Maroondah Dam 30km Trail Race

The summit of Mount St Leonard - the highest point on the course at 1010m - comes at the 19km meaning there was about 12km to go to the finish, which, if you were on a bike would be a fantastic, endless downhill with barely a pedal needing to be turned, and in fact, more likely to burn your brakes out given how damn steep it is!!! Such is the profile of the Maroondah Dam 30km (actually 31km!!) trail race that getting to this point, including about 900m of ascent, was almost the easy part...the downhill from there is so severe and long as to shake your hip bones out of their socket, and rip your quads from your legs. But at least it was down.

During years of cycling around Healesville I'd come to recognise Mt St Leonard rising above with a comms tower on top, how steep the slopes were, and the spectacular Yarra Ranges from where it rises. So with the goal race of 6ft Track Marathon 3 weeks later, the timing was perfect for Monty and I to compete in this as a final hit-out to see how our mountain legs were shaping up. The event has been going for 18 years, with the feature being the 50km event that goes 20km leading to the start of the 30km event, and thereafter on the same course. They started at 8am and us at 10am, meaning 10-15 runners had passed before we got going with the leading pair about 20-25min ahead of us.

I'd heard bits about the course, and studied closely a profile map that showed it pretty much went straight up about 400m in 7km, then along a ridge with intermittent ups and downs before a final, steep climb to Mt St Leonards then down to the finish. But I couldn't track down an entry list so I had eyes peeled for recognisable faces pre-race...with none to be seen, not that it means anything really as this was more about a test of our legs than a competitive "smack-down".

The start line is on a hill, and you look upwards to where the course goes, which gave the 130 or so in the 30km event time to ponder what lay ahead while we counted down to 10am, cheering 50km runners as they came through. Then it was time to go, straight up, around a corner, and continue the up, and up, and up. I was feeling OK and quickly found myself in the lead, and after about 200m in the clear from the field...uphills certainly sort people out quickly!! This was about the last I saw of anyone in the 30km race until the finish, but ahead of us were the 50km runners whose endurance I admire...you’ll never find me amongst them!!

As promised, the track went up, levelled out a little (kind of) before a really steep kick just after 2km that brought me a walk, that being the most effective way of getting up parts of it – it was very steep. But even at that pace I was passing 50km guys, each of them checking I wasn’t one of their competitors before giving a grunt of encouragement. We were going over real cross-country terrain, through grass, over rocks, occasional tree trunks, under beautiful grand trees, and generally up. This continued on in various forms until, sure enough, at 7km we crested this part of the climb and opened up to a view of Mt St Leonards off in the distance.

The route continued on mostly on dirt roads through a range of forest which was really serene. The temperature had dropped notably, and some light rain started up – we were at about 900m altitude – and I was loving the surrounds, although mostly on my own apart from occasionally catching some 50km runners, eventually catching the second place 50km runner at 16km, who had dropped back since we saw them as we waited to start.

There was an aid station at 18km where I drank a fuel bottle from the drop box they provided for the race, before heading for the final push up Mt St Leonards, which was possibly steeper than the earlier section and thus involved more walking, but the reward was the comms tower and the signal that it was downhill from here...which at the time I was thankful for, until I actually started going down.

The first couple of kms down from the summit were steep, rocky, steep, rough, steep, slippery and steep. The main effort was to not fall over – frontwards or backwards – and hoping it would level out to ease the pounding on our quads, and to actually feel like we were actually running than stopping from falling over!! Eventually it did “flatten” out, but was still downhill, which was still hard after the beating the legs had taken.

As we went down I was focusing on my time, because even though I had no real point of reference as to what is a good time on the course (research revealed 2:26hr as the fastest time I could find), I had a time of sub-2:20hr in mind. I also knew it was longer than 30km, but not sure if it was 31 or 32km. Some rough calculations as I ran down told me it was going to be tight, and I’d need to average about 3:40 min/km to get sub-2:20hr, which was more dependent on the terrain coming up than my ability.
The temperature also started to warm up, and became more humid as we descended hundreds and hundreds of metres...with a couple of nasty and unexpected uphills as well. At one aid station I was told the lead 50km runner was about 10min ahead, way too far to catch.

We finally bottomed out of the descent after about 9km and 850m+ of descending, with a short flat section and a small, heart breaking hill to climb before the last drop down to the finish. The final aid station was (apparently) about 3km from home – probably a bit more – and time was running out, at about 2:06hr, and I grit my teeth and pressed on only knowing that we crossed the Maroondah Dam wall as a landmark to aim for just before the finish.

I could sense we were getting closer to the picnic / finish area based on the trees around, and the sight of a pump house which must surely be near the dam wall. The path went down a little fenced ally, around a corner and finally the dam wall just as my watch ticked over 2:18:00...less than 2 min left. This was the flattest and smoothest surface of the whole race, and I picked up the pace, past some tourists, past a friend and her kids, past a photographer – no smiles, sorry – and off the other end of the wall, which led in turn to a steep, winding path down to the picnic ground...tick, tick, tick to 2:19:00. Just a little bit further, right the way around the car park, across a road and then under the finish arch. 2:19:40hr. Phew!! That was close.

The downhill had killed my legs. I was feeling quite OK up to then, but sure as I stopped my quads and hips tightened up, with only mild relief from stretching. But nonetheless, I was really happy with my run and how comfortably I felt during it, especially during the uphill drags. Just gotta let the soreness go in a couple of days... I waited to cheer in finishers – the 50km leader was 5min ahead at the finish – with a mix of 30km and 50km runners crossing the line, including Monty in 4th place in 2:43hr. It was good day out and good prep for 6ft Track in 3 weeks time.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!

In sports there's a few privileged things that not many people get to experience. Winning a race is one of them. Big or small, important or trivial, being first over the line is something special like a gift that should never be taken for granted. While I've taken a few category places, I've rarely won the whole damn thing...and certainly not for a long time. That was until Wednesday. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!!

Wednesday was race 2 of the 3-race Super Sunset Series of fun runs around Melbourne on Wednesday evenings, with options of 4 / 8km. They're pretty well organised, and provide a good opportunity for a mid-week hit-out in race conditions where the stakes are not high and everyone who can run is welcome. Also, being in February the weather can be hot, even at the start time around 7pm - on Wednesday it was still > 32 degrees according to the BOM, and very dry.

In race 1 held at the Zoo 2 weeks earlier we had a small but strong Love th Run contingent lining up the two races, with the short-course runners coming home with 2nd apiece - Carl & Bree - and me bagging 3rd in the longer race. Heading into the second race we were preparing to our strategy to battle our foes on the dusty track of the tan, including the infamous Anderson St hill plus a little out-and-back section to round up the distance to 4km per lap - spot on accurate according to my watch.

Pre-race it was hot, dry and dusty, but with smaller overall numbers than the zoo, perhaps because it was hot, and quite a hard location to get to at that time of day. Nonetheless, there were races to be run and it was the 4km runners who started first at 6:50pm. Monty and I did a warm-up and waited for the runners at the out-and-back point, giving Carl a good cheer as he passed first, leading the 4km event by a clear margin. A little later on came Bree, also leading the women's race...very exciting for someone who's only been running for a short time.

Carl & Bree went on to win both the men's and women's events, picking up a $100 voucher to a running shop for their efforts...and running well to get their victories. It was really exciting but put pressure on me to follow-up in the 8km race...nothing like expectations!!! To my pleasant surprise I lined up to find that neither 1st or 2nd from race 1 were there...could it possible to prevail this time?? Trying to read running ability on the start line is hard, and as we lined up to start at 7:15pm my heart was racing and my mouth was already dry.

The race start only made my dry mouth worse, and with 2km until the first aid station I'd just need to suck it up...like you do with a desert dry mouth!! Anyway, off we ran and I quickly found myself in the lead but with some guy on my shoulder, a quick glance barely revealing anything about him. We made the turn up Anderson St hill at about 750m and pretty quickly he dropped off and I was on my own, following behind the lead cyclists who were clearing the way amongst the various walkers and runners out that evening. I was feeling OK, to my surprise, having barely recovered from the previous weekend's running...in fact, even that morning my legs felt more like concrete blocks than running legs.

A quick drink to wet my mouth at 2km was welcome relief, then on around the very familiar tan track, which I haven't done a race, time-trial or even hard training session around for many months - it was good to back running hard around there. The out-and-back part was in front of the Myer Music Bowl which was hosting a free, summer concert that night and so had lots of people walking to the entrance with picnic bags and rugs in hand - fortunately they were considerate and the path was relatively clear to run on.

Coming around to finish the first lap I got a wind up from friend and MC Stef, and then Bree, Tim, Danni, Monty and Carl cheering as I ran past and onto the second lap...getting quite hot by then, and a little tired. First lap time was 13:33min. Second time up Anderson St was a lot slower as the spring in my stride was dwindling, but with a quick look back just over the top I couldn't see anyone behind me so felt I was well in the clear. I got a good look at the out-and-back section, which confirmed a comfortable lead.

Although my pace had slowed, I was running OK especially off the back of a big training miles and negligible fast running. But it was still hard work, and I was glad it was only 8km.

Finshing the 2nd lap I veered off the course and up the finish chute, breaking a tape to claim the win with a subtle little fist pump of satisfaction and joy, in finish time of 27:40min (second lap of 14:07min). Dry and parched, a drink of water was most welcome and the chance to catch my breath - you never quite realise how out of breath you are until you stop. Stef did a quick interview, which was fun, and then off I wandered to find the other guys to share the joy of our racing day with a great set of results. This will be hard to top in race 3!!!

Short-course racing lessons

Racing is where all your training comes together in a single performance, where any mistakes will cost you time and placings. With triathlons involving three legs the scope for things to happen is increased, which also means there are many lessons to be learned. Here's some lessons I've learned about short-course racing.

Time your start
Almost all short-course triathlons use wave starts to spread the field out, which you can use to your advantage to get a good start. What you need to do is note the start time-of-day for the first wave (or any other wave before yours) on your watch, add the time gap to your wave to the time-of-day you noted and there is your start time. You can rely on it being accurate because race timing relies on it being accurate. Then use your watch on the start line to count down to the start time of your wave to the second, switching your watch to stopwatch (or other) mode just before you start. Simple, and means you will always be first to start AS the hooter goes.

Warm-up well
A short-course race is hard and fast. If you were doing any individual session at that intensity you would do a good warm-up, and so you should still do on race day. You will be limited to running and swimming, but that is OK. Start your warm-up 30+ mins or so before your start time with a run, plus stride-throughs as if you were warming up for a running race. Stop to put your wetsuit on, then head out for a swim, including some short efforts of 20-30 strokes, plus maybe a practice start or two. Give yourself a few mins to relax before your actual start time, after your warm-up, and you will be ready to go hard from the gun (or hooter).

Cut out the clutter
Your equipment for short-course racing should just be the basics. You don't need the same range of gear as in long-course, like nutrition, etc. For the bare minimum you can cut out things like socks, spare tyres, pumps, excess water bottles (1 only), hats and the like. Cut out the clutter and think lean, mean and fast for your race gear.

Think fast to be fast
Personally, I only wear a hat / visor on a easy run and never when I'm doing a fast running sessions. So I'm certainly not going to change and wear a hat / visor in a race when I want to go fast because sub-consciously I associate that with going easily. You want to think fast to be fast, where habits in training should prepare you for how you want to race. Train the way you want to race, and carry that forward into your race.

Know transition layout and course
This is a basic tip for any racing, but especially so in short-course racing where seconds count. Be very sure you know your way through transition, and where the likely congestion points are going to be so you are prepared for them when it's crowded during a race, and your HR is through the roof. Similarly, know the course, especially the last parts of the run course which can tend to twist and turn before the finish line so you know what room you might have if you find yourself in a sprint finish - not all parts of the course are open, clear and smooth. Be prepared by knowing ahead of time what is coming up.

There's only one pace - fast
The beauty of short-course racing is that it is not really long enough that you're going to bonk like in long-course events. Even for Olympic Distance, a gel or two (or three, depending on duration) during the bike leg should ensure you don't have fueling issues, which means you can concentrate on your pace even more, which is fast. The worst case is you need to slow down a little, recover, then pick up the pace again. Of course you need to take in account your fitness level and experience, but your aim should be to maintain your highest possible pace for the duration of the event...and to concentrate on doing so.

The Long IM Ride

The long ride is the cornerstone of the IM training program, which for most age groupers is typically a weekend journey of sometime epic proportions. Many people define their IM preparations by their long rides and set their race day goals and pacing around the quality and outcome of their long rides, which in theory is well and good but in practice, and in my experience, is not necessarily the case.

The purpose of the long ride is not only to build your aerobic foundation and muscular endurance, but also to prepare you specifically for the demands of the IM bike leg - a solo, 180km TT, with a marathon run to follow. I'll repeat that again, a solo, 180km TT, with a marathon run to follow. This begs the question, how well is your current long ride preparing you for that, physically, mentally and nutritionally??

Too many times I heard of people doing 180km+ training rides, in a group, with stops for drink / toilet / food along the way, averaging a great speed and thinking they can replicate that on race day - it is very rarely the case, and if they try they almost inevitably fail.

I agree that not every long ride needs to be in line with what I'm about to suggest, but the closer to the race the more valuable it is - think specificity. While training will never exactly simulate a race, we can work to plan out a long ride strategy to simulate the demands and what it feels like. Basically, you should think of the IM bike leg as made up of three parts - the first 60km which feels easy; the middle 60km which feels "real"; the final 60km which feels "tough" (or hard, if you've blown up).

Given that simple analysis of the IM bike leg, let's design a long ride on a similar basis where instead of waiting for it feel easy, real and tough, we actually change the intensity of the ride to make it feel easy, real and tough. Also, as best we can we need to replicate the non-stop nature of the IM bike leg (hard to do in suburban areas), and the solitary nature of it (notwithstanding any drafting going on).

If you have a power meter it is easy to execute the session based on known wattage ranges. Without a power meter you need to go on perceived effort and other measures - it is inexact, but will have to suffice. So for example sake, let's consider a planned 6hr long ride...here is how it could look with our strategy, and remember that this is an exercise in controlling your effort and pacing:

First 2hrs
Easy riding at a comfortable pace, easier than IM effort (or watts).

Middle 2hrs
After an easy 2hrs you should be feeling pretty good. So now let's turn up the effort a bit...there's a few ways to design this part, here's a couple:
* 2 x (40min @ IM effort / watts, then 20min @ 1/2IM effort / watts) = 2hrs (advanced)
* 4 x (25min @ IM effort / watts, then 5min easy) = 2hrs

Last 2hrs
By now you be starting to feel a little tired from the effort, but nothing you've done so far should have left you too fatigued...if it has, you've got your pacing wrong. Now is the time to crank it up, here some suggestions for how:
10-15min easy after the middle 2hrs intervals
* 6 x (3min @ 1/2IM effort / watts, then 3min at OlyDist effort / watts, then 3min @ 1/2IM effort / watts, then 1min easy) = 60min (advanced)
* 10 x (5min @ 1/2IM effort / watts, then 1min easy) = 60min (intermediate)

It's quite possible that you'll blow up in this last set, which is not too bad and will teach you more about your fitness and pacing ability. If you do feel yourself blowing up try the following changes, in order:

* Do 1/2IM effort / watts intervals of 3-5min with gradually increasing rest, but never more than 2-4min rest.
* Do IM effort / watts intervals in a similar pattern
* Just ride!!!

If you do get through the tough 60min set above - well done - and finish the ride off at IM effort / watts. This is the best time to do a short brick run off the bike - with minimal transition time - of no more than 30min, done as 15min at IM pace, 15min easy.

This long ride strategy can apply to almost all level of athlete, with perhaps the pre-requisite that you're currently doing a consistent long ride of 5hrs+ (for some it can help to think in terms of time, not kms). If you get a few of these rides done over the last 4-7 weeks pre-IM you'll be well prepared for how the IM bike leg will feel, and be familiar with how to ride it. Good luck!!

Longest run ever!!

These posts are getting a bit of a theme to them...about my running, which is bit dull to many but has certainly dominating my attention and energy recently. Just a quick one today with a couple of photos that tell a story...

This first one is of my Garmin GPS watch just after I finished today's run in the Dandenongs...a record long 48km in 3:43hr and avg pace of 4:39min/km. It was also 1500m of ascent / descent, so overall a pretty good run.

That photo is of me after the same run. It's hard to tell that I was pretty damn tired and stiff and not moving very easily!!! Those little chicken legs are copping a bit of flack lately, and they'll be as glad as me there's only one more Dandenongs run to go...phew!!