Facebook - Bringing Surf Coast Runners together

Where I was heading - Near the end of the Juc cliffs

Ah, the power of Facebook. Two weeks ago I was going home to the Surf Coast for a family engagement. I was due for a longer run and I was keen to hit the trails. I was desperate for a run in the Dandys but it was never going to happen. What was a man to do?

A few months ago I had joined a Surf Coast Trail Runners group on Facebook and had been keeping in touch with the regular updates. A few days before we left for home I put on a post asking about a track from Torquay to the famous Bells Beach that I had walked years ago. Was it still there? Has anyone run it recently and was anyone keen for a run on a Sunday?

Well, as luck would have it a member of the group was planning to run it at 7:00 am on Sunday and I was more than welcome to run with him. Awesome! He was planning a 25km out and back trip for 50km, I’d do the 8km to Bells and back for 16km. So at 7:00am on a Sunday, I was meeting a complete stranger for a run at one of my favourite sections of beach in the world. The weather was perfect for running; clear skies and just a touch of wind.

About half way to Bells

We took off along the start of the new Surf Coast walk, a paved path that I now think goes all the way to Anglesea. We then ran along the cliff tops by Jan Juc SLSC, along the path past Birdies rock and followed the undulating trail to Bells. The track is all well made, not the single track I was hoping for.

The views were just brilliant. We ran beside Aussie scrub, up and down various steps, across the sand all while the section out had epic views of the rolling surf to our left.

Near Birdies Rock, on the way home. Ran along the beach below!

45 minutes later we had chatted our way over 8 perfect kms. I had really enjoyed the run, at a moderate to quick 5km to the min pace. We met another runner at Bells and the two of them took off as I made the return trip home. This time I stopped for happy snaps of the coast and trail. I also enjoyed a 2km stretch along Torquay and Jan Jun beaches.

If you’re ever in Torquay with time to enjoy a run, this one gets a big thumbs up from me.

Cheers and happy running,

The Fish

A brilliant running vest - Peal izumi Elite Barrier Vest

Stock Photo - Pearl Izumi Elite Barrier Vest

How did this fish end up with a Pearl izumi Elite Barrier vest?

Last week I spent a bit of time researching for the perfect running jacket. It had to be light weight and packable (into the CamelPak), water proof/ resistant and breathable. Is that too much to ask?

I looked at all the running brands and some mountain specialists as well. There are some great offerings that seem to tick all the boxes, but with a price tag that is very hard to swallow. I’m not in the place right now to spend $150 - $200 on a running jacket. Then I stumbled on the cycling range. Yes, cycling. Why not? Although the style and cut may be a little different to a runners jacket, they need to be light weight. They need to be water resistant and they also need to pack small. They consider small to be the back of a jersey pocket or seat pack. These should fit the bill I said. I then thought a little more on it and started looking at the vests. What do I really want when I am running? I want my core to be warm and dry. I can whack on some gloves when it gets really cold and I am prepared to sacrifice getting a little wet on my arms if I can keep my core warm and dry without over heating.

This fish doing an Elite Barrier Vest selfie

Enter the Peal izumi Elite Barrier Vest (follow the link for the specs). Scouring the reviews it sounded perfect. People are raving over it’s water resistance/proofness and the way it allows them to breathe. I placed an order with www.cellbikes.com.au on Thursday morning and Friday lunch it arrived at work. Brilliant work Cellbikes.

Reflection on the Pearl izumi Elite Barrier Vest

The vest is amazing. The Pearl izumi Barrier fabric feels incredible. It feels feather light and soft. Yet it also feels strong. I’d call it a premium feel over all my other jackets. I went with the white for greater visibility. The silver branding and strips are reflective under light. I’d happily wear this anywhere. It has a decent sized pocket on the back that is kept secure with Velcro. The labelling by Pearl izumi rates it 4/5 for breathable and 3.5/5 for water resistance. The collar is lined with a softer material and it has mesh vests under the arms and across the middle of the back. To me this means it will keep my front and shoulders dry while still allowing for good breathability where it is needed. It also folds away really well and fits in my CamelPak with ease.

Putting it on, the Pearl izumi Elite Barrier vest is light. Very light. I ordered the smallest size, their small and it was a relaxed fit. If an extra small was available I might have taken it, but I can comfortably wear either a compression top or long sleeve technical shirt underneath it. For cold runs I plan to wear a long sleeve tech or compression top, when it’s wet I want to wear my Under Armour Heat Gear compression shirt. The idea behind this is that the Heat Gear dries incredibly quickly. 

My first run was leaving at dusk and into the night. I did a 14km night run wearing the Pearl izumi Elite Barrier vest, a long sleeve New Balance tech top and an inov-8 Wragg under my Black Wolf Storm spot head torch. I kept my legs warm in a pair of Skins A400 compression tights.  The ambient temperature was 7-9 degrees Celsius. To put this into perspective, before I left I had the shakes as I was getting changed.

As I settled into my rhythm I found the vest to be very comfortable. It was neither tight anywhere or did it feel loose at all. I was able to keep warm without feeling the pinch. As I continued my run I went through some warmer areas and some lower spots where there was a real cold patch. After about 10km my running partner needed a toilet break so this was a good chance to see how well the vest retained its heat. It did a great job. I deliberately kept my legs moving but I did not start to feel cold at all. The pocket in the back was easily accessed quite a few times as I checked the distance on my phone. While it’s exhilarating running in the middle of nowhere in the dark, you do need to track how far and long you've been running. Getting the phone in and out of the pocket was a breeze.

This morning during my tempo run the temperature was a rather cold 4-5 degrees Celsius. I went with the above Under Armour Heat Gear shirt and the Pearl izumi Elite Barrier Vest combo. It was one of those sessions where gloves were essential and my hands were pretty cold for nearly the entire duration of the run. In contrast, my core was kept nice and warm and I did not feel over heated at all. I also had to remove my hat at one point to relieve some head heat. 

I've also been able to run in the rain with the Pearl izumi Elite Barrier vest. On my Sunday trail run it was 7 degrees Celcius and a constant drizzle/shower/light rain for the first 30 minutes. I wore the vest with my Under Armour compression shirt and a pair of gloves (as in the self pict above.) I also had a hat to keep the rain off my face. While it was wet I felt that my core and shoulders were kept dry. At the end of the run I took off my jacket and found that I was indeed dry. YES! A jacket that keeps me dry and allows me to breathe! 

24/11/13 An update... On Sunday I did a 20km LSD run - HR at 150BPM and ticking over ar just under 5min/km pace. It decided to rain heavily. For a while I was kept nice and dry, but ultimately I ended up soaked through. In heavy rain, it was a fail. And I so wanted the jacket to work! In a positive spin, the rain stopped and I didn't feel too cold or wet so it allowed me to breathe nicely. 

If I have one gripe, it’s that I will need to shave before a morning run. Because the collar fits quite snugly around the neck, I was getting some irritation from my two day stubble. Still, unzip it half an inch and there’s no complaints. It also helped breathability and ventilation a tad.

So, for future cold runs the Pearl izumi Elite Barrier Vest gets a big thumbs up and will be always with me. Pearl izumi might have it listed under their bike section on the web, but it’s a great running vest. I may even be tempted to pick up the Elite Barrier Jacket if I can find one at the right price.

UltrAspire Atom MBS belt and MBS Ion Core bottle

Once again Barefootinc were called upon and they delivered. After the Geelong Half Marathon I had tossed up the idea of getting a hydration belt for my 10-15km runs where I may or may not need some water on the way.

My wife has also just joined a running club and the idea of being able to keep her bottle with her was really appealing. Enter the UltrAspire MBS Atom belt and the UltrAspire MBS Ion Core (hit the link for the UltrAspire online store)

The UltrAspire hydration belt system is a two piece hydration belt. Perfect for Barefootincs buy two products and get free shipping policy. Priced at $25AUS for the Small Atom belt and $45 for the Ion Core this is not a cheap system. After jumping on the phone, their friendly staff assured me I was buying a premium product and with the ‘fish’ discount I counted my coins and put my order in.

UltrAspire MBS Atom belt and Ion Core

Two mornings later the UltrAspire MBS Atom belt and the UltrAspire MBS Ion Core arrived on my doorstep. For any of my Australian readers this is the 3^rd time that Barefootinc have had my purchases delivered within two days.

At first look this belt system is very impressive. The red and grey colouring looks sweet and the material certainly feels like a premium product.  The mesh is strong but light and airy. It is oh so soft as well. If you want a lightweight belt, these two are certainly that.

MBS Atom

I’ve been talking ‘two’ so far. As you can see in the pics, it is a two piece belt. The UltrAspire Atom is the belt core. In Australia, Barefootinc sell the Small, Medium and Large sized Atoms. With us both being very small people we ordered the small Atom. See UltrAspire for all the size details. 

It has a stretchy mesh pocket on the front for your keys, gels or phone. It will fit a smaller (well, smaller than the Galaxy 3 or larger i-phones) Samsung Galaxy 2 sized phone or a HTC Desire X, but anything larger may not fit.

MBS ION - Magnetic clips on bottle and Ion Core holder

The UltrAspire Ion is the connector piece and contains very small magnetic pocket (under the grey branding arrow) which may fit a compactable car key or small house key. More importantly it has a 280 ml (8oz) water bottle. The bottle holder is angled at about 45 degrees and is magnetised at the bottom. The matching magnet can be seen at the bottom of the bottle. Together they work in perfect harmony to keep the bottle from moving once it is in place. The bottle top is a twist top, small enough to drink from, big enough for our fingers to easily grip and twist to open. 

They join through the metal clip on the Atom into the double stitched material slip on the Ion. Once in place it’s not coming out. The leather tab on the Atom then feeds through the clip on the Ion and is secured with Velcro. On my wife there is a tiny bit of play around the waist, it fits me comfortably snug.

So, can you run with it? Yes, yes you can. 
For comfort and ease of use just wear it as is. The Atom pocket on the front and the Ion bottle at the back. Em got to run with it first. With a jacket or two layers she felt if fit perfectly. With just a technical running top it was a little loose. This however was not bad. She said after a couple of hundred meters it settled and didn’t move. On a warm morning she said the mesh was airy and could in fact feel the airflow through the mesh. It was much cooler than she expected. She has not drunk on the run, but at the drink stop it was such an easy task. Simply reach around for the bottle, twist the top and refreshing water. She found it very easy to just slip it back in to the holder behind her back, the magnetic tabs almost pull it down at the last second. She reported no spills or leaking over 14km.

I used it today during my warm up run to my hill sprints and cool down run back to work. Slipping it on is pretty easy. The leather tab is a tight fit through the clips, you feel as though you don’t want to bend it but it needs just a little squeeze to get through. This thing is not coming undone mid run. On a running shirt it fit perfectly. I was not quite at the end of the tether but I wouldn’t want to add any kgs.

I took off at a moderate pace and it soon settled. Once I was running I did need to tighten it a fraction and pull it down to fit correctly, but I think that is just me as a first time user. Once on it did not move. The mesh did indeed provide great airflow. My waist felt cool and comfortable. Drinking on the run was easy. The 45 degree angle of the bottle made it easy to locate and remove, and the twist top was easy to open. The shape of the bottle allowed me to drink from it in what felt like a fairly natural position. Twist it to close and then I was able to easily locate the bottle back into the holder on the run. Again no slippage or leakage.  The only sound I had was the sloshing of water. Nothing is going to stop that.

The challenge was going to be the hill sprints. I had found a very nice hill over about 150m and planned to go flat out as long as I could. Over the 6 reps the UltrAspire Atom and UltrAspire Ion MBS system did not move. By the end of the session I was glad to have a drink. On the jog back to work again I almost forgot it was there.

So, big thumbs up to the UltrAspire Atom and UltrAspire Ion MBS system. It looks a million dollars, feels the same and for me and the wife, it works a treat. Over the Autumn, Winter and into Spring seasons it will be my go to hydration system. Perhaps as we near Summer I will look to utilise the Core and connector system and further connect with the larger capacity MBS Synapse with the 565 ml bottle. 

Don't forget to plug in 'fish10' to get 10% off from the amazing team @

The 2013 Great Train Race results - How I went

Well, I talked the talk in my last post on the 'Great train race', so how did I go? (All my km time references come from the Garmin Forerunner 10 I wore and that I looked at post race). 

Sunday morning came and I was up and on. Coffee, breakfast, shower and in the car for the 25 minute trip to Belgrave and the starting line. 

I arrived in plenty of time, about an hour before race time. As soon as I arrived I got positive vibes. The town was buzzing. There were runners and their supporters everywhere. I had arranged to meet with some fellow Dandy Runners in front of the CFA, and before even reaching there I met Richard who was running for a friend. We had a good natter before I went up to the CFA. 

There ended up being 5 of us from the group and it was great to be able to chat and chill with some friends. We talked times and training and just generally laid back. It was really relaxing. 

About half an hour before race time the marshells started talking so left our gear at the transport truck and moved to our various seeded starts. Dave and I had both seeded in the second wave so we moved up to the start together. 

About 9:25 they took us to the start line and introduced the driver. He was welcomed with the customary boos and with a bit of verbal banter confirmed he was happy to let about 10 or 15 runners beat his train. It is such a relaxed way to start the race. 

9:30 and the race began. I joined the shuffle which quickly turned into a fast jog as we took off down the road. The field began to merge and I found my pace. The course started flat and rolled round the first sweeping bend into a subtle down hill section. About 1.5km in we went under the first bridge and main vantage point. The crowd here were very vocal and gave us an immediate boost. I had planned to run this in sub 4 min ks, but I happily ran at 3:59 into 4:35 for the 2nd km. The road rose and fell, more rising than falling and I got into the rhythm, passing a few and being passed by others. We followed the road for a another couple of km before hitting the first train crossing. Woo hoo went the train whistle, somewhere behind us. I could see the train and the flume of ash he was pumping out. Last time I ran this I never saw the train. This time it was game on! 

Woo hoo!, I was in front of him at this stage. This time I got the atmosphere. The train whistle blew again and a surge of adrenaline hit in. We all seemed to take off and before long we hit the 5km drink station and the first slog began. 

We took off up Alsops Road, and I was thankful for the gravel under my feet. The trailrocs were great, but gravel was their real home. This the first of the tough hill climbs. Race plan here was to plough on and manage my speed through my breathing. I stayed 3- 2 as long as I can and managed a pace of 5:09 before I had to go 2-1. It was a real calming effect. I felt strong and was picking off plenty of people as I maintained a steady pace up the hill. Out of nowhere was another whistle as he approached the station at Menzies Creek. I was still feeling great and as the hill flattened out and we turned up towards the crossing I was able to spot my family at their vantage point. Hopefully two little kids think their dad is faster than a puffing steam train! The climb was finished at just over 5:12 for the second km. I was waving them down and felt a wave of relief as I saw old man Billy resting at the station. Spurred on by this we turned onto the main road for a flatter km before the next long hill climb. 

I put in as much as I could while remaining comfortable and really enjoyed the 500m downhill stretch before the climb proper started. This was about 2km on the main road as it wound its way up the hill towards Emerald Station. This was the point of no return. Beat him to here and your in with a chance. I'd passed 9km and as I reached the crossing news was that Billy had steamed past a few minutes ago. Through this section I averaged 4:40, not quite the 4:20 - 4:30 I had told my self I could do, but still a very good pace. I'm becoming a runner.

Damn, Billy had passed, but still there is hope of catching him yet. At 10km I knew it was flat or down hill. It seems that everyone around me had also read my last post. I was hoping to blow them away with a burst of speed through here but they all took off as well! 

Last time I ran this I was feeling the pinch here, today I was able to actually run faster and try and gain some time. At 4:19 pace 11km came and went as we turned onto the path that leads towards the lake and our finish line. I upped the effort again and slipped into the 2-1 breathing as I headed for home. 2.3km to go and I knew I could push it hard. I heard a final whistle and saw the plume of smoke. Was I in with a chance still? I calculated that I had about 7-8 minutes to run. 

4:01 minutes later I hit 12km. Runners around me were either running hard and we were step for step or people were left behind. It was such a great feeling having the endurance to push it out and finish strong. 750m came and went. The 500m sign was there. My lungs were burning and I could feel my form faltering a little but I was close to home. 250m to go and you could hear the crowd cheering as each runner finished. The last section of the path involved a hairpin turn and it was 150m up the hill to the finish line. I ducked and weaved past a few more runners as I gave it all to the line. 

My heart sank as I saw Billy puffing away, but the clock just ticked over 58:00. I was stoked, that last km was run in 3:49. I found out the old man (All 97 years old!) had run it in 55:55, just over 2 minutes on me.

So I had wanted to run sub 55, but to run the 13.3 km in 57:57 was amazing. I felt strong the whole race through. All my little tweaks and play in training came to the party and I actually felt like a real runner. Averaging 4:30ish km times is no mean feat on this course. 

Did I mention that my first run was 1:06:18? I set a new PB by over 8 minutes. Imagine if I can come back and do it in 8 minutes better next time? I know it is possible...

So did I meet my goals? I did and I'm proud!

My time was not quite as fast as I thought, but I really, really enjoyed the run. I'll take that any day, any race.

I finished in 57:57 (what a cool time!), and came 448 out of 3,058 runners - top 14%. I wanted top 20% and I got it,  I give full respect to anyone who ran, male or female makes no odds. You race and you race me :) 

In my division I was 275 of 1,082 runners, top 26%. 

This race is also a fund raiser for the Puffing Billy railway, so by running today I'm helping keep something special alive. Old man, I'll be back. You won't get me at 3-zip. No you wont. 

The Great Train Race - Me vs Puffing Billy

The above map is an outline of where I am going to be racing the train on Sunday. It's a 13km run through the hills between Belgrave and Emerald. Puffing Billy is a fully working, restored steam train. The Elevation chart shows just why this is such a tough hill climb, and if you're nuts like me, an enjoyable run. 

The scenery is beautiful: Ancient eucalypt gum trees, massive tree ferns, a mix of asphalt and gravel roads and the sooty steam of the great train either leading the way or trailing you. 

The sound of the whistle blowing as it nears a crossing is electrifying and an incredible incentive to run faster. The crowd and families you see along the way are some of the most supportive I've ever run past. It's no wonder that this event sells out within two weeks! 

So how am I going to beat Puffing Billy? It is a race that traditionally attracts a fast field, so I'm being more conservative and hoping for a top 20% finish. With the training that I have undertaken in the last 3 months, I am also aiming to beat the train.

Looking at the elevation I am going to break the race into stages. 

The first 1.5kms is often very fast - people head out quickly and the down hill start can be misleading. I will 'go with the flow' in this section, aiming to run 3:50 - 4:00 km time as I now know that I can do this quite comfortably. 

The first hill is a little like my Wandin to Mt Evelyn run, so I will try and back the pace off to 4:15 - 4:25. Before this seemed fast, but with my renewed focus and understanding of my breathing technique I hope this will be achievable. It's not a long climb and I'll use the down hill to recovery and keep the speed nearer to 4:00kms. 

Hill 2 is a longer, 2.5-3km climb and the hardest section. I know from the Portsea Twilight run I should be able to average 4:30 - 4:45 kms over this section. I will drop the pace to just above comfortable and hopefully tag along with some other stronger runners and use their 'pull' to keep me going. Near the end I expect to push the breathing and have to go 2:1 as I need more air. 

From memory I think there is a flatter section that follows. It rounds a long bend and heads into the last hill. Still a grade 5 climb...This is about a 2km rise, again similar to the hills at home. I'm hoping I have enough in the tank to work it at about 4:15-4:30 kms before the final stretch for home. 

If I say the peak of the last hill is at about 10km, then from 11km it's all down hill. The Dandy runners who've beaten Puffing Billy say that if you can be level, or ahead at Emerald station then you'll be victorious. I like the sound of that. 

My speed runs at home, on similar descent were sub 4kms. If I can run close to 4:00kms for this last 3 km I will be very happy. I'm hoping to hear that whistle and see the steam as at this point the fatigue will be certainly kicking in, but hopefully my learning to run faster downhill will get me over the line...

I've not done the maths, but in 2011 I ran the course in 1:06. This year I am aiming to be 1 min per km quicker and run it home in 50 - 55 minutes. 

Puffing Billy traditionally runs it in 50 - 55 minutes, so it will be down to the line. Fingers crossed I finish in front. 

Keep an eye out for me, as always, I'll have the black and red inov-8 wragg, the all conquering trailroc 235s and either the trademark red compression top or my blue inov-8 tee. 

Say g'day or even come and run with me.

Cheers, and happy running, 

Lachie

Check out barefootinc.com.au for great inov-8 gear. My readers can use fish 10

for a 10% discount :)

How to run faster - How I am running faster

The on going runners challenge, how do I run faster? What is the secret to running faster? 

This is my new goal for the coming Aussie winter into spring season and I hope I can let you into a little secret. 

My last run was: 

1km @ 4:01 into an easy 1k @ 6:10 followed by 1km @3:54. 

At the top of the 'hill' I had a 300m walk to recover before returning home:

1km @ 3:23 into an easy km @5:25 and powering home for the last 1 km @ 3:34.

How am I running faster?

In my previous post on 'Finding my speed' I told you of of my discussion with Peter, who was running 2:20 marathons in his early 20s. One of his tips for how to run faster was to find a good long, gently descending hill and see how fast you can run down it. Sounds silly, but it is so true. Now to see how to get faster.

Running down hill is how I am running faster. Sure you that know gravity  naturally pulls you down the hill, but you have to make the effort to use that hill and lift your tempo and effort levels to actually start running faster. Think about it. It's easy to run down a gentle hill. It takes no effort. Now, go out there and lift your tempo, increase your stride length and start to push your heart rate. You'll soon find that you are running faster than you thought possible. 

The key is to finding the right hill. I am lucky that I live by the Lillydale - Warburton rail trail - a 40ish km hard gravel track that follows the old rail line. 

To go towards Lillydale I have a great 3.5km section. It starts flat for 300m then has a gradual 3-4% incline for almost 3km before flattening out just at the end. To learn how to run faster I had to run up the hill before I could run down. 

Previously I'd been able to hit 3:30, 3:15 and a short blast at 3:00 min/km on the treadmill. Fair enough I had to maintain the speed, but it's not real world now is it? 

To run faster you also need to be able to breathe. Again, in my previous speed post I talked about the 3-2 inhale exhale ratio and the 2-1 ratio when you are reaching your limits. Simply learn to control your breathing - that's how to run faster.

Oh, and you also need to drive your legs forward and up, engage your hammies and use them to help drive your speed. That's running coach stuff, but the breathing and hill speed you can do. 

So, how am I running faster? 

Yesterday I did that 3km out and 3km back run. 

Fast km 1: My first km was the flat before graduating to the steepest section of the hill. I quickly fell into the 3-2 breathing and picked up the pace. 
My breathing really picked up as I had to push the speed up the hill. At about 600m I made the change into the 2-1 breathing as I really found it difficult. Using this method allowed me to push forward wheras in the past I would have been out of breath and pulled up. At the GPS beep - 4:01min I eased up into a jog.  

The easy jog felt ridiculously slow at 6min km time but the recovery is just as, if not more important. 

Fast km 2: At the next beep I took off again. I increased the pace and again got into a 3-2 breathing rythm as I climbed the hill. As my cadence picked up and my stride lengthened my breathing quicked and I had to change to 2-1 to maintain my efforts. It would have been easy to stop but to get endurance you have to push through the pain barrier. By the end I was really breathing hard and the 2-1 ratio just kept me going. Fortunately the trail levelled off for the last 200m and the watched beeped at 3:54.

I allowed a 200m walk to the end of the trail and 200m back for recovery before steeling myself and heading off again.

Fast km 3: I very quikly settled into a fast run and glancing at the watch I was doing 20 kmh, or 3:00 pace! Exciting but I had to sustain it for a km. This is where running down hill is how I am running faster. I had to really work hard on my breathing, and the tempo allowed me to breath 3-2, as my legs were turning over quickly. After 500m I felt I was slowing but it was important to hold my form and push forward. I conciously had to drive forward with my knees and run upright with a slight lean but I was able to hold my nerve and the gps beeped at 3:23! 

An easy jog followed and I was really thankful for it. My breathing slowed and I felt my legs recover slightly.

Fast km 4: 1km to go! Again I focused on my form, driving the knees up and forward, strong and steady 3-2 breathing as I used the last 400m of the down hill to develop the pace. At 500m it flattened out and I was doing all the work. My 2-1 breathing took over and I could feel the heart thumping. Holding my nerve and breathing strong and as deep as I dared with the 2-1 ratio as I could to match my strides, I pushed hard on the last 200m on a slight incline. Beep beep beep, 3:34!

If you told me a month ago that I could run this fast I would have scoffed at you. No way. Now I know the secret of how to run faster:

3:2 breathing to match each stride, 2:1 when the going gets tough and your legs and cadence is faster. 

Use down hills to build your speed - get the feel for going fast and push yourself to maintain the speed. Gravity helps, but if you ease off, you are not running faster, just running at an OK speed with less effort.

Passive recovery is essential! (But my goal is to build in less recovery and more active work).

From here I want to push the length of my fast sections a little longer each time. While I can build speed and power during training and learn to maintain it, when it comes to race day I should be able to drop the pace a fraction to be more comfortable yet still run faster than I was previously running.

Get out there and give it a try. I'd love to hear your feedback on how you improved.


Cheers and get faster! 

Lachie

Run faster with ThisFish and barefootinc.com.au Remember, 10% discount with 'fish 10'

When it all comes together... People or Birds

This is an awesome video clip, I just had to pass it on. 

Sometimes things just work, particularly in running. And when it all comes together something magical happens. Like that time you first got up that crazy hill, or smashed out an amazing 5k or 5m and hit a new PB.

Although it's not about running, this YouTube clip all comes together. 

Enjoy: It's titled people or birds

Sorry I don't have a fancy pic, but it keeps the mystery alive just that little bit more...

Finding my speed - how do I run faster?

Ah, the joy of a good run! Today I could no longer hold back, I had to run. 

It's been 8 days since the Geelong Half (my reality check race here) and I am feeling much better. I had itchy feet so couldn't resist a quick run. 

It was also a great way to speed test the inov-8 Bare X-Lite 150 shoes (my review here). 

On my last Dandy Runners run (my enjoyable runs) I was chatting with Peter and got talking about how fast I can run. I happily do 4:15s of a good day. 'How fast can you go?' was his question. To be honest, I don't know. Now I do. 

After a 7 minute warm up on the bike I hit the tready. I was aiming for:

400m @ 4:30 then 60 sec rest (All mins to the km)

400m @ 4:15 then 60 sec rest

400m @ 4:00 then 60 sec rest

400m @ 3:45 then 60 sec rest

400m @ 3:30 then 60 sec rest

400m @ 3:15 then 60 sec rest

and 400m @3:00 then hopefully be still standing!

I also wanted to try out the 3-2 breathing to footstrike that I had read about in the April Runners World.

Essentially it is inhale for 3 strides and then exhale for 2. The theory is that you are stronger when inhaling and the 3-2 ratio means that you land on alternate steps for each exhale. Landing on alternate steps minimizes the risk or repetitive stress injury to a set side. It was time to learn the correct breathing while running and how fast can I run.

At each of the 4:30--4:00 minute reps I felt really comfortable. I was able to breath at a comfortable rate and really managed my breathing rate - alternating the exhale on the left and right each time. It felt good and I felt strong. 

At 3:45 I had to increase my tempo and my breathing rate naturally went with it. I was breathing more quickly but did not feel under stress. I felt as though I could manage this pace for a longer distance - perhaps 3-5km but that was not the purpose of this test. 

At 3:30 I felt I needed to stretch my stride a little and again my tempo and leg speed had to be upped. The inov-8 Bare X-Lite 150s felt great. I was running fast and they were responding. At this point Leigh from Refine Training told me to run more on my fronts as I was landing more heavily on the tready, a sign that I was starting to push it a little? Or was I more focused on matching my breathing rate to my foot strike?

3:15 was manageable for the 400m. I could just keep the 3-2 breathing ratio but I'm not sure I was getting good deep breaths. I may need to experiment with the 2-1 Inhale exhale ratio next time. 

3:00, this pace really pushed me. I let my breathing focus go and just did what felt natural. I really had to push my leg speed way up there and extend my stride. I felt I was able to keep my natural form and felt lighter on my feet but I was happy to run 300m and back it off before I did any damage. 

I finished with 400m @ 4:30 pace (it felt like a stroll in the park) before an easy 5 minutes on the bike. 

What did I achieve today? Well, I can answer Peters question now. I can run at 3:15 minute kms for perhaps a km. I feel as though I could run 3:30s for 3-5km if I get the right breathing pattern, a flat road/track and a nice tail wind. 

Where to from here? I want to find the right balance between power and speed, recovery and a weekly long run. I want to be a faster 10km runner for the Winter Trail series races that are about to start.

How will I do it? I need to talk to the right people, but I feel I can do a weekly 8-10km tempo run incorporating 3:30s to 4:15s and either active (walking) or complete rest sections. It will be quality, not quantity. These runs will be city block to city block at the 3:30s - 4:00s pace, then a 4:15 block, back to 3:30s followed by complete rest or walking recovery - teaching the body to learn to run fast and make it the norm.

Once a week my circuit class will incorporate HITs on the treadmill doing 400-600m blocks at sub 4min pace with quality rest and recovery periods. I will be building the pace and distance in a pyramid style to work towards my anaerobic/aerobic limits - learning to run faster.

I'll be hitting the Dandenong Ranges for a weekly 10-20km long run, which will be a mix of hard and fast hills, long slow hills, flat fast sections and flat, slow sections. 

My aim is to be faster over 10km. I want to break 40min on a flat and be consistently faster on the trails. 

Keep following to find out how I go...

Inov-8 Bare X-Lite 150 - The best running shoe review

The Inov-8 Bare X Lite 150s

If you've been following my blog you'll know I was rather keen on the new Inov-8 f-lite 232 and the amazing looking Road Extreme 138s. Both are part of the new 2013 range, offering the Inov-8s wider anatomical last and zero shock (0mm drop). 

So why did I use my hard earned coin on the older series, the Inov-8 Bare X-Lite 150? What made me go a little old school? 

It was the lure of the additional 3mm stack height, the total 7mm of blown evo foam that would offer my feet that little extra protection underfoot while out on the roads. While it is the lightest shoe in the Inov-8 Bare-X range, it's not the most minimalist, and I'm glad for that. That prize went to the Bare X-Lite 180, or now it's the Inov-8 Road Extreme 138. 

Ash at anotherfnrunner.com wrote a brilliant comparative review of the Bare X-Lite 150, 180 and 200 - the three shoes in the Inov-8 Bare-X range. It went along way to helping my decision as well: http://www.anotherfnrunner.com/2012/02/lets-compare-bare-x-180-bare-x-200-and.html

Between the Skora Base offered at barefootinc.com.au for $99 and the New Balance Minimus 10v2 at the adventuremegastore.com.au I was almost drawn away from Inov-8, but I wanted to finish my natural running journey. 

Inov-8 Road Range - Red Road X 233, Black Road X-lite 155
and the Blue and Red Bare X Lite 150

I'm also at the point where I have no hesitation in pulling on my zero drop Inov-8 Trailroc 235s (Look in shoes and stuff to see my review) and hitting the trails for a 20km plus run. Time to make the move onto the roads. 

Over the Easter break I bit the bullet and ordered the Bare X- Lite 150. I was taking the first step to completing the natural running journey with Inov-8. I had read they were generously sized so I ordered a 7, down on my usual 7.5. Kudos to barefootinc.com and AustPost for the great 2 day turn around from the Sydney warehouse to my doorstep. 

My initial impression was that I was stoked that I went with the blue with the red quicklace. They look amazing and felt feather light. Big ticks in a go fast shoe. Putting them on, they felt larger than anticipated, I was hoping for a more snug fit but I was soon able to adjust the quicklace system to get them feeling just right. The kids also loved the bones on the sole.

The quicklace system? For these shoes Inov-8 have ditched the traditional laces for a slightly elasticity lace that is embedded at the base of the midfoot area in the overlay (see the pic, it makes so much more sense than my guff).

Quick lace meets at the bottom of the blue mesh

The laces meet at the top and are neatly held together with a plastic clip which you squeeze and pull and magic, the laces are done! Not everyone has agreed with it, but so far I've found it very effective and... quick! 

So, shoes on, how do they feel? As I mentioned earlier, they are roomy, but as I wore them and my feet warmed the felt just right. I have a little length in my right foot, but when your left is a size bigger that'll happen. I have ample toe room, yet the mid foot feels just right. 

The mesh overlay and quicklace system work harmoniously together my feet are held nicely in place. 

A lot of people have talked about ground feel, especially in the more minimalist type shoes. At this stage of my running it is not a crucial aspect, and I got thinking about what it really is. So in the past few weeks I've taken extra notice while running in my Inov-8 X-Lite 155s. Yes, the road feels hard. I can feel the cracks in the pavement and little stones and pebbles on the footpaths as I run. So I devised a little side by side comparison test. 

The Bare X-lite 150s and the X-Lite 155 both have the same blown rubber, fusion sole. They are incredibly soft yet strangely firm. They bend and twist anyway that your foot does, even more so cause I don't know anyone who can bend their foot in half or squeeze to meet in the middle vertically. 

With one foot clad in black and the other in blue I threw some twigs and stones out on the footpath and went for a walk and a run. Walking along i could feel the cracks in the pavement, the twigs under-feet and the stones hurt, especially in the more tender mid foot areas when I stepped on them. 

I certainly felt more through the black X Lite 155s, which I was hoping as it has 4mm less in the sole. Remember I'm after that little extra cushioning. Score one to the Inov-8 Bare X Lite 150.

Not all paths are perfect

But these are running shoes. So lets run. I eventually found a rhythm that would let me hit the cracks in the pavement and I landed on the sticks and stones enough to break my bones. No, not really but if you want to go out and land on every stone you can find, these are not the shoes for you. Again, I got great feel and some pain from the black 155s, the blue 150s certainly gave me more cushioning from the stones. Score two to the Inov-8 Bare X Lite 150. 

So far the Inov-8 Bare X Lite 150s have had all the boxes ticked. Great fit, good cushioning but still sound road feel, awesome colours so now it's time for a run. 

My first run was a quick 4km. I varied the tempo from 5 min kms to as quick as 4:05 min kms and the felt fast. They rewarded a quicker tempo and cadence and I felt like a kid again. Just running because I can. But 4km is not very far now is it. How about 21km? In a half marathon race? 

Why? Why not? On the trail I would pull out the Trailroc 235s without a second thought. I'm comfortable with the Inov-8 range and essentially these are a very similar shoe with that additional cushioning. 

Out in the race they felt great. I hit a natural rhythmic pace quite quickly and they felt good. I was getting good feel off the trail/footpath and had to think about my form but it was positive thinking. After 7-8km they began to give a little and I felt more and more comfortable underfoot as the race went on. At this point there were no hot spots, no rubbing or slipping and I was very comfortable. 

By 15/16km I had begun to fatigue (I went into the race after two days in bed during the week) and I had to really work on my running. My quads we heavy and my hips became noticeable but my feet were still comfortable. When I was able to put in some quicker spurts I was again rewarded why a more natural run, so I know that I have to keep working on this. Perhaps for me I am still suited to 3 or 4mm underfoot in the longer races, but for 10kms and under the Inov-8 Bare X-Lite 150 will be the shoe I use. 

How cool is the bone pattern on the White Bare X?

So 25km is not all that far in a pair of shoes. I know that they will hold up as all the reviews I read prior to writing mine have praised their durability. My Inov-8 Road X-Lite 150s have done nearly 400km and although wearing at the high contact points of my running cycle, there is still a lot of life left in them. 

Speaking of soles, I had to race across wet brick pavement the other day and the 150s got me across safe and sound. On my recent runs in the rain they have be terrific - no grip problems at all. 

Well, I've now got a couple of hundred kms on my Bare X-lite 150s and I still love them. The sole has molded to my foot and the grip is wearing quite well. If you look at the tread it does wear according to how you land, I am obviously quite heavy on my right foot compared to my left. 
Cushioning wise they are good, I can do my 5 - 12km runs in them and the feet still feel fresh at the end. 

I would perhaps like a little more strength or firmness in the sole as I get a little underfoot muscle tension after the occasional run - perhaps these are a good training tool, rather than the race day beast I thought. Having said that I'm trying to get more track work into my routine and these are great for my speed work. 

If you like the sound of them, I'm part of Wiggles affiliate program, so why not head on there via my link and check them out :)

Cheers and happy running, Lachie

Run Natural with This Fish - Get 10% discount at www.barefootinc.com.au  with  fish10

Geelong Half Marathon - April 2013

Well, so you've been hanging by a thread, waiting for these results. They're in... But first you have to re-run the 2013 Geelong Half Marathon with me. 

Firstly, a little note for my international readers (or Western States). 

Day light savings: A system used in Eastern Australia to extend the 'usable' daylight hours in Summer. How? Turn the clocks forward an hour in December to make the 'daylight' seem longer during the day. 

Last night it ended, so at 3am it became 2am, or at 10 pm if you're like us it became 9 pm again. So this race was looking good as we already had a sleep in. 

6 am this morning the alarm went off and Em and I got out of bed, showered, had breaky and race ready, sorted out and played with the 2 year old for a bit and at 7:00 drove into Geelong for the 8 am start. 

The set up was good. Ample parking, a quiet (music free) but good vibe. A big kudos to the Geelong Cross Country Club for their organisiation of this 25th Geelong Half Marathon. After a warm up run, some dynamic stretching and seeing 7:55 we were ready to roll. 

Meet the Inov-8 roaf range: Blue 150s, Black 155s, Red 233s

My shoe of choice was the 4km old Inov-8 Bare X lite 150. I must say in the Blue and Red they look awesome. Why the 0mm drop racing flats? And why break the no untried equipment in a race rule? To be honest, if it were a trail race I would not think twice about wearing the 0mm drop Inov-8 Trailroc 235s. The Bare X - Lite 150 actually have an additional 4mm of stack height and padding (7mm total) compared to all my other Inov-8 shoes, so I was confident that they would serve me well. I was actually looking forward to a little more underfoot cushioning.  As I'd had my crazy sick day in bed on Tuesday and half of Wednesday I also made decision to run with the Camel Pak for extra hydration. Later dad would tell me that I'd given myself a 2-3kg handi-cap. If his race horse had been given an extra 3kg and blown to 12-1 odds, there's no way his money would be on it...

Back to the race. I'm finding races have two sorts of starts. One is super organised, elites and waves in corals behind the ropes and everyone toeing the line. 

Not this one. Today we were read the race advice, heard from Mayor and then moved down to the start line. By the time I wished Em best of luck, got into the early runners mix it was 'go!'. 

I call this start the 'keep them hanging around for a while and then 'bang' let them go approach'. This approach I'm not as keen on. 

So I took off, running under a revised 'B-B' race plane (Thanks Stan for the Post last week). B-B being Body and brain. Listen to the body and let it dictate the pace and feel. Listen to the brain - go harder if you can or are the signs telling you to slow down?

I went off at a comfortable pace and rounded the corner for the initial lap of the Common. A nice cruisy 4:25 pace on the footy ovals and grass. I let the body dictate and this meant passing a few and letting a few pass me by - 21kms can change a lot of things. 500m wasn't going to win it for me. The 1:30 paceman came and went - if I was going to get him I'd have to do it later.

As we finished the common and were guided onto the running track I struck up  with another runner and my usual run and chat routine began. She had run some 10s and was training well and this was her first half. She was hoping to run sub 1:40 and I was happy to do the same. We were running a steady 4:27-4:35 pace and were situated well. The field had spread and we were holding our form and race position. From here we ran past Landy Field (The legendary 'John Landy' aths tracks), on past the rowing houses and under the James Harrison Bridge. We discussed the racing line through corners, first and second 10km splits and had it all laid out. We were going to romp it in. 

The first 7km came and went - approx 33 mins and I was feeling great. At about 9km I took on a gel, more water and picked up speed. I so wanted to ignore the watch but a check said I was doing 4:28s-4:33s so I was happy with this. The course meandered along the river, it was very peaceful and calming. At bout 10k my race mate took off and I watched her race off into the distance. What ever gel she had, I want some :) 

From 11 it got tougher. The B-B plan was shaping up. I didn't need to look at the watch to know that I was slowing. I think my man-flu was still hanging about. That and there were a few little rises to deal with. At this point a few runners started to pass and keep ahead of me. At 14km I ran through the check point past the Pub and back down towards the river again. I was down to 4:55s and was losing my mo-jo. I had a few quick walk breaks and got back into the packs. Its funny. I should have been kicking my self and trying all sorts of psych ups but the body was telling me just to take it easy and plod on. I was not intentionally running slower but it was the only way forward. Time to listen to the body. 

As my total race pacing had now dropped to 5:00km average, I knew Em wouldn't be too far away. The 1:45 pace man came and went. I was eagerly looking for her but alas, she was not there with him. Runners came and went and there she was. Looking strong but I think she was glad for support (and very surprised to see me). While her goal was slipping away there was still some racing to be done. At this point we both beeped for 16km and we were ready to say enough. But no, we had to finish. Em was running better than me and I stopped for a quick walk and let her slip ahead. We played tiggy along the track for a while, she would run on ahead and I'd catch her again and we'd run for a while together. Em would slip ahead again and I'd catch her again. 

At this point my legs were feeling really heavy and I was considering my choice of shoes. Until now the Inov-8 Bare X-Lite 150s had been great - I was getting great feel off the track and was really aware of my form and it still felt strong. But at 18-19km I was really having to work hard. Was it harder than I would have worked with the Inov-8 Road X 233s or the Road X-155s that I could have worn? I'm not sure but I certainly had to work on my cadence and strides. (Ah hindsight - as I sit here the next morning my feet feel great. I've no calf issues no bruising or underfoot niggles. Big tick to the 150s).

Almost there...

With the last of the little hills behind us I caught Em at the 20km mark and we pushed on for home. This last section was flat and fast but seemed to take for-ever. I'm sure she was sick of me telling her she could do it and that it was almost finished and we're nearly there, but it certainly helped me get to the end. 

At 100m to go the watches beeped for one last time and like in all the great movies I grabbed her hand and we powered towards the line. We passed Grandma and Grandpa and the kids and crossed the line together - 1:48:01. We had came and conquered the 2013 Geelong Half Marathon.

Cruelly my race number 303 saw me finish in 345th and Em 346th. But, Em, you've done it. Your first half and you not only finished it, you finished almost as quickly as you dreamed. Any mum of two would be proud of that and I'm very proud of you!

So what should have been a fast course was the toughest half I've done yet and the slowest by 12 minutes. Still - man-flu can do that to you. I felt great for 9-10km but then just naturally lost the pace. I listened to my body and let it do what it wanted. There is always Puffing Billy next month to run and I can come back next year for another crack at it. 

I caught up with my running mate who was really happy to have finished in 1:35- 1:36. For someone who was running in her first half, a big congratulations. Sneaking a peek at her results I later found that she finished 2nd in her division and just just shy of sub 1:35. Nice work! Next time I'll have to stick with you. 

Lessons from today's run:
1. Man flu the week before a run really sucks.
2. Maybe the Camel Pak was a handi-cap? Carrying almost 3-5% extra body weight might not always work. Though I did appreciate having water on tap. I'll have to speak to my supporters about getting a water belt or some hand-helds for my next road/trail race. 
3. It's rest days on Monday and Tuesday before more hard and fast training starts on Wednesday. I've got a train to catch. 

Thanks to www.barefootinc.com.au - Get your Inov-8s there! 

Followers of This Fish can obtain a 10% discount with the code fish10.