The Next Big Thing

My running seems to be back on track. Some good training, some good racing and a lack of the problems that put an upper limit on what I could do over the last couple of years. Importantly, most of my runs just feel good. It's all natural again. Finally time to plan the next big event.

I think an 100km run fits the category of big. So that's what I've chosen. Throwing in enough time to prepare, sprinkling over some leave from work and an event that just makes me really, really want to race it. There's one that fits the bill quite nicely. That would be The Great Ocean Walk 100km.

The GOW100 has been on my radar for a few years. It was nearly my first 100km back in 2012, but I ended up choosing the Surfcoast Century instead. So why the GOW100?

It's an iconic race. It is grassroots and gets the basics right. Those basics are exceptional. The race covers the Great Ocean Walk trail from Apollo Bay to Port Campbell. This is definitely one of the most amazing and scenic places in the world. There is also something cool about a point to point race. You are really travelling somewhere.

At first glance, the GOW100 looked a bit easier than the Surfcoast Century (SC100). At least the published elevation profiles looked that way. The history of race times suggests the opposite. So that sparked a little more investigating. Which brought me to a lesson on taking proper notice of scale when checking the elevation profile. Turns out the GOW100 has close to twice as much climbing as the SC100. Plus the trail itself has plenty of challenges, soft sand, rough, tricky footing rocks and mud. Apparently lots of mud. Then to make you honest the weather can be a challenge in itself. From torrential rain, high winds, to burning everything hot and changing without warning. It is the Shipwreck Coast after all.

I could keep going on about why I want to do this race. But with a little help off youtube, a video of the race itself says a lot more....




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