Indice dei contenuti per June - July 2018 in Trail Run

People often ask me why I do what I do, and how I measure my success, both as an individual and as head of Total Sport. My standard answer is always the same: “What’s your measure of success?” For me there’s a lot more to success than banking a tonne of cash, that’s not the reason you get into the game of sports event management. And if you don’t believe me, and there’s a few that don’t, ask anyone that puts on participation-based sporting events for a living! In my last column, I talked about getting clear and committing to being joyful and happy. What we do get, doing what we do, and something I am forever grateful for, is the privilege of being able to spend our time with…

I WAS ALWAYS TRYING TO PROVE I COULD BEAT MY BROTHERS. Gary Regtien It’s early on a Saturday morning when a figure emerges around the corner, dwarfed by the trees on either side of him, oblivious to the rise ahead, relentlessly moving forward. The face is one of determination, a look chiselled into him through years of taking on challenges most would yield to without hesitation. Age has taken its toll on his body, but he’s unmistakably athletic, lithe and built for running. Today, he’s alone, but most times he’ll have a faithful companion by his side, one of the Siberian huskies that have been his training buddies for about 25 years. To anyone who spends time at Riverhead Forest, north west of Auckland, his is a familiar figure: Gary…

Running has always been integrally woven into Adharanand Finn’s life, so much so, that the editor and freelance journalist has written award-winning books Running with the Kenyans and The Way of the Runner, with a third title – The Rise of the Ultra Runners – due to be published in 2019. This third book focuses on Finn’s journey into the world of ultramarathons. Adharanand Finn’s childhood could be considered unconventional by many. Born in London to “hippy” parents, Finn was given his first name as a sign of respect to their Indian guru. Derived from Sanskrit, it means ‘eternal bliss’. His early years were spent living in communes and caravans until his transient parents chose a more settled existence in the English town of Northampton, which lies approximately 100 kilometres…

Athlete LEAH ANSTIS Age: 30 Lives: Auckland, New Zealand Past races: 2013 St James Stampede, Tarawera Ultramarathon 60km, The West Coaster 35km 2014 XTERRA Auckland Series, Squamish 50 mile 2016 Taniwha Marathon (1st woman, 3rd overall) 2017 Whaka 100km: mountain bike , Old Ghost Road Ultra 2018 XTERRA Rotorua half marathon, T42 48km: mountain Bike Coach JAMES KUEGLER Occupation: Doctor of Chiropractic, coach James says: Leah Anstiss has been a good example of how to fit training around other priorities in life. When our focus needs to be elsewhere, how do we ensure that we continue to train and get resu lts? James Kuegler: Leah is an athlete that I had a lot to do with from 2012 through to 2014, and we enjoyed success and a sound progression together.…

Crazy was a phrase often heard as New Zealand’s first ultra-staged run, the Back Country Cuisine Alps 2 Ocean Ultra, which travelled 322 kilometres from Mt Cook in the Southern Alps to the coast at Oamaru in North Otago. Crazy said some of the runners, crazy muttered the locals. Crazy maybe, but inspired and amazed onlookers and locals agreed that the ultra-event that took over parts of the Mackenzie Country and North Otago in late February and early March was something pretty special. Just how special was highlighted by the fact that that Alps 2 Ocean sold out in October and is already quickly filling up for next year. Clearly word of the quality and unique nature of the event has begun to filter out and spread around the world.…

Fascia falls into the broader category of connective tissue that has two major protein compounds: collagen and elastin. Collagen is the cement that holds everything together, while elastin is the stretch-and-spring-back part of ligaments and skin. Both can be easily damaged by inflammation. Having or avoiding certain foods and including supplements can help to nourish and strengthen the fascia and reduce inflammation. Gelatine Should be made from skin, connective tissue and/r bones of animals – not hooves! It contains collagen that your body can utilise. Collagen helps replace the synovial fluids between joints and can build and repair cartilage. It also has an anti-inflammatory action on chondrocytes by stimulating the production of type-two collagen in cartilage. Reduce carbs Sugar dehydrates tissues causing glycation, which is tissue hardening. Advanced glycation end…

1 ASICS GECKO XT TRAIL SHOES  AU$160, NZ$200 www.asics.com Asics – you have saved my sensitive feet with the wonderful Gecko XT trail running shoe. Trying these shoes on compared well to putting my feet into a pair of cosy, comfy and soft slippers – sheer bliss. Once on, I tested the Gecko XTs on some gravel paths and a few winding tree-root and branch-lined paths in a local bushland area. These lightweight shoes are surprisingly sturdy, and provide protection against the dreaded ankle rolling. The Gecko CT is remarkably lighter than the industry standard shoe. Its organic fibres bounce back into their original shape in the space of each stride, which provides perfect cushioning from the start of your run to the finish. Its gusseted construction prevents debris from…

If, after reading this, you are inspired to shoot for your own Worst Race Ever story, here are a few guidelines: 1 Set an inflexible time or place goal, ideally one that’s quite challenging and relies on you being at absolute peak fitness. 2 Flag doing the work needed to meet the above goal. She’ll be right. 3 Go out fast to get a good start. 4 Beat yourself up continuously if you fall short of your expectations. 5 Place a lot of emphasis on the expectations of your team or supporters too. 6 Take everything personally, including the weather, trail conditions, and that sheep that’s looking at you funny. 7 Focus on parameters outside your control, during the race and beforehand. 8 Ignore hot spots on the feet. 9…

MARCH IS THE MONTH WHERE IF IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN, IT WILL. I’VE CAUGHT PNEUMONIA, HAD A RAFT OF INJURIES, ENNUI, AND ALL THE HALLMARKS OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BURNOUT. March is my birthday month. I share my actual birthday with Brendan Canty, the drummer from Fugazi. For that reason alone it’s a truly auspicious date. It’s also approximately a week before, way back when, Mr G.J. Caesar esq. was accosted by a soothsayer on his way to the senate and told “beware the Ides of March”. Well, he didn’t, and 15 March 44 BC didn’t turn out the best for the bro – and you know what? The ides of March are usually a bit rubbish for me, too. Sure, I’ve never actually been stabbed to death like Caesar…

THE BEAR’S REAL NAME IS EVA, AND SHE WAS BORN ONE SUNNY AFTERNOON IN THE SUMMER OF 2017, ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THE TARAWERA ULTRAMARATHON, THE WONDERFUL REASON I SKIPPED THAT YEAR’S RACE. I have been running for 1 years now and, like anyone who takes up the shoes, I have experienced incredible highs and deep lows. In the dark hours, waking up before the day really began, there were two books in those early years that got me through and felt like my link to likeminded people on similar pointless and wonderful journeys. The first was Born to Run by Christopher McDougall – the inspiring, heroic tale of Caballo Blanco and the Tarahumara. The other was Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes. While Born to Run was a pinnacle in…

North Island June 3 Aurora Handicap Marathon, Upper Hutt, 42.2k, relays, road 3 Bay of Islands Running Festival & Paihia Half Marathon, Waitangi, 21k, 12k, 5k, 1k, road 3 Mount Runners Half Marathon, Mt Maunganui, 21k, 10k, 5k, 1k, road 9 Double Rainbow Trail Run, Rotorua, 42k, 25k, 17k, 10k, off-road 10 Dargaville Veterinary Centre Fun Run/Walk, 10.5k, 5k, road 10 Sri Chinmoy Auckland Series 2018, Auckland Domain, 21k, 10k, 5k, kids 2.5k, road 17 Hawke’s Bay Trail Run Series, 21k, 11k to 15k, 5 to 9k, off-road July 1 Gazley Volkswagen Wellington Marathon, 42k, 21k, 10k, 5k, kids magic mile, road 1 Hoka One One Tauhara Trail Run, Taupo, 21k, 10k, 5k, off-road 1 Women’s Half Marathon, Auckland, 21k, road 7 Fullers Greatsights Bay of Islands Beast, Paihia, 7k,…

FASTING ALONE IS MORE POWERFUL IN PREVENTING AND REVERSING SOME DISEASES THAN DRUGS … INTERMITTENT FASTING HELPS THE BODY TO REJUVENATE AND REPAIR, THEREBY PROMOTING OVERALL HEALTH.Associate Professor Satchidananda Panda (Regulatory biologist at Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego) Human beings have been around for about 200,000 years and apart from the last 5–10,000 years or so we have been nomadic, going without food for long periods and living in the elements. Our biology is pretty much identical to that of our ancestors, so our genetic code is hard-wired to go without food for short periods between times of plenty, and to cope with changes of temperature. Intermittent fasting (IF) is a term for an eating pattern that cycles between periods of eating and fasting. It is not a…

Mike McRoberts Occupation: Television journalist, news anchor, author When did you start running? In 2012 a met blind athlete, Mike Lloyd, who was training for the New York marathon that year and needed a guide. I started running with him, having never really run anything longer than about 15k. It was hard work but Mike was great company and it didn’t take me long to put my hand up to guide him in New York. That was the year of Super Storm Sandy and the marathon was cancelled two days before we were due to run it. It was incredibly disappointing but it also ensured that I kept up the running as we were both determined to go back the next year and do it. I’ve now run ten marathons…

“WE WERE SCARED AND VERY UNSURE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING.MY HUSBAND WAS ASKED IF MY AFFAIRS WERE IN ORDER, AS THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHETHER MEDICATION WOULD ‘FIX’ THE PROBLEM AND A HEART TRANSPLANT COULD BE A CONSIDERATION.” Just for a moment, put yourself in this pair of trail shoes: Lying in bed, your eyes loosely scope the ceiling. The house is silent now, with your husband at work and kids at school. Silent except for the voice inside your head that insists on reliving the events of recent weeks. The weekend before you had been enjoying the routines of a Saturday afternoon; sideline watching kids at footy and then home for some relaxation. But within hours the pathway of your life is completely rewritten, you’re admitted to hospital and undergo…

Situated two hours outside of Sydney, in the picturesque Blue Mountains, Ultra-Trail Australia has grown over its 11 year history to become the fourth biggest ultramarathon in the world. Renowned for both the beauty of the course and the brutality of its sections of stairs, UTA is a must-do event on the international trail and ultrarunning circuit. Its 2018 iteration took place between 17 and 20 May, and consisted of the 100km flagship event as well as a 50km, 22km, a 1km kids’ dash and a time trial on the Furber steps, one of the steepest sections on the course. Trail Runner: When did the seeds for the UTA get sown? And how long was it from thinking about putting the race on until the first event? Alina McMaster: We…

Picture this: you are lying on the table of your physio/osteo/massage therapist idly staring at the muscles on the anatomy chart while your therapist tries to figure out how to sort out your recurring injury. Focus in on the chart, and now cover each and every one of those muscles with a fine, sticky, spider-like mesh and then attach it to every organ, bone, nerve, artery and vein in your body from the top of your head all the way down to your toes. You may just have found the missing piece on the way to your recovery. That mesh is called fascia, and until very recently it was merely pushed aside to get to everything underneath it. Scientists now realise that it is involved in every movement your body…