Table of contents for December 2017 - January 2018 n15 in Trail Run

Sandymount, Otago Peninsula Where: 15km east of Dunedin Distance: Variable. Sandymount Loop Track is 2.5km taking in Lover’s Leap, the Chasm and Sandymount summit. Adding the Sandfly Bay track will give you another 4km and a bit more climb. Degree of difficulty: Easy, what it lacks in distance is made up for in epicness. Access: Take the high road along the peninsula, and once you pass the turn-off to Larnach Castle, Sandymount Road is the second on the left. Head to the very end of the road, continuing once the tarseal runs out, to the Sandymount Recreation Reserve carpark. Note: Some of the tracks are closed for lambing between early September and mid-October. Why: It’s hard to believe that you’re anywhere near the South Island’s second city when you’re out…

IT WAS ALSO OUR LAST JOINT TRAINING SESSION. I REALISED THEN, LOOKING BACK AT OLIVIA, WHO WAS BY NOW SITTING IN THE GUTTER WITH HER ARMS FOLDED, THAT I’D GO IT ALONE. The air was thick and warm. Dust blew in my eyes and mouth, and I regretted my decision not to carry water. It was well after 6pm, but the normally elusive sun was standing firm. I pulled my cap down low and bent my head against the raging northerly wind. I can do it. I can do it. My week-old Mizunos slid on the loose gravel as I forced my legs to keep moving, one step at a time. I glanced up, spied the top of the hill, blinked to make sure it wasn’t a mirage. My calves…

TRUTH IS, THE QUOTES AREN’T ALWAYS RIGHT. SOMETIMES IT’S NOT THE BEST THING TO PUSH THROUGH. ONE MORE STEP MIGHT BE REALLY BAD FOR YOU IF YOU’RE INJURED OR FATIGUED. SOMETIMES IT ACTUALLY ISN’T ALL IN YOUR HEAD. AND YOU’RE STILL AWESOME. Tarawera Ultramarathon put out a nice series of posters a few years back, featuring top runners and the words: “Do something extraordinary.” I still have one on the wall. At its best, it’s great inspiration, a nudge – ‘Go for the run!’ ‘Set a goal!’ ‘Make cool things happen rather than fluffing around on your phone.’ At its worst, and this is not the poster’s fault, it’s incredibly frustrating. Social media loves such run-spiration. If you’re connected to a running tribe, they’ll pop up on a daily basis.…

New media is now firmly a part of trail and ultrarunning. We’ve gone from a culture of retro-grouches lurching about in the wilderness incommunicado to being fully connected via social media, podcasts and internet video. These days many of us are switched on pre, post and often during our runs. There are critics of this approach, however it is undeniable that as technology moves forward, trail running will also. With pioneers like irunfar providing incredible coverage and access to races for years now, there are an ever-growing cadre of people who love trail and ultrarunning and use new media to communicate and disseminate their passion. Take Jamil Coury for example; Jamil is an elite runner, race director and creator of internet content for his various projects. I spoke to Jamil…

THE ATMOSPHERE WAS JUST AMAZING. THE ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM OF THE TOUR TEAM WAS INFECTIOUS, AND BEING GUARANTEED THAT WE WOULD SEE OUR RUNNERS ON THE RACE TOOK EVERY BIT OF STRESS OUT OF THE DAY FOR ME. Julia Field Among the synonyms for ‘supporter’, I see the words follower, backer, believer, admirer and fan. Yes – I’m all those things, and then some. I’ve been Mike’s race supporter for so many ultra events now, and I feel privileged to love this crazy man who thinks it’s a great idea to run 160 kilometres. Is it easy being a supporter? No. Though I don’t have to contend with blisters, chafing and screaming muscles, I’m not for a minute pretending being a supporter is easy. There’s a LOT of waiting around.…

Western Australia December 3 Magical Mushroom Forest Trail Race, Worseley, 30k, 15k, run/walk, off-road 9 Vine Runner Christmas Half Marathon, Wilyabrup, 21k, 10k, 5k, 2.5k, run/walk, off-road 10 Perth Trail Summer Series: Stay Puft, Yanchep National Park, 18.7k, 11.9k, run/walk, off-road 10 Mosman Park, Perth, 10.5k, 5.25k, park 17 Six Inch Trail Marathon, North Dandalup, 47k, 23k, off-road 17 Canning Caper, Perth, 10k, 6k, run/walk, road 24 Christmas Gift, Perth, choose your distance, park 31 New Year’s Eve 50K Handicap Ultra, Neerabup National Park WA, 50k, run/walk, road January 2 Sandman 50, Dunsborough , 2 x 25km relay, 50km solo, run/walk, beach 7 Perth Trail Summer Series: Wallygrunta, 13.6k, 9.4k, run/walk, off-road 20 Australia Day Ultra, Australind Foreshore, 100k, 50k, 25k, kids 6km, run/walk, road 21 Perth Trail Summer Series,…

AN ULTRA IS YOURS TO MAKE IT YOURS – THERE IS NO OUTSIDE PRESSURE, THE LEVEL AT WHICH YOU TRAIN IS UP TO YOU AND HOW MUCH PAIN YOU SUFFER IS UP TO YOU – IT’S A VERY PERSONAL THING. YOU DON’T HAVE TO ACHIEVE WHAT OTHERS ARE ACHIEVING – AS SOON AS YOU TRY AND REACH OTHER PEOPLE’S STANDARDS IT BECOMES A CHORE, NOT A PASSION. Joanna Kruk Since entering the competitive running scene, 30-year-old Joanna has had numerous top ten placings in ultras, including being ninth female home in the 2016 Tarawera Ultramarathon. She has also completed several 100 milers. Her second ever 100 miler – the 2013 Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) – stands out as a career highlight for her as it signalled a return to…

OMANAWANUI TRACK, WAITAKERE RANGES, NEW ZEALAND Distance: 6km Photographer: Alisha Lovrich Photography and Design Runner: Sportslab The good dirt: To run the Omanawanui Track is to fall in love with trail running. Part of a network of trails in the Waitakere Ranges, Omanawanui undulates dramatically as it winds its way through native bush and over exposed rocky outcrops, from the summit of Mt Donald McLean to Whatipu at sea level. The trail hugs vertical coastal cliffs with dizzying views out to the Manukau Bar, across to the lighthouse on the Awhitu Peninsula and all the way up the Manukau Harbour to Auckland city in the distance. HILLARY TRAIL, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND Distance: 75km Photographer: Alisha Lovrich Photography and Design Runner: Sportslab The good dirt: The Hillary Trail is an extensive…

The lead-up to Christmas is often fraught with so many things on the to-do-list and too many events to attend. This year avoid the meltdown by heading for one of New Zealand’s numerous and stunning trail runs. 1 Tawharanui Regional Park No guarantees, but you may just get lucky and see a pukeko in a ponga tree while running Tawharanui Regional Park. There is an ecology trail, which starts at the far end of the beach, beyond a protected breeding area of rare New Zealand dotterels and this crosses farmland to a valley of native forest. You can choose trails of varying lengths from here. 2 An Auckland volcano If you are stuck in Auckland working and short on time, pick a maunga – any maunga to do a quick…

 First things first, congratulations and welcome to Matt Rayment, who has taken the editorial reins of this fine magazine. Matt is a very cool guy, and in my opinion exactly the sort of person that will do a great job. No mean feat that, taking over from our beloved Vicki Woolley. While stalking Matt on Facebook recently, I see he refers to himself as a family man, runner, enthusiast – like! IT’S A NUMBERS GAME. PUT ON AN EVENT FOR 1000 PEOPLE AND FIVE OF THEM WILL HAVE HAD THE WORST DAY OF THEIR LIVES (AND THEY’LL TELL YOU ABOUT IT WITH GUSTO). FIFTY OF THEM WILL HAVE HAD THE BEST DAY OF THEIR LIVES AND YOU MIGHT HEAR ABOUT THAT TOO. One of my fondest memories of Matt is…

Trail running comes with risks. Beginner and experienced trail runners alike talk to me about the difficulties of isolation, navigation, a variable environment and the infamous ‘wriggly sticks’ as factors that keep them to relatively familiar areas, trails and races. Until recently I was also one of those people. I do most of my trail running solo and to manage the risks I remain within known trails. I think over time this has also subconsciously fed my selection of races. I tend to go with familiar options; places I have travelled before or at least the terrain is comparable to areas where I have a lot of experience. During late 2016, I had been developing my training plan for my 1300 kilometre, 19-day run across New South Wales and the…

In the hawkish doco-drama 24, our hero, Jack Bauer would invariably become embroiled in foiling a plot to end the world. Ostensibly the camera would follow Jack for a whole 24 hours. When did this guy ever take a bathroom break? Pop a blister? Have a sandwich? Get bleeding nipples? Never, that’s when. He was incredible! Black toenails? GO TO HELL. The effort that this guy put into saving civilisation was at least that of running an ultramarathon. He cruised it every time. No worries! Was it Bauer genetics? Perfect hydration? Good form? Who knows... This got me thinking about us ‘normal’ runners, and the trials and tribulations that can affect our homeostasis. As 24 disappointed on the intimacy stakes, I’d like to ramp it up and talk about…

Whenever new acquaintances of mine find out that I run ultramarathons, I’m quite often asked how many I’ve completed. I’ll give them a number, we’ll talk about it a bit more then move onto another topic. Sometime later, I’ll usually remind myself that, technically, I’ve completed that number, less one – that one ultra that I finished, but outside the cut-off. That one ultra The 2016 Two Bays Trail Run in southern Victoria was a hot one. It was about 32 degrees, and my running companion Chris was not faring well. It was his first Two Bays ultra (56km) and I’d offered to pace him to a seven-hour finish. That plan went up in smoke when the heat got the better of Chris and we found ourselves walking most of…

In 2013, I agreed to pace my friend at the Tarawera Ultramarathon. I knew about the sport, however had never been near an ultra in person. It was an incredible experience and eyeopening in many ways. One of the most striking memories I have happened in the heat of the day. I had eagerly arrived at Tarawera Outlet on the boat with the other pacers to pick up our runners at the 55km mark. At the aid station, set back off the trail in stunning bush, I noticed a runner sitting in the medical station who looked to be in a complete world of hurt. Lean, tattooed and obviously elite owing to the distance that he had covered already, the man sat staring straight ahead in a manner that…

LET’S JUST SAY THAT IF YOU ARE BEGINNING TO TIRE OF TRACKS AND TRAILS THAT THE HORDES FLOCK TO THEN THE HOLLYFORD NEEDS TO RISE UP TO THE TOP OF YOUR LIST OF PLANNED RUNS. Once upon a time I used to go on long running adventures. I hope to do that again in the future as I have plans for some big adventures where I get to explore more places with cool histories. Right now though, an easy out-and-back on the Hollyford Track, just off the road to Milford Sound in the South Island’s Fiordland region, is as good as it gets for me. I thought it would be a nice cruisy run, but nothing prepared me for what I saw when I got there. All I could think…

Put yourself in this picture; running through some of New Zealand’s most inspiring and scenic terrain – it might actually mean you forget you’re competing in New Zealand’s first ultra-staged run the Back Country Cuisine Alps 2 Ocean Ultra. Technically an ‘ultra-run’ is defined as anything longer than the standard marathon distance of 42 kilometres, but that’s where any similarity ends. The Back Country Cuisine Alps 2 Ocean Ultra will start at the base of New Zealand’s highest mountain, Mt Cook and travel 316 kilometres to Oamaru in North Otago following the off road Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail for much of the journey with interest so high February’s event is already sold out. Ultra-running is a slightly crazy highly addictive world. “At the end of the day it’s all…

Can you picture the electric drama unfolding when a 12-hour cut-off is just seconds away, and hundreds of runners are staggering down the finishing chute, desperate to finish before the final gun goes off, while thousands of spectators are screaming their support? The absolute euphoria of those who finish in time is matched by the tears of despair from those who cross the finish-line seconds too late. It’s not just the finish-line of the Comrades Marathon that puts it firmly on many runners’ bucket-lists. Even though the term ‘bucket-list’ is thrown around a lot these days, please believe me when I tell you that this race wholly deserves that description. ‘To celebrate mankind’s spirit over adversity’ This epic event has a suitably long and incredible history. It was first run…

North Island December 2 The Goat Adventure Run, Tongariro National Park, 20k, run/walk, off-road 3 Sri Chinmoy Auckland Series 2017, Auckland, 21k, 10k, 5.6k, kids 2.5k, run/walk, road 5 Beach Series, Auckland, 7k, 5k, kids 2.5k, run/walk, off-road (every Tuesday) 5 O’Hagan’s 5K Series, Auckland, 5k, run/walk, road (every Tuesday) 5 Ocean Running, Mt Maunganui, 5k, run/walk, off-road (every Tuesday) 5 Waterfront 5k Fun Run and Walk Series, Wellington, 5k, run/walk, road (every Tuesday) 6 Owai 5K in the Park, Auckland, 5k, 2.5k, run/walk, road (every Wednesday) 6 Smith & McKenzie Fun Run & Walk, Hamilton, 5k, 2k, run/walk, road (every Wednesday) 6 The Rat Race, Auckland, 5k, run/walk, road (every Wednesday) 7 Orewa Beach Series, Auckland, 8k, 5k, kids 2.5k, run/walk, beach (every Thursday) 9 3 Bridges Marathon, Wanganui,…

Two months ago, I was roughly plucked out of the happy running world like the grey eyebrow hair I found just before my thirtieth birthday. Poof! Gone forever. Mentioned only in private circles, fearfully and in hushed tones. Is this really happening to me? Again? Knowing that you’ve made it through an extended break from the trails once is a huge advantage when you’re facing another major injury. The familiar feelings of dread, denial, resentment and sadness all come back as they did before, so you know this time around just what to expect. I’ve had worse Can it really be that bad? The first week off running is the hardest, going cold turkey. After that depression makes it easy to forget that the ‘happy runner’ version of you ever…

Are you ticking off your training sessions week by week, then getting to race day and wondering why your results are plateauing? Are your sessions lacking focus and is the training detracting from the rest of your day rather than enhancing it? I believe nurturing the environment for absorbing training is paramount otherwise the training won’t be effective. It’s the equivalent of using slick mountain-bike tyres on a muddy track – a whole heap of energy going in, but no traction or forward momentum gained. Two years ago, I was treating a young teenage boy in the gym. He tended to communicate with grunts and didn’t enjoy his exercise routine. One session he came in wearing a hoodie with S.L.O.T emblazoned in large letters on the front. I asked him…

It has long been recognised that both running and yoga have significant effects on our overall physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Over the next few issues of Trail Runner, I will examine the complementary benefits of yoga and running for each of these aspects of our overall wellbeing. PHYSICAL WELLBEING Maintaining optimal physical wellbeing ensures healthy functioning of the body and helps prevent injury and repair damage. Some aspects of physical health are out of our control, such as those that result from genetic traits. However, we can all aspire to achieve optimal physical wellbeing, which will benefit our overall health as well as our running performance. Form, technique and alignment The ability to maintain the correct form and technique is critical in both running and yoga. When proper alignment…

I am sure we have all heard our friends, family members or co-workers tell us that running will eventually ruin our bodies. You know the drill: all that impact, the high injury rates, it will wear out your joints and so on. Should you be concerned? Considering as many as 80 per cent of runners suffer injuries in any year, then maybe we should listen to them…or should we? The positives of running The good news is that most of these concerns are unsubstantiated, and most current research supports running as a great long-term sport for your body. The benefits from running are huge on many different levels, from mental health, to weight management, cardiovascular fitness, maintaining bone density, and of course being able to keep up with (or stay…