My Final 2015 Salomon Trail Series race - Race Four, Anglesea

‘Righto, and just make sure you listen to Grandma and Grandpa’. These are the famous last words of a parent leaving the kids behind on their way to Race Four and the final race of the Salomon Trail Series down at Anglesea on Victoria’s majestic surf coast. 

Kid free!

After catching up and checking in with Coach Bec and the Generation Run crew, Emma and I made our way down to the starting line down on the main beach. One final happy snap was taken before our warm up started in earnest. At the moment, I can’t think of a better place to do my pre-race run throughs than along a surf beach. Sure the sand can make it a bit tough but then we were about to start a trail race…

Could I beat Steve? Is David here and will I place ahead of him? These were my final musings as the race began. We took off down the beach on the 200m out and back and the pace was pretty hot. I was content to let the top of the field do their thing and I settled into a good rhythm. We soon hit the steps and began the run alongside the caravan park and up to the trail. The pace was a comfortable 4:25 for the 1^st km and we soon hit the real trail.

Easing into a slightly quicker pace I enjoyed the little ups and downs of the 2^nd km and was able to slowly reel in some of the fast starters who were now starting to feel the pinch and slow down on the hills.  As we navigated the first of the single trail and hit the track that started the big climb I had my eyes set on those who were around me. Mr Red top and Young Waverly Aths lad were running well, there were a couple of ladies and Mr Ironman all within a couple of hundred meters. This 2^nd km was a quicker 4:18.

Finally the track broke open and over the road for a short blast be launching up the steps that took us up the long, winding hill behind the footy oval and to the high point of the course. This trail rose and rose, fell and twisted and rose some more. I was able to reel in Mr Red and one of the girls quite quickly while the others ran on. With each rise and turn they seemed a little closer and as the girls broke into a power hike I was able to move past them and focus on Ironman and Young Waverly. This was a gruelling km at a slower 5:46 pace, (But according to Strava the Grade Adjusted Pace was 4:23 min km) so I knew we were pushing it.

On the final rise I caught and passed Ironman, and put in a little spurt before he caught me again just before we hit the flat, winding, fast and fun section of single trail that lead us to the open land near the look out. Just as we broke out of the trail I passed Ironman for a final time and dug deep on the flat. In the distance I could see and reel in another runner and Young Waverly Aths lad was not too much further ahead. This 4^th km was a solid 4:21 pace through the trails.

Uh, your f$#@&!g kidding was all I could say as we hit the stairs that started the decent down and the Suicide sorry, Suunto Sprint down the rocky ‘stairs’. Waverly Aths and I hit the stairs together and I made my move, trying to use the side of the track as opposed to the rocks of death. He was hot on my heels and all I could think was that I hope he knows what he’s doing. It was also a little buzz running past the small group that had gathered there to watch the sprint. Km 5 was done in 4:46.

Right now was the time to dig deep, and I spent the next 2kms chasing Steve down, catching a glimpse of him at each rise or round the bends before losing him as the trail turned or dropped. Even though the trail was a steady drop towards the beach, you still had to make your own pace and I was nearing my limits. Every time I felt I had him covered, he seemed to pull away, it was a real cat and mouse race to the finish. #These last two kms were covered in 4:03 and 4:01 and before I knew it I was hitting the sand for one last time.

A smile through the pain

Try as I might, I couldn’t reel him in and damn, did that soft sand hurt. It was all I could do to keep pushing through to the finish, and when I finally hit the firm sand again just 200m from the finish I could let it all go. I was thrilled to cross the line in 35:21, almost a minute quicker than last year, and to run 6^th over the line was a rewarding finish to my winter training and the series.

As I regained my breath and waited for Em to finish I really got to enjoy the company and support of the Gen Run crew and to watch Em smash her goal time and finish in the top 40, and 8^th female gave me an immense feeling of pride and joy. The smile on her face is what running is all about.

So, while I didn’t quite pull off the two placings ahead of David that I needed to secure 3^rd for the series overall and divisional I loved every minute of the series and to finish 4th was a brilliant achievement. Thankfully the last race of the series was on the coast, in full sunshine and 20 degrees C weather. Gotta be happy with that! 

Series gear check:

Inov-8 f-lite 252, x-talon 190

Skins A400 compression tights, powershorts

Generation Run singlet

Suunto Ambit 3 HR 

Thanks again to Erica and Rapid Ascent for putting on the series and Baden @ Royal Bay Australia for the onsupport. 

My 145 BPM Heart Rate Training - Update 3 2015

Hello again my friends and running family. 

It's been almost 6 months since I commenced this seasons training, training using the Maffetone method of using my heart rate (180 - my age) as the measure of my consistency and effort levels. 

To make a potentially long blog shorter, I started using heart rate training in our Summer to monitor my effort levels and to train consistently regardless of heatwave or not, morning or night. For my EZ runs I run at 145 +/- 5 beats regardless of distance or elevation variance. 

Heart rate training works

I'm happy to share that I've reached a happy place. 

What have I learned in these six months? What have I gained? 

• The machine and the beast.

My EZ runs are where I am the machine. I focus on my form: Cadence, the POSE lean, relaxed hands and breathing - 3 in to every 2 out. Run like a metronome - 180 strides per minute, lift your knees and place the feet, landing midfoot. 

The HI sessions is where you run like a beast. You push the body to it's limits. Your breathing is labored and 2 in to 1 out if you manage, you drive forward with your knees and your arms push the momentum forward. These are the moments of the last kms of a race where you dig deep. 

• Consistency is king.

I was told at the Great Ocean Road Half Marathon that I was like a metronome - my pacing and cadence were that consistent. I've found that my EZ runs are almost like clockwork. At the given time of day, I find that I run at an average pace within 5-10 seconds per km. I have five routes that I like to use and on each one I have gradually brought down my average pace by about 5 seconds per km a fortnight over the last 6 months. 

• Time of day matters.

I had done a little bit of reading about using your circadian rhythm (the natural ups and downs of your heart rate and energy levels) to match your workouts to the appropriate intensity level. Last year nearly all of my running took place at about 6:15am in the morning and I had the luxury of almost any time of day on the weekend. 

This year I have needed to change my routine to running at 5:15am two or three days a week and one 5:15 - 5:30pm run of an evening. I also have the luxury of the weekend run at any given time. 

My reading suggested that EZ runs should take place early in the morning and your HI (high intensity) runs are best later in the day to match your circadian patterns. 

My am runs are generally run between 5:10 - 5:20 km pace. These are run after a warm up of 2x20 push-ups, 2x20 squats, 2x20 clams or calf raises. 

My pm runs have come down from an average of 5:15 pace to my most recent run at 4:38 pace. They hovered at 4:55-5:05 for last couple of months before I changed my weekly work out pattern. You can follow me on Strava to see what I do. 

I don't know what it is, but matching my HI to the evening has also helped my push my limits and hit speed and HR highs. 

• Intensity is vital

To race hard you have to train hard. I am in a happy place at the moment, with my 'flat' race time down to a very consistent 3:51-3:54 km pace. 

As I mentioned, I plateaued for a while. I think this was just before the start of the race season where I had been in the building phase and limited to 145HR runs for all sessions. Since reintroducing a weekly HI session selected from; hill sprints (up and down), Increasing HR pyramids to max and down to 145, Diminishing km tempo runs and uphill tempos I've seen my pm EZ times come down rapidly. I've put this down to getting the right mix of intensities. 

Train hard, race hard

• You've got to enjoy it!

Most importantly, I've loved each and every training session I've had. 

I love my EZ runs, and seeing the pm times come down is highly motivating. I also really look forward to my weekly speed sessions where I can unleash and really run. 

With another two Salomon Trail series races to come and the City2Sea as a minimum on the race calendar I will continue to follow my HR training through to the end of the year. Make sure you follow along to see where my EZ pace ends up (or down if I'm getting it right). 

Happy running 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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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. 

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

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

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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