Go Hard

During this introductory phase the hill work will be approach from two different angles. It is important to remember this phase of training is get my body ready to handle the next phase and isn't necessarily about having me race ready in a few weeks. Short hill sprints is my intensity session. This consists of a thorough warm up, followed by some up hill drill work that focuses on establishing a full range of motion (high knee lift, full toe off extension), plus some mild plyometrics. Then its a handful of short sprints lasting 7-10 seconds each up a very steep hill (12-20%). Recovery is an easy walk back down and maybe some extra time. The point of these sprints isn't to absolutely hammer myself. Instead, I should feel ready to do the next repeat, aiming develop power and speed up hill. This cannot be achieved if I am grinding through the session. The next section a few down hill repeats. These will take roughly 15 seconds each, are down steep uneven terrain with the goal o...

Having claimed downhill running as one of my strengths, it is probably worth delving into the details. In most of my races when the course heads down I tend to move faster than most of those around me. Often I close gaps or make a move on the descents and it tends to feel relatively easy. That said, there are some aspects of downhilling I don't think I'm at the required standard. Before I get into my thoughts on the topic, I recommend visiting the following two links if you want to improve your downhill running. Ultra168: The Art of Downhill Running Mile 27: Downhill Running Preparation The obvious needs to be pointed out. If you want to improve you have to put in the effort. Without concentrating on improving technique, without conditioning, and without proper recovery the gains won't be much. That said, improving downhill running does not require as much volume as most other aspects of run training. A bit of prehab and rehab work can go a long way when targeting ...

Just simply a great event. Awesome hills, scenery and an obscure distance. Best of all is the added challenge and atmosphere that goes with racing the steam engine, Puffing Billy, with the sounds, steam and smells, plus the race within the race to make the rail crossings so as not too lose time. This is a race I will always come back too, even though it is often very cold and wet. This year the race fell in my down time from training. So after a holiday up north where running was replaced by plenty of alcohol and food I didn't have any genuine expectations. Instead the plan was to turn up and race hard to see where that got me. It's usually very cold and wet for the GTR. This year there was a gap in the rain for the event, but it was wet and muddy on the ground. The temperature sat at 8-9 degrees Celsius, a bit warmer than in the past. Pretty good conditions. This year there was seeded start based on your best 10km performance in the past 6 months. Mine put me in the 1s...

The main purpose here is to provide myself a reference for future attempts at the Maroondah Dam 50km (MD50) race. My recommendations definitely won't suit everyone, and it is quite possible they won't turn out to be ideal for me either. However, it should provide some good ideas and maybe a different view for others attempting this race in the future. By racing I mean covering the course as quickly as possible (this will vary depending on an individuals ability), and also racing to improve placings (may be important if looking for a podium or top 10). This post won't be about aiming to finish in good shape, comfortable and just for the sake of finishing. These are significant achievements in themselves, due to the course being ridiculously tough. That said, I hope that anyone planning on running MD50 can take something away from this read. As far as my background goes, I am not an expert trail ultramarathoner. This is written after my first attempt at an ultra trai...