2014 Salomon Trail Series - Race 1 Studley Park

Standing at the start, race 1 of the #SalomonTrailSeries. I was toeing the line, my heart was pumping. The morning chill kept us in check, the perfect testing ground for my STRYDA compression

The hooter went and we took off. I settled into a quick rhythmic stride and worked my way into the lead pack. What was my pace? Earlier in the week I had made the choice to run ‘nude’ no gps, no foot pod and no heart rate monitor. Pure running, feeling my way with each step.

#bitumenisboring - but you gotta get to the trail!

RUnning quickly, we found our stride and shook off the last of the #bitumenisboring before hitting the gravel path. We were soon to find out that sometimes you have to just trust your own course knowledge...

Don’t always follow the marshals lead, as a dud steer lost the leaders precious seconds they were directed straight on as we took the first left around the ovals. ‘Run fair!’ was the cry, and those that trusted our own navigation slowed the pace and let the pre ‘glitch’ order return. From here though, it was game on.

Legs feeling great, I pushed the pace and played a little game of cat and mouse as we ran past the river along the first of the trails.

wE returned to the road before a quick right hander lead us along a double trail/ well-worn track back upto the swing bridge. At this stage I was feeling great and pushed the pace a little.

Yikes! The sway of the bridge and dodging the foot traffic added to the thrill and sent the heart rate racing. One sharp left and we were onto the real trails – these were the twists and turns that I had signed up for.

Passing one or two more runners, I was feeling the pinch and slowed just enough to keep on the tail of those in front. The pace was slowly building as the finish line drew closer.

As we neared the final switchback, the lead runner seemed to be only a few hundred meters ahead. I had to ask myself, ‘would I be able to reel them in?’ I pushed on, daring to dream a little dream.

A Right onto another variation of the trail and under bridge, you could hear the #SuuntoSprint timers buzzing away. I flicked the switch and made my

move, one final burst.

My cheeky #SalomonSelfie

Kicking into sprint mode I passed two more and powered home, almost coming unstuck on some slippery grass. With the final surge I crossed the line in a 5k PB of 19:04 and in 11^th position. I’d later find out I had the 10^th quickest #SuuntoSprint for the day and come 5th in my age category.

So, time to hit the hills and fine tune things before race two at Lower Plenty. If you're keen to come for a run in the Dandenongs, look me up on Facebook and say hello.

Till next time, The Fish

http://www.stryda.com.au/

My 2014 Salomon Trail Series - Training to run faster

Perfect for learning to run fast!

While I enjoyed the challenge of the Great Ocean Road Marathon and the Salomon ‘medium’ Series last year, I have shifted my focus to the ‘short’ series in this year’s Rapid Ascent 2014 Salomon trail series.

This means a shift in training focus, and I’m really excited by it. In the last few months I’ve been running more and more at the Silvan Reservoir, 10 minutes from home.

Why? It is a trail runner’s playground. Aside from the dozens of fire access and widened walking trails, there are mountain bike and single trail tracks everywhere. Some are 200 – 300m short cuts, others are 2-4k stretchesthat run parallel to the main trails or wind back and forth, doubling back on themselvesas the wind up (or down) the hills.

So, while I’ve enjoyed running these tracks at a leisurely pace, it’s time to get serious on the shorts. What these trails provide is perfect for learning to run faster, to build speed and power. To run more quickly for the 5-7km races at the Salomon Trail Series.

There are 4 or 5 ‘hill’ climbs I plan to include in my new high speed, threshold interval training. Two are just brutal, roughly 20-30% inclines for about 500/600m. These will be my threshold, wind sprint runs that will build stamina and leg strength. The Threshold runs will be just hitting them at a hard pace and running until my lungs or legs give up. The Wind sprints are still a hard run, but more sustainable as the plan is to get to the top. What about the other hills you ask? These are two of my favourite tracks.

Threshold runs up this!

Both are about 800m - 1000m long and they are a steady, gradual climb that double back, have sharp twists and turns, logs to leap and shrubs to duck and weave through. These tracks will be my threshold runs as well, how fast can I get to the top. Likewise, these are where I’m going to run hard and fast downhill. I’ll be learning to run at speed, through the twists and turns and controlling my descent. Last year this is where I held close to the lead pack. This year it will be where I will challenge them. Rapid Ascent have already given us a heads up about the 2014 Salomon Trail Series on our Facebook Page – make sure you include hills in your training.

I’ve also discovered about ½ a dozen trails that wind around the base of the hills. These have incredible twists and turns, undulating ups and downs and surprises around each corner. One is an amazing loop, about 800m long that just twists and turns and heads you back on yourself every 70 – 100m. One word, FUN! (Go on, follow this link, my vid will show you what it's all about!) So, these trails will be the basis of my ‘on the flat’ intervals. Again, I’ll try to run them from point to point as fast as I can. I’ll be learning to run faster through using a quick cadence and fast feet transitions.

I’m hoping to improve my stamina at speed and power through the hills to improve my overall pace. Running on the trails adds the extra element of core body control and the lightning fast reflexes required on technical trails. I want to bring my ‘road’ 5k time down to sub 19, with a dare to dream time of sub 19 over 5 k on the trails at some stage in the series (ok, so as long as it’s not a hill climb course).

I’ll compliment this with an 8-11k easy run on Tuesdays, and 200-500 interval sessions either on the Treadyvals or at the track, weather permitting as we head into winter.

Be sure to check in here and follow the weekly updates on Facebook. I’m starting from a 19:10 for the 5K basis, let’s see where I can hit by the middle of September. As always, I’d love to hear if you’ve changed things up for a new season, or have you a tip you can share with the community?

Cheers, Lachie

2014 Great Ocean Road Marathon

You know you want to...

One of the most scenic drives in the world is Victoria’s’ Great Ocean Road. Stretching over 240 kilometres from Torquay to Allansford, it takes in some stunning coastline. There are serene beaches, breathtaking cliff top views and dozens of little coastal towns and holiday destinations.

Once a year this majestic road is closed off to traffic and opened up for our enjoyment through the Great Ocean Road Marathon. Other events on offer are the Half Marathon, a 14k and 6k event and the kid’s dash. This year I was running the 23km Half Marathon from Kennett River to the event finish line in Apollo Bay. Yes, 23km.

We had booked to stay in Lorne for the Saturday night and our cabin at the caravan park was spot on. We were even granted the luxury of a late check out on the Sunday – perfect as we could come back and shower before the long drive home. Saturday afternoon was to be a rare one of peace and quiet. 

A river front cabin, with local kookaburra!

We checked in had a rare kid free afternoon - they were with the grandparents. We enjoyed coffee and cake overlooking the surfbeach, a walk up the Erskine Falls trail and carbo loading at the local Italian. 

My tummy had been rumbling all Saturday afternoon, and Sunday I woke at 4:00 am for a trip to the toilet. I tossed and turned until 5:15 when the alarm went off. I’ve been told I share too much, so let’s just say I think I was heading into the run on an empty tank. Breaky, a quick shower and stretch and by 6:15 we were in the car with Bec and Dan to the starting line in Kennett River. It was surreal driving down the Great Ocean Road at 6:30 in the morning, the procession of head and tail lights of the cars in front was mesmerising. To Bec and Dan, we loved dinner and a massive thanks for the lift down.

About 7:00am we reached the start and already the toilet queue was huge. The three ‘porta potty’ trucks just didn’t seem to be enough. By 7:30 I’d found Cam and Josie from team ThisFish and had great little chat about our race strategies before we were off for a quick warm up. 7:50 and Em and I headed to the line. My race plan was to run the first 2-3ks with Em and Bec and then move through the field, picking up places and pace as I went along. Well, 8:00 gun time came and went, and we were all scratching our heads as to why the delayed start. It seems the porta potty trucks just weren’t enough for the crowd... (an update, I've also heard that the marathon timing points were delayed in Lorne).

 

My earlier tummy issues seemed to settle and a calmness came over me. We’d been chatting to Bryan at the start and then it was time to run.

The first 1-3kms was amazing. Here I am, running on one of the greatest roads in the world with my wife by my side. Well, and a few thousand others! Em, Bec and I were amazed at how quickly the field had spread, as we could see the leading runners a few bends ahead of us. Our placement in the field was quite congested, you could see how it was thinning out near the lead.The pounding of feet soon became a rhythmic beat as we started up the first hill. We were running an ‘easy’ 5:00 min/k pace and I think I was talking too much. To my left were crystal clear seas with gently rolling waves. To the right, rising and falling hills and cliff tops. The first hill came and went, and the scenery was always changing. As we continued on our ways I saw Josie fly by. She was looking very strong.

At about 2 and a half kms in I said goodbye to Em and picked up the pace. The rad continued to rise and fall and came inland for a while. The bush seemed to close in over the road and at this point I picked up Cam and we ran together for a while. 5ks in and I was feeling really strong. I rarely take in the scenery, but today I made sure I looked to the left and the right. I don’t think I could have had a more perfect day. The seas were perfect, the gentle tail wind flowing out over the cliffs and rocks created the perfect waves, waves that seemed to roll forever. The road rose and fell and I was enjoying playing cat and mouse with quite a few runners. I’d pick them up on the hill and the down and they’d ping me back on the flats.

The sweeping corners always kept that next part of the road hidden, like a great trail run you never knew what was coming up next. I was hitting low fours on the descents, 4:30ish on the flatter parts and about 4:45 on the ‘climbs’. I have to say at this stage the run was one of my most enjoyable ever, as every corner game you a new section of coast and surf on the left and imposing cliffs, rolling hills or Aussie bush on the right.

At about the 15k mark my stomach started to play up again. I was feeling bloated and it was just churning away. I felt like I wanted to pull off to the side and empty my stomach. It came and went like the waves beside me but I couldn’t settle into a happy place. As we neared Skenes Creek I should have been elated, but honestly, I just wanted the end. My pace was dropping and I was pulling off to the side, breaking up the jogging with some quick walking.

With roughly 4ks to go, Em and Bec caught me up. I ran with them for a few hundred metres before wishing them all the best. At this point the camaraderie of the event really shone through. I lost count of the number of people that pulled me along. I’d run with them for a while, the watch them escape into the distance. I hit the half marathon timing point and knew that I was almost home. Soon it was Cam’s turn to catch up with me, and we were going to finish the run together. The last 2kms seemed to take forever. My energy had been zapped and I did what I could to get to the line. 

Running down the main street of Apollo Bay made the trip all worth it. The crowd was buzzing, and seeing Cam run the last few hundred with is little girl reminded me of why I started running and was the inspiration I needed to finish as strong as I could.

I soon found Em, who after sharing her concern for me was elated to have run 1:53. 

Regular readers will remember my running in-laws. Bec was the first female over the line and the always improving Steve smashed a sub 1:35. Happy days for the family.

So, while I was over the line in 2:00:30 and a long way from where I wanted to be, I am proud to be writing this.

I ran the race I wanted. After hearing of David’s slow and steady start strategy at 2 Bays, I took the start of the run easy. It was difficult watching so many people head out and ‘leave us behind’ but I did it. And, I was not going to miss out on the running with my Em on one of the world’s best courses. I had wanted to be that runner that just picks and weaves through the field and I did, for a good ¾s of the race. I ran the way I wanted and it felt good.

So, as I type I am questioning if I’ll do it again next year. For now, I’m hanging up the distance shoes and shifting my focus to the short and sharp 6-10k trail events. I’m looking forward to training shorter yet harder. I’ve got a whole trail runners paradise to explore around Silvan and I’m going to make it my home. 

I'll leave you with one more magical photo as I sign off for now. 

Happy running!

It caught our eye on the way home!

Big Forest Run April 2014

Fast, furious and fun. That’s how I’d describe the first 9kms of the Big Forest Run, an 18km trail run that I ran in on Saturday 19 April, 2014.

The BigForest Run was a new event for 2014, and it was held pretty much in my backyard. Two distances were offered. You could tackle 42kms from the start, just out of Powelltown, an old mining town in the Yarra Valley, Victoria. Or for me, it was the 18kms from Starlings Gap to Warburton.

I entered this on a whim, it fell on a vacant weekend and the location and event distance seemed perfect. So, after checking the event details and mandatory equipment list (more to come) I signed up.

Event morning came and I checked in.  I was surprised to see an open book with a check list – your name and proof that you had the mandatory equipment of: 1.5l water carrying capability, high-vis vest, beanie, thermal tights and top and a good quality rain jacket. I was surprised as although the weather was a little overcast and cooler (11 C) it was not too harsh. Listening in on other conversations around the room, when you hear that in some sections of the track help could take over an hour to get to you in case of an accident. Suddenly the gear makes a lot of sense. 

I was soon found by Lauren, a fellow Dandy Trail Runner and we chatted away for the next 45 minutes until the bus left for the starting point: Starlings Gap. 

Beanie and jacket not needed

A long story short, the bus was full of atmosphere and it was getting me excited. The scenery the way was breathtaking. We arrived at the start with about 10 minutes to spare. A quick dash behind the trees was a common sight as nerves hit in and we gathered at the start. The event organisers gave us a final briefing, again reminding us of the need for the mandatory gear before the go.

The run started with a short 200m up the road before we turned off onto the Yarra Trail track. If you have a little #traillove in your veins, this is the track for you. The pace was fairly hot, and seemed even more so given the condition of the track. Here’s what we were expecting: 9kms of great trail, gentle downhill. 

A very cool atmosphere It was certainly great single trail, although the recent rains made the track incredibly slippery. Throw in tree ferns lining the track at just at or above head height and a few fallen trees to jump, duck and weave through and this was the scariest run I’ve even undertaken. I love my single trail, but every stride had to be perfectly planted, every duck or weave perfectly timed, every reflex sidestep counted. It was fast, furious, fun and frightening.  A flash of pink as you flew by! I had gone out with the lead pack and it was very tight for the first 6 or so kms. These conditions suited me to a tee. As the track opened up a little more the leaders were able to pull away. I too passed a few more runners and was happy with my position. Although the lead pack now pulled away, I was confident that no-one behind me was going to trail me. The track began to widen and dry out and we hit the Big Pats Picnic Area, check point 1 for us but check point 3 for the marathoners. From here we were expecting about 4kms of gentle uphill, and to run through an old tram cutting, from the saw mill days. So, after two short flights of stairs and a couple of turns the trail continued. This was a lovely single track section and I was able to reel in another runner. Through his admission the hill had cooked him. I had to grit my teeth and continue on. It was a gradual climb and it was tougher than I anticipated. I hit the cutting which was really cool. It was about 1m wide and you felt really closed in. It didn’t last long and I was again running through open bush. I wanted to take a walking breather but didn’t want to give up my position either, so I pushed on. At this point I was running by HR, which was hitting about 170BPM. 170 BPM puts me in the 80%+ zone so I monitored my pace to keep this in check. At the end of the track we hit Big Pats Creek Road and I got a glimpse of the runners ahead of me. Spurred on, I hit the road and rode out the downhill section. From here, they always seemed to be just at the next bend, or over the next rise. The runner ahead must have sensed me, and kept checking back after each rise or bend. He too was just behind the lead pack. I could see them and it felt good. My legs were starting to feel heavy and the finish seemed to be no-where in sight. The road rose and fell, curved to the left and right. Each little spurt I put in to peg him back he was able to get at the next bend. It was real cat and mouse. I’m sure he was thinking the same with the runners ahead. After what seemed an eternity, we finally turned into Riverside Drive, Warburton. In the distance I could see my family and it was what I needed to get me through. My hips were talking and the quads and hammies heavy. I must have looked like a loon waving to them, but I eventually got a wave back from my little lady and mum. Emotions are funny things, and this recognition almost started a wave of tears, but I smiled through it. 400m, 200m, 50m. I charged down that road and hit the turn off into the paddock and the last 25m to the line. My little boy was waving and cheering through the barb wire fence – “move back!” were my internal thoughts, but ‘hello’ was what he was told. I could see Mrs Fish to the side and I dug deep to power over the line.  Pain, relief, surprise and crazy happiness were the emotions running on. I was stoked to finish 6th, as I was secretly aiming for a Top 10 finish. I was about a minute behind 5th place (or a good curve in the road) and 7th was about 4 minutes behind me. That perceived pressure certainly spurred me on and helped my time.  I had hoped to run about 1:15, so I was really happy to have nailed 1:14:29. The Big Forest Run was a great event, and I was stoked with my results. Could the event be improved? Yes. A little more organisation was needed at the finish area. My family were there early and they weren’t set up. In fact, my fam took a run into Warburton to kill time and they still weren’t ready for the first runners as they finished. I think our pure speed on the trails caught them off guard :) Personally, I’d also like a 2 or 1km marker near the end. Sometimes you just need to get home, other times you want to know if you’ve enough time to run down another place. Will I be back? Yes sir e. I’d love to do it all again. And, it seems like the Big Forest Run (Check out their photos!) will be back in November! Cheers once more, Lachie

Follow the trail running tips and banter, training and 
achievments @ www.facebook.com/Thisfishcanrun

The Silvan Trails - Why I love running!

A picture is worth a thousand words... Please enjoy my most recent morning run!

Follow the trail running tips and banter, training and 
achievments @ www.facebook.com/Thisfishcanrun

Yarra Ranges Athletics Club - 5km Lillydale Lake Race

My first medal! Please allow me to indulge... 

Woohooo! Right, now that I've got that out of the system I can write up my race report.  

Sunday 6 April turned on the perfect weather for a 5km race. Normally two laps around Lillydale Lake is a comfortable 5km run. The trail is nice and flat bar a little rise if you go clock-wise around the lake. 

So, as having posted previously my desire to run a sub 20, sub 19 5km run I was feeling pretty good, and a little nervous. 

I had the inov-8 f-lite 252s laced up and was set to go. My amazing wife and kids came down with me and after I registered she took the kids off to the park for a play as I did a lap of the lake as a warm up. 

There must have been some nerves, as my HR was sitting around 165 - 170 BPM as I trotted around the lake at 5:15 to 5:30 pace. This was quite unexpected, but it had settled down to 145 BPM by the time I found the family back at the start line. 

After a few minutes delay, we set off at about 9:33. The plan was to hit out at around 4:00km pace. A few hundred meters in and a quick check of the watch and I was moving fairly quickly. The pace was closer to 3:45 but I was happy with that. The field was quite varied: Some younger, mid to late teens from the athletics club, some serious looking folk and the rest of us. I managed to pick and weave through the field and settled in somewhere near the top 10. 

Normally when you run the lake, you run the lake, but we turned left and onto the grass towards the main road.

A series of twists and turns, very nice!

We hit the first of the rises and this is where I picked up the pace a little and left the pack and slotted into 4th. I was running at a steady pace, and really used the slight downhill to pull away from the runners behind me. The lead runner mind you was doing exactly the same to me! We doubled back to the lake and followed it true for about 250m or an 1/8th of a mile before peeling to the right and up the hill be the edge of the lake estate fence line. The next 800m or so was a gradual uphill slog, and running through the grass made it all that much harder. The runner ahead of me stayed just out of reach, but I was happy to keep him in my sights. 

As we finished the paddock circuit and hit the lake track again I was starting to hit my limits. I was at a steady 4:05/4:10 pace as we tackled the km or so of rising gradient at the backside of the lake. Concentrating on my breathing I pushed on, slowly pulling away from the runner behind me. As we neared the 'wall' section of Lillydale Lake the course took us down to the off-lead play area for the local dogs and back onto the grass. We skirted along the park boundaries, ducking and weaving through the trees, just above my short head height. A short pinch took us back to the track before the hard hit of Hospital Hill. I managed to sneak a peek back behind me and saw that the runner behind me was about 75m away. I leaned into the hill, focused on the POSE lift and drop ad powered up the hill. I could hear the Marshall behind me giving him a spur on and the directions as I hit the downhill, about 100m of relief. 

From here you normally follow the track, but again we were diverted through the trees onto a very short single trail type track. Great fun! 

Busting through the trees I saw the 4km sign, the HR had to be sky-high as the end was sort of insight. No, we were again diverted half way up the hill in a bit of a zig zag before running onto the 'beach' area, which created about 250m of sand. This was brutal. It sounds simple but it was hard work and certainly slowed the pace. I had to chuckle at the tourists I heard nattering away. It sounded like they were encouraging me but they may have been very animatedly discussing the beautiful weather. 

Finally I reached the end of the sand and was allowed a short section on the path before again being direct onto the grass and away from the finish. Damn you! One final U-turn and I almost started on the 10km second loop before a marshal asked me what distance I was running. 5k I signalled, the breath was rapidly running out at this stage. 'This way' was her response and I made a quick turn into the right area. With 200m to go I found that little extra and headed for home, giving it my all. 

Powering home...

 I saw the family and allowed myself a big smile and a wave of relief washed over me as I crossed the line. 20:36 and I was told I had run in 3rd. I was honestly completely surprised by this as I was sure that I was 4th or 5th. 3rd place, it was an Athletics club run, I was not expecting this.  

We hung around for the 1/2 an hour or so that it took for the presentations and I was able to chat to Rohan, the race director for Two Bays and the Roller-coaster runs that I had also loved. 

Waving to the kids of course :)

I heard that the winner was about 90 seconds or so off his usual 5km time, so we were justified in saying that it was a tough course, and it was. I'd say nearly 75% was run on grass, where you have to work that little bit harder to keep the pace. There were hills at every turn and even sand. For those of you that run the lake, we have a real trail run right on our doorstep. You just have to think, and look outside the square, or at least off the man-made paths. 

A big shout out to the Yarra Ranges Athletics club for their organisation of the day. The course was well marked, the course was run between little orange and green markers and clearly signposted when you needed to turn. All the marshals had a smile on their face and were full of encouragement. 

And for the stats... My ave HR was 180BPM, right up there in the 90% plus range, with a peak of 193. My recorded max is 197. My average pace was 4:09. This was a little slower than anticipated, but given the actual course layout I was stoked. 

Well, finally I've done it. I've finished on a podium. Next up is a Skins A400 

Vs 2XU Elite tights review. Stay tuned and keep moving. 

Cheers once more, ThisFish

Where have you been fish?

Looking back at the blog it's been a while between swims/drinks/posts. So where has the fish been? 

Work has been extra busy, so that takes up time. The kids are starting school and going through some emotional growth. All this means that by the time i sit down at night it's a whole lot later that I really want it to be. 

Sadly, it's the blog that's had to give. 

In between real life I've been enjoying the trails on a regular basis. I've been running the tracks with the Dandenong Runners, running for about an hour and a half most Sundays. Sometimes it's been longer, other times shorter. We've hit the tough hills and the easy tracks. All of it has been a blast. Now that I'm back at work I've been working on my tempos and HIT sessions around the streets and at the track.

Unfortunately I missed this years RollerCoaster run, something I was really looking forward to but work had to take precedence. By all accounts it was a cracker of a day - cool and overcast which saw fast field and the course record smashed. 2015, I'll be waiting patiently for you roll on. 

In more exciting news the Lillydale Athletics Club is running a 5km 'Cross country' race this Sunday, 6 April. It promises to be a great event, especially as it is a modified course around the Lillydale Lake. 

I'm entering with a modified, possibly odd race plan. I'm going to hit the lake early, and do 2.5km 'lap' of the lake as my warm up, hopefully hitting the start line just before the gun. 

Why? I've been experimenting a little, and I've found I can run harder and longer with a good warm up? My goal is to warm up and hit the race running. I want to start with a 4:00 min/k and then progressively speed up to finish the last at a 3:15 pace. I've set myself a sub 18:30 goal, and I feel like this is the formula to make it happen. 

Well, all going well I'll be reporting back soon enough. Schools out next week, that means more me time! 

Cheers for now, Lachie, AKA ThisFish

Two Bays 2014 - The epic run

2:38:01 was my target time, the time to beat from last year. 2:34:28 was the time that ticked over on the clock as I passed over the line.

I had set myself the goal of running under 2:30 and I fell just shy. Was I disappointed, yes I was. Was I stoked to beat last years’ time? Yes I was.

This year I had set out to conquer the 28km ‘Short Course’ of the Two Bays Trail run. I had trained under the guidance of last year’s  3^rd placing female – Bec from Staying Power Fitness and went into the race feeling confident. Since February last year I have been running with the Dandenong Trail Runners up and down Mt Dandenong and along the surrounding trails. I was fitter, faster and stronger. Or so I thought…

The night before I'd prepped my gear and all that was missing was the race bib. At 4:40 I was picked up by Peter, 5:05 We met Ben and hit the road for the drive down to Dromana for the start. 

This fish is alive!

If you’ve read last year’s recap you’ll know that this is a tough run. The big challenge is the 1000ft climb in the first 3kms (sorry about the ft/km thing). My race strategy was to go out easy but be within the top 100 through the first checkpoint and then come home strong.  So, at 7:00am we set off. I took off with the field and settled into a 4:40km pace and felt good. Others were shooting past me, I rolled on past a few. The field settled and we started the climb just after the first km ticked over. I tried to drop back the pace and according to the HR was doing about 150 – 160 BPM. This was a comfortable pace and I felt comfortable as we hit ‘the hill’. I dropped into a slower jog and began the climb. I felt strong and was picking up places in the field. I had to hold myself back and allowed a few short walks to try and keep the HR from spiking to highly. 

Locals were long gone before I got here...

Enjoying the descent - l really like the POSE form in front of me

As we hit the top of the climb the trail became the free flowing single track that I was looking forward to and we were able to move along at a fun pace.  With all the training under my belt, it seemed a lot easier and far more enjoyable than last year. It was over too quickly. It was as I started the descent down the trail via the fire tracks that I think I made my mistake. I got talking (as you do/if you can call it that) with a couple of other runners and got sucked into running quicker than I should. I also think it was here that I also tried to hold back a little with my technique and took some early impact through my hips that would come to haunt me later.

The amazing volunteers!

Upon reaching the bottom we headed out through one of the first check points and were eagerly greeted by the ‘vollies’ who are what makes this race what it is. Each check point was manned by the most amazing crews – clowns, beach goers, top hats and more. The cheers and encouragement they gave lifted your spirits and reminded you why you were here. Yes, this race is a challenging one but the people behind it are one of a kind.

Roads became trails, trails became bush and boardwalks which became short sections on roads which ultimately lead us out onto the beach track to Bushrangers Bay and the fabled lighthouse (or the Lighthouse at the end of the tunnel as reminded at the 25km marker).

I really enjoyed the first 19 – 20 kms of the run. I was able to run freely through the bush single tracks, pushed up a few of the roads and loved trailing people on the gradual downhill segments. My increased fitness and form really allowed me to enjoy the scenery that was on offer and camaraderie of this event.

At 20 – 21km it again went pear shaped, and memories of last year came back to haunt me…  I’m not sure why, fatigue most likely but I started to struggle with my hips. At first it was a niggle, but it steadily grew stronger or more persistent as the run drew on. FRUSTRATING!! Cramps I could deal with, but this put me into preservation mode. So, once again the last 5km were a combination of the walk/run/scream/shuffle that I finished with last year. I did manage to run more of the final components of the race a little more strongly than last year and seeing the wife and kids at the finishing line made it all worth it.

Finding some form as the end is in sight...

And done!

Some of the Dandy Runners

Will I do it again? I’m pretty sure I have some unfinished business with this event, and Mrs Fish is fairly keen to run it for herself.

2015 is looking like a goer! 

Finally, a huge thank you to Steve at fstop 5 @ http://www.fstop5.com/ for allowing me to use their photographs. Amazing work guys!

And last of all, if you like what you've read, keep up with the training, the little bits of inspiration and the community chat via the ThisFishCanRun Facebook page.

Using the power of positive thinking!

What is positive thinking? Is it just a saying? Is it a source a faith?

For me, positive thinking is hope. It’s also a little bit of your dreams. It’s a source of strength and self-belief. And, it’s going to get me flying across the line at Two Bays on Sunday, 12 January.

I’ve spent the last 4 months training for this event – 28kms of mixed terrain of trail and back road, including a 1km elevation climb in the first 3kms.

Now that it is less than a week away I’ve got to that nervous/anticipatory stage of the build-up. Last year I enjoyed the run, this year I want to go out there and beat it. And beat it I will, by using a little more positive thinking power and drawing on myself belief.

To diverge just once more, just a tiny little bit, I want to delve deep into my memories to a professional learning conference I did when my Fiancée, now wife and I attended while teaching in Birmingham in 2003. I forget the name of the course and what it was really about, but one thing I took away was self-belief cards. 

Self-belief cards are little post-it notes that you write a positive on, and slip under your pillow. The idea is that you look at them before nodding off, and then look at again first thing in the morning. I used them for about 2 days after the conference and that was that.

Now, in the lead up to Two Bays, I’ve resurrected the idea. Why?

It came to me after jumping on the Dandenong Runners Facebook Group. We were discussing the planned runs for the weekend and I posted one that was perhaps a little ambitious. But, the support from my peers and friends and the many conversations I’ve had while running with them over the last 6 months made me believe that I could do it. “With the form your in Fish, you and XXXX are about the only ones that I know that’ll do it.” Anyway, Sunday came and Nigel and I went out and ran that course. I got 50m from the top of one of the most challenging hills in the Dandenongs and completely blew away another track that I'd never completely ran. Nice work Fish. 

I know I can achieve more than I have done previously. Saying that, I’ve had some amazing runs this last year and I am very proud of what I’ve done. But, there’s always been that little nagging doubt about if I’ve really achieved what I’ve set out to do?

So, this race will be different. Next to my bed is a little arm chair, perhaps to hold a mobile (cell) phone in. Right now it has ½ a dozen belief cards on it, which I look at each time I head into my room. Here they are:

1.         Master yourself - Time to prove what others believe!
2.         Master the hill, run a negative split! 
3.         You will run a 4:30 pace! 
4.         You have the determination to hit your goal time – you will do it! 
5.         You will run with who you want, when you want. 
6.         Your body is a temple; it’s ready to serve you. 
7.         Enjoy the occasion, you’ve earnt it!

Well, I’ve a Fartlek session left and an easy 6-8k tempo run to run before smashing it out on Sunday.

With the power of positive thinking this Fish can run!

What gets you through a run? 

Two Bays training - My approach

While I've been having fun running around in the 2XU Compression socks, there's also been some serious training going on. 

A challenging 28km Two Bays Trail run is only a calendar month away. The nerves are starting to bubble about, as is the growing excitement of a return race. A return race? Have you been injured? What are you returning from? It's a return race because I have some demons to beat from last years run.  

While I loved the run last year, I cramped up and hit the wall at about the 22km mark. I had ran at a hard but comfortable pace up until then before my quads and calves met Mr Lactic and his friend Mr Acid. 

With 6 kms to go I had to revert to the run-walk-run walk method to finish the run. Yes, I was stoked with my 2:40 time, but now I'm hungry for more. 

I'm hungry for more pace. I'm hungry for a stronger finish. I'm hungry for a finish closer to the single digits. 

So what have I done differently this time round? For a start I had some professional technique coaching done in July this year. I feel a lot stronger with my running and a lot more efficient. 

I've also been training under my amazing Sister-in-law, Bec from Staying Power Health and Fitness Coaching. 

Running under a program devised especially for Thisfish, Bec has introduced me into a wide variety of run session throughout the week. 

My LSD or EZ (slow) runs have been a mix of pure trail running with the Dandy Runners ranging from 75 - 120 minutes as the last three months have built. I've been running over a variety of terrain with a couple of flat half marathon distance runs at my 150BPM Heart Rate training zone. 

My Tempo runs have started to really push me. Bec has had me running between 8-12kms once a week at paces varying from 4:30 min/k down to 4:00min/k or my own 'predicted' or 'wishful' race pace. If you want torture, try the 5 x 2km builds. Start at 5:00 or 4:45min km pace and increase the speed by 15 sec/minute pace every 2km. I ended up running my last 2km at 3:45 pace. Ouch!

I have done Wind Sprints - think about finding the steepest possible hill that is at least 2.5km or about 1.5 miles long and then run it for as long as possible at a the hardest sustainable pace. This is a killer on the legs but great for endurance.

She has introduced me to 1 - 1.2km hill circuit AMRAPS (As Many Reps As Possible) that last for 30 minutes. Yup, start that first rep quickly and then realise that you have to do it again and again, and then squeeze one more rep in before the clock stops. 

Finally I have been loving my weekly or fortnightly track sessions. I have been able to get my sustainable 1km time down to 3:20 off 200m walking recovery. 
I've hit regular 2:50-2:55 800ms with 400m float recoveries. 

So, now to keep training smarter and that little bit harder for the next three weeks and get the right taper. 

Two Bays, I'm coming for you!

You can also follow the training updates and find all the stats and distances on my Facebook page: Thisfishcanrun Come and join the conversation!

Cheers, and I hope to see you out there or hear from you soon, 

Lachie