crack, and hopefully get my time down from this year’s 5:19.

The trophy - no idea who the guy in the background is!

Well, I did it – my first 100km foot race, completed!

Looking tired, around the 80km mark.

Videos of the race

Here are a couple of links to some video that was shot on the day of the race. It is a family-shot movie i.e. it is more about me during the race than the race itself, but it shows a considerable amount of the course and will be helpful for anyone wanting to know more about the terrain.

High-res version (recommended): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydexXiq8CZc

Low-res version (for slow internet connections): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCYrE3Pr7Bg

What was it like?

The day was a great success. Weather was perfect, a cool day with no wind and only a very few spots of rain. The pre-dawn start saw us running the first lap in darkness, head-torches bobbing along the forest track as we ran. It was difficult to run the first lap in the dark, and at least one entrant became lost after missing a course marker. A good reason to stick with a bunch I reckon!

Dawn came midway around the second lap, and what a beautiful moment it was. The sight of snow-covered mountains greeted us as we reached the top of a raise, and it was hard not to be taken by the awesome beauty of Central Otago.

I don’t want to go into too much detail about the race, but I do want to share a few small tidbits.

The Course

A 10km loop track, the course is an even mix of gravel road and forest trails. It was dry for us, but on a rainy day it would have quickly become quite muddy. With the weather on our side I was able to switch from my off-road shoes into my regular road shoes – there were no problems at all with traction. The course contains 230 metres of climb (i.e. a total of 2.3km of climb for the full 101km race), which was a bit more than I was expecting. The climb is well spread-out though, and there are no long “grunts” uphill.  I liked the variety of terrain no the course, from standard gravel roads to easy forest tracks to rock-strewn mountain bike single track.

After I while I began to feel quite dizzy.....

The Organisation

Everything was run very smoothly, as you would expect for a race that has been going on for several years now. The organising group were very professional and friendly, and the volunteers on the course were amazing. Such an enthusiast bunch, I sometimes wonder if they realise just what a huge difference they make to the competitors in terms of motivation and support. The halfway mark was manned by the sprightly Liam, who always had a small and an encouraging word. He even took requests for the song to be played as you ran through his aid station for the final lap. The start/finish line was constantly buzzing with support crews (all very friendly), time keepers (always a smile and a laugh), and officials (checking that runners had a clear path through the supporters, and chatting to runners as they paused to restock).

Trying to stay awake at prize giving

The Challenge

Some basic stats:

Distance: 101km.

Ascending: +2,304 metres, 34.26km

Flat: 30.94km

Descending: -2,283 metres, 35.89km

Don't be fooled - the inane grin is just to mask the extreme pain!!!

After sixteen weeks of training, the big date has finally arrived – the Great Naseby Water Race is less than a week away.

My training has been tapering for the past couple of weeks, so I am feeling good and have plenty of spare energy building-up.

I’ve been  back over the stats of my training programme (thanks to a combination of my Garmin Forerunner 305 and SportsTracks). Here’s a quick breakdown….

• 16 weeks of training completed.
• Running five days a week.
• 1,420kms of running distance.
• I ran the marathon distance (42km) seven times during my training (two of those runs were also ultras at greater than 50km).
• 132.5 hours of running time.
• 13,500 metres of vertical gain during my training runs.
• Average pace of 5:36 per km (which matches my target pace for the race).
• July was the biggest month for me, with 452km running distance.
• Over 130,000 calories burnt – time for a burger!

It’s been a big commitment in terms of time – I am very fortunate in that my family are very understanding and patient. Probably the biggest adjustment has been the early morning starts during the week – I have typically been getting up at 4:30am to do my midweek runs.

The back-to-back long runs have been successful, at least in terms of my ability to complete them  I only really had one incident attributable to the double long runs; on my last “big” weekend I had a 42km on the Saturday and a 50km on the Sunday. I had done the same distances the previous week, but this time around I found it much more difficult. At one point I found myself hunched over on the trail, vomiting and struggling to breath, tears running down my face. All part of running an ultra (some call it a rite of passage), and after a few minutes I was able to laugh about it and carry on with my run.

So, looking forward to the big one now – my next post will cover the race itself and my thoughts on whether or not my training programme was a good one.

Sunday Run

Training for the 100km is really starting to ramp-up now. A key part of my training programme is to spread my weekly “long run” out over two days. This allows me to cover a very long distance, but makes it much easier for me to recover and therefore not have an extended recovery time.

Two long runs over the weekend (or “backing-up”) means a run of 3 -> 4 hours on Saturday and 3.5 hours on Sunday. This allows me to cover approx. 75km over the weekend, much farther than I would typically run on a single long run. I have been mixing it up on my runs, taking the Saturday run in the hills and the Sunday run on the flat.

Saturday Run

Training is progressing well for my first tilt at the 100km distance.

As I am a virgin for the 100km, I am feeling my way around a training programme.  This is all pretty much unknown territory for me, and I am wary of over-training and of picking-up a race-threatening injury.

My usual approach to an event is to aim for 75% of the total distance on my longest training run. Well, I don’t think that I could pull-off 75km without seriously sore legs for the following week, so a different approach is required.

I have adapted a couple of ultra programmes that I found on the internet into something that looks as though it will work for me. The programme is based on the following key points:

• My normal “once a week” long run has been changed into back-to-back long runs over the weekend. Rather than one long run on a Saturday, I now have two long runs, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. This allows me to cover the necessary distance without thrashing myself physically. It also allows me to structure my weekend time so that I can actually see my family
• Two rest days per week.My normal training programmes give me one day off a week. The second day is introduced to allow extra recovery following the back-to-back long runs.
• Focus on time on my feet rather than distance.My programmes are normally based on the required distance to run each day. For the long weekend runs, I’ve switched  to running for a set time duration rather than a number of kilometres. This is partly an attempt to make me slow down on the long runs – I am worried that I will go too fast on the 100km and run out of steam before the finish line. Running for a set time means that I do not feel the urge to “race” the training run – I’m forever checking my watch when I run, and can’t resist trying to beat my previous time on a set distance course.

You can download my training programme (in Microsoft Excel format) here:  Naseby Training Programme.  Please note that you will need to rename the file to a .xls file after you have downloaded it – WordPress won’t let me upload Excel files, so I had to rename the file to a .doc in order to get it onto the site.

I have signed-up for my first 100km race.

As I type this, I find myself staring at that first sentence, unable to quite believe that I just typed it.

It is only a few short years since I ran my first marathon. Now here I am, about to undertake a run 2.5 times longer than that previously unattainable distance. Yet, here I am – entry fee is paid, flights and accommodation are confirmed, and I am two weeks into my training programme.

Amazing. Scary. Cool

For my first attempt at 100km I will be travelling to the small Otago town of Naseby. It is a beautiful location, and somewhere that has special significance to my wife (Sarah). Her family often holidayed there when she was a child. We visited there together about five years ago, and I quickly came to love it almost as much as she does. It has a permanent population of just 200 people, and a quiet, laid-back atmosphere to match. Each year they host The Great Naseby Water Race – so when I went looking for an ultra to challenge myself with, Naseby quickly shot to the top of the list.

The other big attraction about The Great Naseby Water Race is that is a held over a relatively short lap-based course (10km per lap). Most ultras in New Zealand are point-to-point courses, with all of the logistical and support challenges that such races entail. A lap-based course has many advantages:

1. Your support crew can stay in one place. They don’t have to travel to get to the next checkpoint, and they can enjoy plenty of “downtime” between laps.
2. You don’t need to carry a lot of gear. Rather than a bag, I will be running with a fuel belt.  I won’t need to carry food – my support crew will hand me food on each new lap, and they’ll be able to refill my bottles at the same time. I’ll carry a light jacket and a walkman – that’s all.
3. It is easy to change gear during the race. With my support crew in one place, it will be easy for them to setup all of the “what if” gear for when I need it. If I want to change shoes or socks during the race, they’ll have it there waiting for me. If I start to crave a food type that isn’t in the planned menu, they can nip to a store and grab it for me, ready for my next lap.
4. You get to know the other runners. In a point-to-point race, when somebody passes you that is generally the last that you see of them until the prize-giving. In a lap-based event, you’ll see familiar faces throughout the course. Encouragement, friendly rivalry…..and a regular injection of fresh-faces as the shorter distance runners enter the course (The Great Naseby Water Race also has 80km, 60km, and 50km distance events).

So, I have entered my first 100km race. I am more excited than scared, although I am sure that the nerves will increase as the event date draws nearer.

Hawkins Hill is one of the highest points in the Wellington city area. At the peak of the hill is a distinctive radar installation, known colloquially as “the golf ball”.

I have wanted to take a closer look at the golf ball for several years but, despite having many conversations on the topic, have never made the effort to get up there. So when the opportunity arose for an off-the-cuff long run I immediately started making plans to take a closer look.

I needed to find a suitably difficult, long-distance run in order to test a couple of new products that I had received. The first product is one that I have been trying to locate for some time – SaltSticks capsules.

SaltStick capsules (or “caps” as they are often referred to) are designed to resemble the nutrients that the body loses when we sweat. They are taken to fend-off the effects of dehydration; namely cramps and fatigue. A lot of articles that I have read on the web and in magazines refer to SaltSticks as being the premier product on the market, and so I was keen to try them out for myself. After much searching, I finally managed to find a supplier in New Zealand – www.triconnection.co.nz. I ordered a couple of bottles and started to look for a suitable test run.

When my order of SaltSticks arrived I was surprised to see that Paul from TriConnections had included four sample Bonk Breaker bars. I must admit that I had never heard of this product – but I always love a freebie, so I decided to test the bars out on my weekend long run as well.

So, with two new products to test I started to plan out my run. I wanted distance, and I wanted climb. I immediately thought of the radar installation on Hawkins Hill, and a plan was formed. I followed SH2 from Avalon, Lower Hutt into Wellington city.  From there, I headed into Brooklyn and up through Central Park. I continued to climb for some time until I passed the wind turbine above Brooklyn. From there, I followed the Hawkins Hill road all the way to the radar installation.

The elevation profile for the run shows just how flat the run from Lower Hutt to Wellington is – practically no change in altitude at all. That all changed once I headed up Brooklyn Hill though, and the climb continued for another 10km beyond that point.

So how did the SaltSticks and Bonk Breaker perform? Well, I really enjoyed the run, and felt fresh enough at the 42km mark to seriously consider continuing back into Lower Hutt on foot. Sanity prevailed, and I caught a ride back with my wife – but I would normally be shattered after a run of this length and difficulty. I was using one SaltStick capsule every forty minutes, and I ate the Bonk Breaker at the top of Hawkins Hill i.e. about 2hrs 30 into the run. I did not experience any cramps, and both products were easy on the stomach.

There are many factors that determine how a runner feels during and after a long run; the heat of the day, what they ate for breakfast, strength and direction of the wind etc etc. All of these factors make it difficult to point to a performance product and say “this made my run easier”. But I felt so good at the end of this run that I’m going to say it anyway – I’m not sure if it was the SaltSticks or the Bonk Breaker that made the difference, but I am sold on both products. I’ll be sure to pack both before hitting the trails for a long run in the future.

Two weeks back I ran the “extreme” version of the Mt. Lowry Challenge. This is a great little event held in the hills above Eastbourne. It is a popular race that is well supported by the local community.

I had entered the race only once previously – back in 2008, when I ran a terrible 3hrs 40. I finshed the race that day, but only barely – I was badly dehydrated and basically got pwnd by the course.

This time around I spent a lot more time training for the event. I pre-ran the course several times and was confident of drastically improving my  performance on race day.

Weather conditions were near-perfect; very little wind, cool temperatures, and a light drizzle falling. Conditions underfoot were good – the track was in excellent condition with only small patches of muddy ground. The terrain makes for fast running, with plenty of climb and undulating on the ridge, and enough tree roots to keep you on your toes.

The most entertaining section of the track is the crossing from above Days Bay to the main Butterfly Creek track (Mt. Hawtrey). This is essentially a possum-trapper track, with challenging terrain and plenty of opportunity to fall on your backside. It adds an element of adventure to the race, and was a real highlight for me.

I finished the race in 8th place overall, in 2hrs 46 (more than 50 minutes better than my previous effort). I really enjoyed the day and will definitely be back again next year.

I had a stab at the official Holdsworth-Jumbo trail race a few weeks back. I was interested in doing this event as I had previously failed to complete the loop on three separate occasions; twice due to snow, and once due to very strong winds.

The race is run in the opposite direction to that which I had previously attempted. The climb to the top went via Jumbo Hut rather than up Mt. Holsdworth past Powell Hut. This route proved to be a bit of a shock to me – after some lovely bush single track we quickly hit a long stretch of very steep terrain, covered with tree roots, drop-offs, and rocks hidden under clumps of tussock.

The terrain on the way to the top of Mt. Holdsworth meant that it was very difficult to actually run the course.  I’m not a fan of speed-tramping, and this was effectively what the first-half of this even is all about. The climb was difficult and draining, and I was very relieved when I eventually arrived at Powell Hut. From there on it was a glorious descent on a smooth, well-graded trail.

I enjoyed finally being able to complete a full circuit of the loop – but the amount of non-running required means that this event is unlikely to be at the top of my list for next year.

Here is a quick wee list of things that I didn’t know going into the race – and that will have an impact on how I approach the event next time around.

1. The gear check at the top of Mt. Luxmore is very efficient.I expected to be standing around waiting for ages whilst a large group of runners in front of me had their gear checked. I expected that this process would take around ten minutes, and that I would have to do various stretching exercises etc whilst I waited.The reality was very different. There were at least ten people checking gear, and they did their job very efficiently. I queued for less than a minute before my gear was checked. The queue was alongside food and drink tables, so I was able to get plenty of nourishment whilst I waited. The gear check itself was very fast. The entire gear check process, including queueing, took just over two minutes. Brilliant.
2. Food at the checkpoints is pre-cut.
   
   As silly as it may sound, I was worried about how I would eat the bananas/oranges provided at the checkpoints. I mean – do I peel the banana there and then? What if I struggle to remove the peel from my orange due to having cold fingers? What do I do with the peels once I have finished – do I just throw them on the ground?The good news here (for me at least) is that all bananas are but in half, and all oranges are but into bite-sized segments. This may seem like a small thing, but it saved so much time at each checkpoint. This in turn meant that I ate at every checkpoint, which helped me to take on board the fuel that I needed to finish the race.
3. Yes, there is snow – but the trail is groomed. The wonderful people at the Department of Conservation had been working hard in the days leading up to the event. They had cleared the snow from the track, meaning that we had only a very small amount of snow trekking to complete. Snow is a fickle thing, and there is guarantee that the trail will be this clear next time around – but I did not get wet feet, and I did not get frostbite on my toes
4. Mt. Luxmore is not very steep. Seriously. It isn’t. I could have run up the entire thing (and would have, had I not known that there was another 35km to go after reaching the top!). The hills that I ran during my training programme were considerably steeper. – they just weren’t that long. This actually presents  a problem – the vast majority of people were walking up the track, and I felt like I should have been running up the hill. In the end I compromised by running for a minute, then walking for a minute. This allowed me to make some good time without totally thrashing my legs. Which leads me to my next point….
5. Running down Mt. Luxmore thrashes your legs.
   
   I run downhill a lot. I consider myself to be a good downhill runner. But I am used to downhill stretches of  a couple of kilometres, dropping maybe 350 metres in altitude. The run down from Mt. Luxmore was a distance of 7.3km, and a drop of 1,100 metres. It felt brilliant at the time, so I was fairly hammering it downhill. I still felt good once I reached the flat too. But about 5km later, my legs crashed on me. From that point on I was reduced to a slow jog, well below my usual slow running pace. Next time I will still run down Mt. Luxmore, but I will keep the pace under control to conserve my thighs for the long run out to the finish line.
6. There aren’t a lot of toilets on the course.
   
   Fortunately, this wasn’t an issue for me on the day. But if you are a runner that needs frequent toilet breaks, keep in mind that the huts/emergency shelters etc tend to have a single toilet only. The start line was well equipped with portaloos (ten or so), so nervous runners waiting to start the race are well catered for.
7. It was cold when I started, and hot when I finished. I’m not of the exact temperature when the race started, but it was cold. I wore a hat and a pair of gloves for the first 45 minutes of the race.  I warmed-up pretty quickly going up Mt. Luxmore, was chilly again on the ridge line between Mt. Luxmore and Hanging Valley Shelter, and got pretty sweaty on the descent down to Iris Burn. By the time that I hit the long, flat run out beyond Iris Burn it had developed into a hot day. It got up to around 24 degrees in the afternoon.
8. Drinks are dispensed in cups, not from a tap.I was hoping to see big drums full of Leppin that I could quickly use to fill up my camelbak. Maybe I missed them, but all that I saw on the course were half-full cups. This was fine if you just wanted a quick drink, but was a real pain for refilling a hydration bladder. You needed to take several cups, and pour them in one at a time. Next time I will take my camelbak and a drink bottle. I will refill the drink bottle at the drink stops, and use the hydration bladder between the checkpoints.
9. I’m a runner, but I spent a lot of time walking.Going into the race (my first ultra), I was confused as to when I “should” be walking/running/whatever. I had a target time of eight hours and managed to finish twenty minutes inside that mark. I was surprised when I checked my Garmin Forerunner log after the run – I had actually spent nearly two hours of the race walking. Breaking it down further, I walked for 9.75 of the 60kms. Not all in one go of course, but little uphill sections spread throughout the course would slow me down to walking pace. Two hours of walking is much more than I anticipated doing – but I still comfortably beat my target time. I guess that the lesson here is that walking in an ultra is not a crime, and you shouldn’t feel guilty doing it.
10. Talking to those around me helped to confirm my pace.I had a target time of eight hours for the event, but as I had never done the race before I had no idea of whether I was “on track” to meet my target. The solution was all around me – other runners.  A large number of entrants had completed the event in previous years. They were all friendly, and they all were happy to have a quick chat on the course. As I was chugging up Mt. Luxmore I was concerned that I was runing whilst many others were walking. I was keeping pace with another chap that was also running – so I asked him if he had done the event before, and if so what was his previous time. He replied that he had done it twice before, and that both times he completed it in just under eight hours. This immediately reassured me that I was doing the right thing, running at around the right pace, and that if I kept a rough pace with this other runner I should be in goopd shape to meet my target time.