Heart Rate Training - It's got my blood pumping!

   Why does 5:05 excite me? It excites me because it points to progress. It excites me because it is very achievable and it excites me because I have something new to chase. For a little background keep reading, to get to what I’m excited about skip to the heart…

   My last couple of posts have been about my training and how I’m using me Heart Rate to guide my training and racing to maximise my effort at a maintainable level. A couple of years ago I tried a similar strategy and I think I gained some good growth in my running with it, but I never persisted with it. I did improve my pace from initially over 6:00 min/k pace to 4:55 pace. Then I stopped. I’m not sure why, ego?  

   Now I have started again and it excites me. My early training – since Feb this year was purely by HR, and I had no indication of the pace I was running at. I targeted 145 Bpm as I had trained to this before and my reading suggested that this number is the ideal number for nearly all runners, regardless of ability. 

   There are many formulas you can use, I struck on this one due to a blog that I read. As with anything new, you always question it and a little research lead me to breakingmuscle.com and robertsontrainingsystems.com/. Both blogs heavily support the 180 rule developed by Dr.Philip Maffetone  which is essentially 180Bpm – your age for your long run HR pace, or maximal aerobic capacity development. I've also posted on these pages and eagerly await some feedback on my training mix. 

   Since picking up the Suunto Ambit in early March I was only recording my HR. Now I can record my HR and then analyse the pace at the end of a run, and in more detail on the computer at home. My last three weekend long runs have been at the 145 Bpm average, but the varied terrain and incline made it difficult to gauge average pace. Close analyse of the data showed I was running at 5:45- 5:55 on the flats.

   Last Tuesday I did what I call a HR pyramid on a flat 700m section of the trail. This was to gauge my pace on the flat at set HR zone. Rep 1 was above 140 Bpm, rep 2 was above 150, rep 3 above 160, rep 4 was above 170 and rep 5 was to be a flat out HR max.  I could only hit 177 as the max and held it to make 2 x 350 intervals. What were the times I was doing?

•  140-145 Bpm = 4:36 km pace
•  155 – 160 = 4:32
•  165 – 170 = 3:56
•  170 – 175 = 3:37
•  175+ was 3:18 pace

   This has been fairly consistent with my other training runs and 160 – 170 Bpm seems to be the ‘comfort zone’ where I can now push for a couple of km to finish the last 300-400m at the 180 redline and roughly 3:30 pace for a strong 5km finish. My recent Parkrun was very similar –I started at 160 Bpm and a roughly 4:30 pace and the last 1.5km was run at 170+ for a 3:35  final km.

Heart rate training

   Now why did today's run excite me? I was feeling a little full of cold before heading off to run, so the planned tempo hill run became and EZ run. It took about 800m for the HR to settle (a little longer than usual), it maxed at 179 then instantly settled at 138 Bpm. Yes, it was an extra EZ run and I enjoyed the 2-3% downhill for 3.5 of the 6.25 kms on the 30 minute out trip.To give an indication, when running this trail the gradient change is subtle, but when riding you go from coasting along to a constant pedal to keep moving. The exciting part is that my average pace was 5:04 and even hit 4:16 on the slightly downhill sections. On the return trip I allowed my HR to push to 143 average up the hill and the pace hit 5:13kms, with a peak of 4:16 on the true flat of the last 300m.

   The question is, is my two high intensity, 165 + interval or tempo sessions where I aim to build endurance at the high end going to complement the strength I'm developing at the low end?

   I’m hoping this is the tip of the iceberg, the breakthrough run where it all falls into place. If I can maintain this pace for the effort level at the Great Ocean Road half marathon I will smash last years’ time out of the water.

  My 12km #citytrail run Sunday the 19th will be another experiment - can I mainitain that magic 160 Bpm for 8 km, and then finish strong at 170 Bpm for the last 4km? It will be a physiological and psychological challenge but one I am very much looking forward to!

   I'll let you know!

2015 Maroondah Dam trail race - 8km

   The morning of the 2015 8 km Maroondah Dam Trail run was so different to most of our other runs. The 11 o’clock start in Healesville allowed us a leisurely morning. Up at 7 when the kids woke, breaky as we pleased and in the car at 9:15 to get to the Dam for 9:45.

   This gave us an hour to kill before the 10:45 race briefing. With a field of only 40 odd entrants, it was a low key briefing with just enough seriousness to keep us on course when we got out there.

I approached this race as a purely strategic experience. With my recent Heart Rate training, I wanted to set my parameters and see what I could achieve and how I got there.

   Knowing that I’d been recording some big spikes in my HR during the warm up components of my runs I did a couple of laps of the picnic area and car park and sure enough, I soon hit 185 BPM. Nothing to be concerned about, and after a few minutes it settled to 130.

   At 11:00 the field took off and I went with them. I wanted to run this race purely at a HR of 160 BPM. It didn’t matter who else was running and what they did or when they did it. I also had no intention of getting sucked in to looking at my pace. I just wanted to go by feel.
   Why the decision to run purely by HR? If you've caught my previous post on my recent summer training, I'd found training in the afternoon, and in the heat to be more challenging than I'd thought it would be. My target of 160 is roughly 87% of my recorded maximum working HR for this year in the heat (185bmp) - 15% (27 BPM) to put me at 158 BPM. I'd also lost my foot pod, so I didn't have any idea on what sort of pace I'd been training at. 
  160 BPM is also a pace I knew I could run strongly at for 7k, so the 8k was the chance to push it out just a little bit more. 

I think my form looks pretty good here

   For the first 7km I was going to limit myself to 160. Looking at the course elevation I knew that the fist 1.2k would be up a sharp incline, and sure enough there were a few who took off. I ran with them as I allowed my HR to hit the magic number and soon settled into my running rhythm. I felt really good as the pace of some eased while others pushed forward. Me, I sat at 160 and found myself in 7^th place and enjoyed having no idea of how fast we were running. That information would all be there at the finish.

What I hoped my HR graph would look like, and it did :) 

   At the end of the first 2km we had reached the peak of the hill and the descent began. I knew I could push the pace here and I soon reeled in the runner ahead. The guy in 5^th place had taken off and was a few hundred metres ahead and pulling away. This section of the race was a beautiful flowing downhill section with untouched bush to our right.  I resisted the temptation to try and pull another position and stuck to my strategy. By the third km we were on the flat and I was happily pushing a steady pace with who I now know is Dave who had caught me as I kept my effort level constant.

   As we reached the weir and half way turn around point we crossed a small creek just before the leaders came haring past on their way home. As we touched the check point and grabbed a water we worked out there was daylight between us and the top 5, and then daylight between 8^th and the rest of the pack. So far I was feeling great and the strategy of running purely to an effort level was paying off, and Dave and I were having a great old chat. The fifth km was back on the flat before we hit the hill on the return home, roughly 2km to the finish.

   Dave started to pull away and as I checked the watch I was pushing 165 BPM. I slowed my pace a little and gradually pulled him back, and and just before the peak I had to give him a little encouragement to keep on going as I reached the first false peak before finally hitting the top.

   Knowing that once I hit the descent it was virtually all downhill I finally let myself go. I was able to turn on the taps and put some distance between Dave ad myself. I knew that 5^th place was likely beyond my reach so I really enjoyed flying down the hill, racing across the top of the Dam wall and flying down the track that slowed us all at the start.  As I reached the finishing area I could see and hear the kids and it gave me the final kick I needed.

   Through the chute and the aeroplane wings came out, followed by a big air tap over the finish line.

   At the end of the day I was stoked to have finished 6^th as this was all about strategy. I had trained to 160 BPM up and down the local hills and on the flats. Remembering I’d no idea of how fast I’d been running during training, I averaged almost bang on the 160 BPM for the entire race, with the last km pushing it to 164 my average per/km pace was 4:33. I’d been hoping to get under 5s as last year’s winning time was just under 38 minutes. My time of 35:41 would have easily won it last year.This year the really fast guys turned up J and I was about 20 seconds a km off podium pace, but I’m happy with. No ‘what if I…’ for this little fish.
   I've been asked what had I achieved at the end of this race? Why the experiment? I really enjoyed the run. I think the cooler weather helped to keep my heart rate down, allowing me to work a little easier than I had been doing in the evenings. Perhaps I could have pushed harder at say the 5k mark but I was able to run at a pace that was competitive and gave me the top 10 finish that I was hoping for, just missing my third trails + 5th place. It gave me the confidence to stick to my guns and race my own race (or was it just a good solid run?)

I was happy with the consistent pace, but according to Strava should be quicker down hill. But this was about constant effort.

   So, where to next? After I recover from the Roller Coaster Run I aim to gradually build up to 165 BPM for my tempo and interval work and 150 BPM during my long runs. As the winter season draws near I want to push that to 170 BPM and 155 BPM.

   I’ve played with Heart Rate training before, but not as seriously as this. I'm excited again.

   

   I can’t wait to see how it all goes. I’m excited, are you? 

My Summer Training strategies - Heart rate training

   A while ago I posted about my experiences with Heat Rate training (initial post and the follow up post). With my increasing training load for the Roller Coaster run (a write up to come) and the Great Ocean Road in May, for my training during the Australian Summer I needed to find a baseline and manageable limit to my training.

   With a change in family lifestyle in February this year, my weekday training had to make the switch to afternoons. At the time I was super excited to not have to get out of bed, hit the road early and train before school. Most of the time I really enjoyed it, but in trying to establish better sleeping habits I liked the idea of an extra 20-25 minutes in bed each day.

   Fast-forward 6 weeks and it’s tougher than I thought. A long day, the drive home and then a regular 27 – 30 degree C heat I’m needing to find motivation and regularity. For me the regularity has become my heart rate.

I’ve continued to love my easy long runs, and have had no issue with running them at a heart rate of 140 – 145 on the flatter runs, while on the hillier runs I aim to keep it at 145 and up to 150 on the incline. Yes speed drops, but effort has to remain consistent. This also means I need to push a little harder on the decline – no slacking off. I’ve again built up to happily running 2 hours over varying terrain and gradients.

   As I mentioned, after work has been the challenge. So in the last 4 weeks and after some experimentation and realisation, I’ve been targeting 160 BPM as my happy place. I calculated it as about 90% of my working heart rate – 185 recorded max this year – 10%. Using a formula from Brian Mac, Sports coach, my 85% zone is 163 so when I push it that little more or allow it to fluctuate due to the many variables in a run and life I’ve been hitting the sweet spot. There are many different formulas out there. 160 seemed to be where I could manage a stupid steep 2km hill climb or push 3km on a constant 3-6% uphill course at about 4 – 4:15 minute km pace.

You can check out some of the data @ http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm

   So how am I utilising this? My weekday runs are a mix of a 5.5km rather steep hill run (Roughly 50% mix of ascent and descent as its out and back) where I limit 165 on the up and push to stay at 160 on the down (that stupid 2km incline inc), 7km over 3.5km out at a 3-6% gradient hill at 160 before pushing the speed to hit and maintain the 165 on the descent, 1km trails repeats on a favourite track at 160 bpm, dropping to 145 bpm during static recovery before the next repeat, diminishing ks where I start at a pace and increase the speed every k over 5km and finally varying high speed intervals (100m on an incline on a bush trail or up to 500m on the Warby Trail) where I try to max and sustain 165 – 170 and recover with a 50m walk. I think I get a great mix of training on my two nights a week and as I lost my foot pod, I’ve only had HR to go on.  And, this gives me a constant when the temperature has been hot. With the new Ambit 3 I bought I’ll be able to monitor HR and speed. The speed component I’ll only look at at the end of each run as I want to train my heart, not the head.   

   How do I know where I’m working? At 145 bpm or less I rarely have to think about my breathing, and if I do I can easily breathe nasally during the intake and exhale through the mouth. 150 bpm and higher I start to focus on my cadence and breathing in for three strides and out for two, on a 3-2 inhale-exhale cycle. At 160 BPM I drop to a 2-1 inhale exhale cycle and really have to focus hard to breathe nasally although I do revert to all breathing through the mouth when pushed.

   So, the big question is, has it worked? I’ve only really just found 160 BPM to be that happy place in the last few weeks and as luck would have it, my evening run nights have been those hot and humid nights that we all don’t love to train in. I’ve pushed the 1.1km repeats to 170 but by the third my time over the 1.1km dropped by 35 – 35 seconds.  Perhaps 160 has been an inflated target that’s not pushed me enough. I'll also monitor my resting HR by lying down for a minute (just enough to relax) and work from there. If it's a lower HR I'll be able to push harder, if it starts higher I may just take things a fraction easier. And, theres always just going by how you feel. 
   You’ll have to come back for my Maroondah Dam 8km race report to find out just how it all worked, as this was a race of pure forget the rest strategy. It was all about me and learning what makes my keeping ticking.

   Cheers and happy training, the Fish!

Guest review of the new Skins A400 range - Mrs Fish!

In 2014 Mrs Fish was selected to be one of the 2014 Victorian Skins recruits for the Melbourne City to Sea event. She has continued to develop her relationship with Skins who very kindly gave her the opportunity to proudly wear some of their new products and share her thoughts on the new range.

Here are her thoughts: 

"My review for the new A400 Skins!!!

My first impression of the new SKINS A400 range was one of excitement! So many added features and improvements and a great new look! The Plus range adds a touch of sportiness and the layering idea is fabulous to combine with other garments. For me, the SKINS Plus Revive Tank gave me confidence to wear a crop top and would be brilliant paired with the A400 crop or tank which is definitely part of my next purchase. It is lightweight, moisture-wicking, comfortable and a great fit. I love the idea of the toggle and was pleased to be able to pull it together to fit nicely over my Women's Rush Shorts.

What struck me about the shorts was the fabric. They are so lightweight, they didn't chafe at all and they are a great cut and shape. I wore them on their own, but could see them being super comfortable over the A400 or A200 Tights. A great idea for those who may want the extra visibility at night or in overcast conditions, warmth or even confidence to wear the tights. For somebody like me that seems to really appreciate compression, I found the Essentials Unisex Calf Tights brilliant! I often suffer from tight calves and didn't notice it whilst they were on. I use them for training, recovery and even warmth in the cooler weather under a pair of tights. I found them very comfortable, easy to put on and breathable. 

What really stood out for me was the new 360 degree reflective highlights. So simple, but highly visible at night! As shown in the photo below, we took one of the gear without a flash and one with to demonstrate how the logos will reflect at night.

They look great!

Exceptional visibility at night!

The SKINS logo really stands out 

​ 

I would call myself a middle to long distance runner and as such I need sports gear that is comfortable, breathable, reflective and most importantly functional. SKINS you never fail to impress me. Your new A400 range I believe has it all, and I will continue to spread the word and wear SKINS to show just how impressive it is."

Mrs Fish A.K.A Emma

My tour of Melbourne #citytrailmelbourne style

     Last Saturday the running gods aligned – it was wet, work got cancelled and I was excited! Melbourne had massive rains forecast, I was due to help out at school in the morning and I had been inspired by the new event from RapidAscent #citytrailmelbourne run to go out and explore my capital city.

     The #citytrail concept is a corker, simply find the most iconic places in your city, throw in some parkland, and add some quirky little alleys and you have an amazing run – it beats the City Circle Tram!

     So at 6:15 am and in pouring rain, I left work in Kew and ran the 1k down to the Yarra River Trail before hitting Victoria St and heading into the city. Just running along Victoria St brought back memories of our holiday in Shanghai. I know Victoria St is very heavily populated with Vietnamese businesses, but the smells took me back to China.

     From there I hit Hoddle St and turned left to run up the hill to the ‘G’ or the MCG. This was my first stop of the morning, Melbourne’s sporting heartland. Just after I got here I got the call from work to say the swim meet was cancelled. “By the way, where was I? You’re where? You’re bloody crazy mate, but enjoy it!”

I'm at the G!

After a quick happy snap and lap of the surrounds, I crossed the walkway to Rod Laver Arena, the home of the Australian Open. In the steady rain it was the Australian Closed.

Rod Laver Arena - hiding from the rain

 From the front of the Arena, you can see the city and my next stop, The Arts Centre with its famous spire. There is an amazing story behind this spire, including one about some protesters that chained themselves to it in the 70s. I was also planning on taking a detour past the Eureka Tower – Melbourne’s tallest building. 

Love #Melbourneweather

     To get there I ran along the iconic Batman Avenue before crossing the Yarra River and cruising past the rowing clubs – the busiest place I’d seen this morning. I had to duck and weave past the boats as they were ferried to the river and I hit Southbank and the Arts Centre for my next stop.

Its the spire you want to see!

I got slightly lost here, (believe it or not) and did a loop around the top grassland and external floor of the building. This would make a great little Strava section for those into it.

Getting arty here...

     From here it was a very short run along Southbank to the Eureka building, before an 800m or so run further down Southbank, past the world famous Crown Casino and over the river to the Melbourne Aquarium. I had to stop by and touch base with the fish that can swim!

Hello fishesthatcanswim

     My next stop was to be the Melbourne Museum, IMAX and old Exhibition Building. I chose to run up King St, famous for its nightclubs. I must say, I was chuckling away as I misjudged the gutters and ended up calf deep in water, while the staggering drunks just leaving the night clubs gave me heaps. So I gave them as good as I got knowing they wouldn’t catch me. At the top end of King St I detoured through the Queen Victoria Markets. At 7:30ish they were positively pumping already. 

     The outdoor stalls were being set up, the livestock was noisy as and I loved all the spruiking in the meat and fish section.

You get the picture...

     I made my way up Victoria Parade for a few blocks before a left turn up Swanston St towards Carlton. A couple of left and rights had me cruising up Lygon St – Melbourne’s Italian and restaurant capital. At this time of the morning it was just another street. I went down Gratten St and made my way to the Museum. I love this place, especially the old Exhibition building. It’s such a beautiful piece of architecture. As I took it in I grabbed a quick drink of Nuun and changed my socks for a dry pair. The Nike Lunarspiders drained well, but I just had to change socks. I must be going soft…

My favourite picture!

     Next icon on the tour was Spring St and Parliament House, so I headed straight down Nicholson St. At this stage I was loving it. The streets were eerily quiet, the rain was still falling and I had all the time in the world. What more could you want? I let out more than a few whoops and manic laughs, especially when I got caned with wash when a large truck drove through a well blocked drain just as I was passing.

Capital Hill anyone?

     As I ran past Parliament and crossed into Collins St I enjoyed a bit of speed window shopping in the ‘Paris End’ of Melbourne. At this stage the city was just starting to wake up and more and more people were hitting the caffeine as they slowly meandered to wherever they were going. As I turned down Swanston St to make my way to Flinders St Station I stopped at a Footlocker to see why there was a 50 strong queue of people. ‘Nike Jordan 15s’ was the response I got. Ah, the old Air Jordan. I was an Air Max Force fan myself.

This is Melbourne!

     Finally I made it to Flinders St and after a quick selfie with the iconic clocks I crossed the road to the love it or hate it Fed (Federation) Square complex and ran the lovely stretch of the Yarra along Birrugung Marr and back past the G before returning back to school.

#citytrailmelbourne and still hiding from the rain!

     All up I had covered a total of 25ish km from school to the CBD and back. I had about two hours forty on my feet and a massive smile on my face. I loved the concept and highly recommend entering the #citytrailmelbourne event on April 19^th, I have! My course was more than a little different, but it’s a brilliant way to take in the sights of Melbourne and a great run to boot.

     
Till next time my friends. 

How an injury helps

     It’s been a while since my last musings, so what’s been going on? My race diary has been empty since the Marysville Running Festival in November, as the week after my 10k dash my Achilles flared up and gave me grief.

I'd been burning up the trails!

     If I were a car, I’d be the perfect car. You know how when you take the car to the mechanic to get that issue checked and the car is perfect (I swear it’s the International Car Conspiracy) and you feel like a twit, well the morning I was due to see the Physio for a ‘just because’ check-up was the morning my Achilles flared up.        Perfect, I got to go and see Freedom Sports Medicine in Croydon with the issue alive and well.

     I had booked in with Ross for a ‘Free2Run’ assessment. This entailed a range of movement analysis, a running technique breakdown on the treadmill and the follow exercise regime.

     To make a long story short, I had very restricted range of movement in my ankles/Achilles due to extremely tight calves and the entire muscle groups of both feet. This had compounded over time and resulted in the arrival of Mr Achilles Tendinitis. If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting and running with Mr Tendinitis, he does his very best to make each stride as painful as he can. I’d much rather run without him. I also have an imbalance in the muscle development in my legs. If I can describe it right, my right quad is underdeveloped while the calf muscle is very strong. In my left, the Quad muscle is very strong while the left calf is underdeveloped. Essentially I have this weird cross leg thing happening!

     So how did the Achilles Tendinitis develop? Slackness. For a long period of time I was a religious roller and stretcher, hitting the calves, quads and glutes each night. In the last six months I had gotten lazy and it came back to bite me in the leg.  

Me and #RoyalBay pulling the Trigger

The prescribed treatment was 2x 10 minutes of rolling each calf (hmpf, my 2 minutes a day just wasn’t cutting the mustard) and 2 x 2 minutes of golf ball roll overs each day (welcome to the house of pain!). This was to relive the tightness in the lower legs to combat the Achilles. I also had single leg squats, calf raises and glute bridges/ skier’s thrown into the mix to help combat my muscular imbalance. I also figured it couldn’t hurt to get my sexy Royal Bay Compression socks on each night for that little extra 1%.

I threw in a self-imposed running ban right throughout November to give maximum recovery time. This didn’t mean I got to sit on my arse and get fat, it meant hitting the spin bike twice a week and dusting off the mountain bike for some weekend adventures. And… I’ve loved it!

Since getting back on the bike I’ve discovered some great new trails within riding/running distance from home. As a bonus I've also managed to build up the strength in my quads!

This was my view for a while!

Got me some new shades!

Getting arty with the bike, #Strydaforce compression helped

     By refraining from running until late December I’ve really enjoyed learning to run again. Every run is a focus on form, on breathing, on taking in the world around me. Every run I’m getting stronger, learning to find my feet again, learning to get back my desire.

Nothing beats a run with your mates!

     The recovery process has been slow, but it has also given me time to focus on Mrs Fish and her running. And, I was more than a little jealous that she got to run Two Bays without me. It also gave me the opportunity to be at the finish line of one of my favourite events and see all of my DTR mates racing strong.

     Where to from now? I’m hoping that my leg work is going to translate into some quicker times over the coming year, allowing be to continue to grow as a runner.

You know where to find me...

     Well, till next my friends. Now get out there and make friends with your roller!

     Lachie

A year in review - 2014

    Well, another year has come and gone. Taking the time to reflect on 2014, I can look back on it with a sense of pride and achievement.

     My two big events for the year were the 28km Two Bays Run and the Great Ocean Road Half Marathon. Although both of these events took into a world of pain, both were moving highlights reels.

     Two Bays had the challenge of the Arthurs Seat climb and the sandy trail to finish while the Great Ocean Road turned on the perfect weather for running up and down the greatest driving road in the world while the coastline unfolded before your feet.

      My short course running also improved. I set out to hopefully improve on last years Salomon Trail Series top 7 finish, and it was an honour to compete in and finish a solid third overall for the Short Course series. 

This year we returned to the Marysville Running Festival to take on the new 10k course, which I thoroughly loved, the inclusion of more trail made it a tougher but truer course. To finish 5^th ticked another box, 2012 wasn’t just a fluke!

     I also enjoyed racing the Yarra Ranges Athletics club 5k cross country race, as well as supporting Mrs Fish at the Lillydale Lake 10k, the Melbourne Marathon and the City 2 Sea. And man, Mrs Fish is really starting to run. This year she's gone from 5:15s to 4:50s over the half Marathon+ distances. 
     Finally, I also met Thien from www.stryda.com.au and Frank and Baden from www.icebandports.com.au, whom have some amazing running gear and have helped me on my running journey.

     What does next year hold? After my visit to the team at Freedom Sports Medicine I found a few chinks in my armour and I’ve been diligently working on ironing them out. It may seem like a small thing, but if I can refine my technique and strengthen my legs I might just be able to find a easy 5-10 seconds a km, and over the 5-10k events that’s 25 to 50 seconds. And when I look at my results that might just be enough to get a little bit closer to the pointy end of the field.

     

Well, after you’ve enjoyed the holiday season and started running and riding off the puds, enjoy your training and competing and stay happy.

Cheers, the Fish

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2014 Marysville Running Festival

Two years ago I ran the 10k event at the Marysville Running Festival, and I loved the course. I was also pleasantly surprised at my 5^th placing. It was a coming of age so to speak – the event where I realised I could run well and the dawning of my love of trail running. So, to say I was looking forward to this year’s race was a bit of an understatement. While there were 4 & 10k events, the half and full marathons and the 50k Ultra, it was the 10k that had my name on it. 

#Srydaforce #RoyalBay

The night before I completed the mandatory gear check – the DTR singlet, #StrydaForce Styrda compression shorts, #RoyalBay Extreme calf sleeves and the beloved #inov-8 f-lite 252s while Mrs Fish put together the picnic for our lunch.

As we woke on Sunday morning, the forecast drizzle was non existent and there was only a light breeze, perfect!

The trip to Marysville was a hoot – a reasonable blast along the infamous ‘Black Spur’ and beating the GPS arrival time surely a sign of things to come…

The bib and showbag pick up was a very smooth process, the predetermined times for each event kept it hassle free. The kids also loved the free Chupa Chups.

After one last look at the mountains and possible hill climbs, we took off right on 10. Not fully knowing what to expect of this redesigned course, other than that the first 6ks was generally going to be uphill, I settled into a comfortable pace, keeping the lead pack of 20 or so in my sights. It was hard not to get caught up in the moment, as younger runners streamed by and people powered up towards the hill. I was hoping that they had underestimated what was coming.

We were heading up there...

We did a half lap of the oval, then peeled of onto the track that took us the short distance towards the road to the falls. Last time I was here we went up that road, today we simply crossed it, followed Mt Kitchener Avenue straight up the hill (thanks Trails Plus) past the residential zone and hit the first trail. The trail itself was well marked – red arrows on the signs and white arrows sprayed on the ground kept us in the right direction. This first section of trail was great, a wider access track with a gradual climb which soon spread out the field. The top three or four runners were now in the zone (and gone with the wind!) while I kept track of the five or six who were now in front of me.

The trail took us through a series of sections – beautiful narrow single track through the bush, wider tree lined access tracks and it rose and fell in all the right places. The climbs were just long enough for me to peg back a place or two and the descents fast enough to be fun, but gradual enough to be fast! As we climbed up towards the road to the falls, I felt strong, and had confidence in what my HIIT training had given me over the last few months. Although I kept a fairly constant speed, I was able to put in surges just near the peaks of the climbs or on the flats and it was these moments where I was able to make the passing moves. It seems funny, but as I was smashing out the trails on the Southern Track, I was visualising my moments of recovery on the treadmill as I eased of the pace after each pass – this gave me the confidence that I could ease the pace for a brief moment, catch my breath and then make my next attack.

At about the 6k mark we hit the main road and started the 2k section that would take us to the falls. After enjoying the trails this was tough, but it was also a little bit of relief as the road was a constant climb. I managed to keep my pace at about 4:25s and reeled in another one or two runners. Just before the falls I saw my first leading runner starting the return to park. I counted two, and knew that there was possibly just one more in front of me, an amazing young fella in the famed Two Bays shirt, who had managed to keep just 100m or so in front of me for the race so far.

It was just after the turn around point at the falls that I caught him, and after briefly running side by side I hit the Tree Fern Gully track for the fast descent to the finish. Last time I took it easy down this section, this year there was a guy in green who was always just ahead of me, and he was getting away. I took it as quickly as I could, but I was starting to fatigue as the finish drew near. I was now catching some of the 21k runners, so I was able to leap frog from one person to the next. Even though I knew they were in a more gruelling event, chasing them down and moving to the next runner was the motivation I needed.

As we crossed Yellow Dog Road and onto the final section of the Tree Fern trail I was willing the end to be near. Last time I hit this last section I let my legs get away from me. Hell yeah it was fun, but this time the quads were a little sore and I just didn't have it in me. The trail twisted and turned, rose and fell and I found myself searching for the next corner and next runner, knowing that each one would bring me closer to the finish.  As I hit the last little rise in the track you could see through the bush and over the creek to the park, and you could hear the hum of the crowd – the end was literally now in sight. With a few more lefts and rights and a couple of little inclines, just for fun, I turned left over the bridge and into the finish area.

As I often do, I dug deep for that last little kick to the finish and finished strong, around the 47:30 mark. I had entered the race wanting a strong top 10 finish to reconcile with myself that my training had given me the grounding to run well and to prove that last time was no accident. After how my race had unfolded, I was also hoping to have come in 4^th or 5^th.

While we waited for the presentations, the family and I went and had a look around the town centre and we were amazed at how much the town has grown after the 2009 fires. We visited the lolly shop – yummo and the farmers market before returning back to the festival where we had our picnic to the tunes of the steel drum band and the kids were then entertained by the roving clown.

So, in summary, I had an absolute ball! I achieved my secret goal of another top 5 finish (bang on 5^th), and I am proud of my 47:26 finishing time.

Next year, I might have to do the ten again and also have a crack at the 4k event with Mrs Fish…

Cheers once more,

Lachie

Silvan Reservoir - A series on trail love

     Today I thought I might get back to my roots and write about where I love to run.

     Running out in the bush is what makes me tick. Yes, there are other things that I love and they keep me rolling along, but getting out there in the bush is my release and my time.

     I am fortunate to live close to Mt Dandenong and her many fire trails and walking tracks with their ups and downs and twists and turns and I love running there. But Silvan Reservoir is even closer. And I’m making the call, it’s even better. Where Mt Dandenong has it’s vertical challenges and wide sweeping tracks, Silvan is a criss-cross network of trails. Each of these trails is connected by the most amazing sections of single trail. Some are long forgotten and a few hundred meters of pain can bring no rewards, others you can burst through the trees and onto an epic tale of twists and turns.

     This is my first write up of my Silvan runs. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

     When I arrive at Silvan I always park at the overflow car park, as the main gates are not often opened until later in the morning. I’d always started on the circuit track. This is an easy 3-4k loop, depending on which tracks you take. Recently I headed straight down the Silvan Road, for something different.

About 500m down the road it forks. My recent exploring had taken me to the right, down Olinda Creek road and off to a sweet little track on the right. 

I decided to continue left along Silvan Rd just for a touch and found a little trail to the right (the purple track). This just over grown track is a delightful single trail. It has just the slightest of rises and gently bends this way that that to keep it from being straight. It’s just wide enough for two, and has a number of thin trees that have fallen to add an obstacle or two. I guess it goes for 1500m or so before opening out on the road again where you simple turn around and come back. The return trip offers an excellent section for speed training.

I took the left road first, then came back to the right.

     Returning to the junction, take the gravel Olinda Creek road to the left and then there is a clearing, leading to a track to the right. Take this little gem (The orange section) keeping left, then head over the bridge over the creek.

Take the path to the left - go right to get to track 13

At the junction take the track that will via left for a more undulating track. Now that you’re warmed up, this access track, all grassed rises a little more and has a few natural obstacles. It’s only 400m long or so but it’s good fun.It looks like it may have continued around, following the road once upon a time, but now it is painfully overgrown.

When you hit the road turn right and come down the main road towards track 13, turning right at the gates. A few hundred metres in keep an eye out for the track off to the right. There’s a sign that says ‘no through road’. 
     This is another single trail, all grassed with a slightly worn trail where is has been used. This section offers some brilliant, slightly downhill trail work and would make for a very fast Strava section.

There are a few natural challenges: fallen trees (only small), overgrown bushes that close you in and wombat and wallaby reminders, but nothing too twisty rutted.

     At the end of it, you can turn right to follow the creek trail back towards the gravel road and the car park, or, turn left to come back towards track 13. This is a wider, access track for vehicles and again rises gently. There are also three massive trees that have fallen – hurdle them if you dare or simply go around the end where they have been cut. Turn right over the bridge and head up and up on track 13 (this is the main track). 

Track 18 to the right, Track 13 goes up...

For a short run, Track 18 to the right can be taken (The purple section)for a nice cruise by the creek as you head back towards the main car park. Turn right at the junction, you’ll see the gate, turn left on the road.

     If you continued all the way up 13 (Follow the yellow brick road) be prepared for a brutal climb. This track just seems to go up and up. To help keep you going, there are plenty of huge gums along the way, I used them as key markers on the way – just keep aiming to get to the next one! If you want to bail, or are short on time, take the blue track 24 for another exit point.

     Take the left onto Wallaby track and look for the single trail near the big trees on the right. It’s about 200m along the track and seems to be the peak of the climb you have just done. 

     This is single trail heaven! Is it named, no yet.  It’s a fast flowing, very technical 1.2km single track that starts you off gently, sweeping gently through the bush, asking you to leap over a few fallen trees before it steadily drops down into a series of sweeping bends, sharp switchbacks of nearly 180 degrees. The track is a dirt/clay trail and is well worn by bikes. You really have to be on your toes as there are ruts and gully’s, roots and rocks and the odd log. Just when you think its getting too steep or tight to be safe, it rises again and sweeps you up and around the corners more gently. You know you are near the end when you hit a little mountain bike jump (yes, it actually is!) and you have to then burst through some very closed off track that is covered over by native grass and shrubs before you finally hit another road.

     At this point you can turn left and run back to the main fire break/access road and take a right to head home. I prefer to turn left towards the road, then stumble on a sweet little track about 50 meters off to the right that is the best 12 minute loop I know.

     Why is it so good, well, you’ll have to read the next installment.