|
Post by trailblazer777 on Sept 19, 2010 14:08:10 GMT -5
Hey TB! Great to see you out on the trail today I hope to achieve your goals in Melbourne. What is it about that race that keeps dragging you back? Sal and I had a fairly pedestrian run today, 30km on the heritage trail from Mundaring out past Chidlow and back. It was our last long hit out before heading off. We wanted to keep it easy on an easy trail so as not to risk any injury or thrash ourselve's to much before we go. We ran with full packs and took it very easy but as it is with these things every little ache and niggle gets magnified and new ones arise. It's a fine balancing act between training hard and risking injury, especialy for this old crock! I feel pretty lucky to be able to keep doing these races, but it comes at a cost. To the body and especially the bank account. Every spare penny over the last 3 and a bit years has gone towards, kit, airfares, entry fees, medical and physio bills. Visa Card are my major sponsor but they keep asking for the money back! Not sure they understand the concept yet....I would never ask for sponsorship dollars to do something I love doing, knowing I have funded the trip myself is as important to me as knowing I've trained for it myself. It adds to the sense of achievement..have to dash more later.... Steve, nice surprise to run into you and sal with a couple of K's to go in my 31k. What a sight with all the gear on, the poles etc...wow! One of the highlights of my morning coming across you two hardy souls.what keeps me going back to melbourne is heaps of different reasons, but I guess the lure of a PB is a big part of my 4th attempt in a row at this race. some resons in no particular order; 1. fast mostly flat course. 2. minimal concrete, minimal hills = less injury issues for me with my collection of injuries, and lots of opportunity for me to run fast, and at my best, instead of walking up hills looking after my injuries for large parts of my race, or trying to avoid long stretches of concrete to avoid flaring up my injuries 3. pace groups, make it easy to to try and stay on pace. there is one for every 10 minutes, so if 3.30 isn't working you can drop back to or try and stay ahead ofthe 3.40 group or the 3.50 group and so on, and still know you are on a target. 4. personal drinks makes it easier to run a fast time. 5. inspiring atmosphere (hard to explain this one, but I have Nationals race history going back 20 years in melbourne to 1990. I've raced in melbourne more than 7 times, and every one of them has been memorable races, and only 1 was a total dud (the 2008 ankle explosion), although missing the PB in 2009 was disappointing. Heaps of special memories there, that inspire me, including commonwealth Games , and old training mates from my state record, and state rep days...6. the marathon experience from the pre-race expo to the startbetween the Yarra and the Rod laver Arena, running past Fed square and flinders st station, Albert Park, the ocean for much of the race, and The Tan dirt trail section, and finally the nice downho;; finish into the MCG, with a lap of this special special place, the only experience that compares to the same feeling, is when I entered the Sydney Olympics stadium in the Olympic trials 20km walk. 7. the chance to improve my Tan time, 8. one of the few marathons I have a chance of beating my 2004 PB in, which I am desperate to do for a heap of reasons. 9. the many friends I know who run it also 10. the special family memories I have there with my wife and toddler, 11. the chance to be part of the biggest marathon ever staged in Australia in the history of road marathons. 12. because I need a major goal race where I can achieve something special and aim for each year 13. because it gets me away from the petty politics of WA and 14. because Its something I know I will thoroughly enjoy doing and get a great sense of achievement from and honour God with what I do there. 15. it encourages me to have a better lifestyle and aim for better health for me and my family 16. i learn from other very experienced runners, and it gives me the ability to contribute better to running in WA as a result, 17th reason; it is a major thing in keeping alive some now extremely slim but not yet dead hopes of international racing some time in the next 10 years or so.... My goals are 1. enjoy the fantastic experience no matter what happens. 2. try and get to the finish on the MCG again, 3. finally smash that 3.55.02 PB that has been hanging around since 2004!... 4. catch up with some other runners who share similiar dreams/goals, and share their aspirations, encourage them in that. 5. honour/worship God in some way in how I run, relate to others in some ways... i also wanted an easy trail on saturday to avoid injury flareups, and not hammer myself too much with 3 weeks to go...I also feel Its getting a bit remarkable that I have been able to keep doing the races I have given my circumstances, many times in the last 2 years I have thought that I was coming to at least a temporary retirement, maybe the end for alltime, but God has made it possible for me to carry on, and last years melbourne finish, and the 6 inch PB a few months later plus the city to surf this year , and the 10k last weekend, and Masters running this year, and many other runs eg the track 6 hr race, Moneghetti camp have all been special blessings for me in the last 12 months... i switched to debit cards only many years back, so glad about that... all the best with the Sahara!!!!!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by geoffa on Sept 23, 2010 22:16:32 GMT -5
Thanks TB
We haven't received official confirmation of world record status yet, it may be that Coooops has been busy and hasn't submitted the evidence yet. Unfortunately for him he burnt his leg so can't train at the moment. Hopefully he gets better so that I can throw plastic cups at him at Rotto...
Can't wait for Melbourne!!!
|
|
|
Post by stevo on Sept 25, 2010 20:17:13 GMT -5
Hey TB, Thats an answer and a half! I couldn't come up with 17 reasons for doing anything, I don't think my powers of concentration would last that long. I'd get to about reason number 5 and forget what I was coming up for reasons about. Well done, I hope you crack the 3.55.02, I'd consider 3.55.01 as a smashing, go for it son! No such PB thoughts for me in Sahara, getting my pack weight down would be a major achievement. I'm using a smaller pack than I've used in the past so I've forced myself to take less. Sancks are getting culled, clothing minimized and I've got a couple of lightweight sleeping bag options and spent an obscene amount of money on a 6cm thick 260gm inflatable sleeping mat so my aging, aching body can have some comfort, as usual I'll probably roll off it in the night anyway.
We fly out in the wee small hours of Thursday morning and land in Cairo at 0515 local time friday. Training is over now, just a couple of maintenance runs to keep the legs ticking over. I'll go out for an hour today and maybe just a couple of 30min runs before we go.
I'm treating Sahara as part of my taper for Rotto this year. Good plan eh? Must get back to packing reducing now. Adios Amigo's
|
|
|
Post by trailblazer777 on Sept 26, 2010 12:01:41 GMT -5
Cool! passion is a gearbox. drive through all the colours. dont get left behind. Rockin Rabbis lyric that comes to mind for some reason that I can't fathom...
Geoffa hopefully you get WR confirmation soon. and all the best with the cups at Rotto and of course in Melbourne. well done and onwards and upwards. My circumstances excluded me from donating this time, but if there is a next time maybe I will be ready then...
Steve all the best with getting the weight down, thats something we can probably all benefit from. reckon I can relate to ageing body needing a decent mattress. reminds me of hiking camp days in the late 80's trying to make weight limit for my pack there... 3.55.01 will do, Ive been gunning for it since 2004, thats a long time to keep chasing something. Not the end of the world if it doesnt come, but 3.55.01 would be mentally very satisfying...seems silly to want 1 second in 42.2km but thats my obsession for 6 years now...
Sahara is barren. all the best out there...Unique experience!!!!auf weidersahn for now.
|
|
|
Post by stevo on Sept 27, 2010 9:04:57 GMT -5
Had my last hit out on the trail today before flying out early Thursday morning, my boys and I(and the Dog) did an easy 10km out in Mundaring. I felt very ordinary, I woke up with a sore throat this morning and broke a tooth yesterday, great timing. All last minute purchases are now done now it's just a matter of freshening up, fixing my tooth and getting through the next two day's without fretting too much. This is our fourth desert race, and the lead up doesn't get any easier, if anything this one is worse.
This time next week we'll be in the Middle of the Sahara, hopefully in camp drinking tea and comparing notes and blisters from Day 1 with our fellow competitors..not too many blisters though with a bit of luck.....
|
|
|
Post by stevo on Oct 15, 2010 21:10:49 GMT -5
Hey folks!
We flew back into Perth late tuesday afternoon after an epic week in the Sahara Desert and for me it was straight back to work wednesday morning, no rest for the wicked. This time last week we were tucked up in bed in our hotel in Cairo(0345). Saturday is race check in day were all of your mandatory kit is ticked off and you sign medical waivers etc. There being over 150 entrants this process takes a while. The race itself was the toughest one of the four we have now done, for Sal especially as she came down with my cold the Saturday of check in. Unfortunately it got the better of her, the cold combined with the day 1 heat of between 43&48C saw her not finish. The cold got worse through the week and she had a lot of trouble eating so the decision to withdraw although heartbreaking was the right one. It just means we'll have to go back and have another go. There is an old saying, "no sense no feeling" this applies to me and enabled me to plod on for the rest of the week and finish! There were times when I doubted my ability to finish but only on days 1,2,3&4 but bizarrely the long day, 95km saw me have my best day of the race. this came after day 4 saw me finish in the medical tent after vomiting for the last 4km of the day and not being able to eat or drink anything when I got back into camp. The morning of the long day saw me feeling not quite bullet proof but as the day went on I grew stronger and stronger. I teamed up with Andy, a tent mate and we pushed through the day in 21hrs 36mins. It may seem slow but after the four previous grueling days, the soft sand and heat we were pretty happy. The race finished with a 2km jaunt around the Pyramids at Giza a great ending to an extraordinary adventure. Sal is still suffering the effects of her cold and day 1's punishment but she'll bounce back stronger for the experience. We both learnt a lot from this race and it was great to catch up with some old friends, make new ones and experience a new and very different country and culture.
Stay tuned punks I'll put together a full race report and include some pics. If you're interested PM me your contact details and I'll email you a copy, I may even send it in for the WAMC news letter.
Yo later desert rats, trail bunnies, road warriors and couch potato's.....
|
|
|
Post by stevo on Oct 18, 2010 4:11:25 GMT -5
I'm sure the obvious mistake was spotted... I was a week ahead of myself or behind myself. Last saturday was the day the race finished, so we were not in the hotel but in a tent....the week before that we were waiting for check in. Doesn't time fly.....
|
|
|
Post by trailblazer777 on Oct 20, 2010 11:21:14 GMT -5
Congratulations on conquering the sahara desert!!! cpmmiserations to Sal. The photos must sure be awesome. adventure time!!! My melbourne experience was overall a good one, but a little bittersweet, unexpected calf injury allowed the PB to live to fight yet another day......details and photos on my blog ...
|
|
|
Post by dave on Oct 24, 2010 21:14:40 GMT -5
Hey Stevo I didnt see you at Rotto does that mean your streak is over? I thought I saw Sal at 1 stage, did we just miss each other. It's a little harder to socialise with the pram you have to watch where you're going.
|
|
|
Post by stevo on Oct 27, 2010 0:56:14 GMT -5
G'day Dave,
The streak is far from over, I hobbled around Rotto for the 17th time in a row in 3:49, which I was quite happy with considering my rather active taper two weeks previous. I saw you coming back down the hill just past Kingston pram and all, I called out but you were as you say concentrating very hard. I chatted to Nathan at the finish line watching the fun runners come in.
All being well see you at 6 Inch.
|
|
|
Post by dave on Nov 3, 2010 20:47:28 GMT -5
Be good to have you on board then we won't get accused of false advertisiing for having your mug on the website!
|
|