Table of contents for November 2022 - January 2023 in Trail Run

I’m not entirely sure how many runners I’ve spoken to over the years, but I’ve come to learn that the mental hardship of going out for a run is something that gets everyone through the worst of days, and the best of days. Some time ago, I discovered the phrase mindful running, and took it upon myself to learn a little bit about it. Lo and behold, I connected with the term and found out I was indeed a mindful runner. When I first got into the sport, I loved listening to music. Blocking out the world, singing along in my head, finding tunes that had the right BPM to my pace, finding anything to pump me up and help get the adrenaline going. Music, however, quickly got old with…

After training, the body requires nutrients and energy to support physiological training adaptations and restore fuel reserves. This is especially important when training demands are higher such as after a long run or an interval session. A meal containing carbohydrates and protein within the first 60 minutes after training is particularly important to support this recovery. However, sometimes it’s not as easy to get access to a meal like this when you’re far from home or need to squeeze in your training before heading to work. This is why overnight oats are one of my favourite recovery meals. They’re effortless to make, store and carry. This recipe is the ultimate recovery meal because it has the right balance of carbohydrates and protein. In addition, the antioxidants present in the strawberries…

TO THE AVERAGE ADULT WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER, OR ADHD, FORMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAY TAKE A BACK SEAT TO ALMOST ALL OTHER ACTIVITIES. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN, THOUGH, THAT EXERCISE IS AS IMPORTANT TO THE BRAIN AS IT IS TO THE REST OF THE BODY’S PHYSICALITY, AND IT CAN CHANGE THE BRAIN’S NEUROTRANSMITTERS, PROTEIN GROWTH AND NEUROGENESIS. KATE DZIENIS GOT AN INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF ADHD WHILST SPEAKING WITH ANDREW ‘FELIX’ POLI FROM ELLENBROOK, WA WHO LIVES WITH THE DIAGNOSIS AND EXPLAINS HOW HE MANAGES TRAIL RUNNING, RACE DIRECTING, AND LIVING LIFE TO ITS FULLEST POTENTIAL. There’s always been something about Andrew Poli that draws people to instantly think he’s quirky and unconventional. Felix, as he’s widely known in his social circles, has a heart of gold –…

The Ruapehu Trail Festival is the premier trail running event of the 2023 season, held in the stunning Tongariro National Park in the centre of New Zealand’s North Island. Whatever your trail challenge desire, this race has 100% got you covered! Kicking off on the Friday (10 March), the Sky Waka Vertical Challenge is the new kid on the mountain and it challenges participants to use pure leg, core and willpower to ascend Mt Ruapehu as many times as possible within four hours. Knock off as much mountain elevation as you can, ascending by foot, and descending on the Sky Waka Gondola – yes, you get to ride back down to the start line and do it all again! For the speed demons amongst you, take on the Sky Waka…

Growing up on a wheat farm in rural South Australia, the celebration of the end of harvest was always followed with a family holiday. In good harvest years, we’d all jump in the car and travel interstate, often for weeks at a time. Some years, it would just be a 100km up the highway if the year wasn’t so good and things were tight. But mum and dad would always make it a magical and unforgettable holiday. Truth be told, it didn’t matter where we went because all three of us kids, plus mum and dad, always had epic trips away from the farm as a family when it counted. It was the one time each year where my dad truly slowed down and stopped. It was the life of…

CRAMPEZE REVIEWER: KATE DZIENIS IT HAPPENS TO THE BEST OF US…SOMETIMES OUR BODIES JUST DON’T GET WARM ENOUGH AND OUR LEGS CRAMP UP. Or perhaps at the end of our training session, everything becomes fatigued and we’re left with agonising spasms. It’s painful and we dread it, but it’s quite a common occurrence in athletes, especially runners. The most prevalent being found in the calves, and the discomfort can vary in severity; sources suggest cramps develop from one of two things – muscle fatigue and loss of electrolytes together with dehydration. There are other factors in play too, including muscle overuse and a lack of oxygen in the cells. When you’ve done everything to prevent leg cramps and spasms, and yet you still suffer from them, LaCorium Health has a…

Aid stations. Without them and the people who man them, we’d be a mass load of hot and bothered crazy people stalking the lands for any food we can find and finding the perfect rock to sit down on for a breather. Okay, so many trail runners have raised their hands to inadvertently claim as being ‘crazy’ anyway, but that doesn’t make my point any less truthful. If you’re someone who hasn’t taken a back seat yet at an event to volunteer at an aid station – you’re missing out on so much! Firstly let’s start off by saying there are aid stations, and then there are aid stations. Many of you have run a road race where the drink stops are exactly that – volunteers lined up on the…

Fancy a bit of a skyrun? Then picture yourself staring down the barrel of Mount Buffalo and her grandeur presence, where it’s just you and the epic alpine trails ahead of you. First held in 2014, on offer are a number of distances, and the main attraction is the 100k Bright Ultra. The epic new course from Bright to the top of Mount Buffalo National Park and back sees runners summit the Horn at over 1700 metres. With 5,000 metres of elevation gain over 100k, this distance is a total challenge. You can do it solo or in a relay team. Runners in the 42k Buffalo Stampede SkyMarathon will start atop Mount Buffalo and descend the single track of ‘The Big Walk’ and traverse Buckland Valley farmland. The pièce de…

Trail Running Longer distances Shoes have thread Mainly solo Hydro backpacks Off the beaten Track Elevation Gain Varied VS Cross Country Shorter distances Shoes have spikes Mostly a team sport Minimal gear In forests of fields Very short, sharp hills Highly regulated I had a love-hate relationship with running cross country. I can vividly remember my first national event running for Burnside High School. It was the first time I felt physically sick (running up the muddy hill for the second lap) and I finished feeling dizzy, ill and completely short of oxygen. My school coach said before the race that I was a dark horse…felt more like a ‘sick pony’. I placed 122nd and at that moment knew that I could do better (the senior boys’ results in 1990…

It’s mid-morning on a Saturday in April and I’m lying crumpled on a rocky beach, clutching my left foot in pain. I’m deep in the Tasmanian wilderness, 40-odd kilometers from the nearest road. I’ve got 120km in the legs, I haven’t slept in over 24 hours and I’m fairly certain I’ve broken something in my foot. My face contorts as I hold my foot, and I manage to mumble something filthy but fortunately (thanks to the sub-par state I’m in) inaudible. Rewind a couple of months. The pandemic had us all aching for adventure. Lockdown measures and travel restrictions had us locked away like caged minks on a Danish fur farm. I was motivated to look for fun a little closer to home so on the lookout for something around…

In2Adventure together with Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa will be celebrating all month long this February with a number of race events (mountain bike and triathlon), including Trail Run Australia. Trail Run Australia will see a barrage of runners take over the beautiful location that is the Snowy Mountains from 24-25 February, with a 10-year celebration event at Lake Crackenback Resort on 26 February – so be prepared to par-tay! Everyone will get a chance to see the festival’s very own Man from Snowy River at Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa, where they can spend the weekend and relax after hitting the tracks. Trail Run Australia offers a number of distances to runners on all levels, so choose from the epic UTRA70, TRA42, TRA21, TRA11 and TRA5 plus the free…

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I was born in Sydney but actually grew up in the small country town of Warwick in Qld. My first time living overseas was in New Zealand for 3 years before moving to the UK living in Manchester and Edinburgh for 16 years. My wife Lucja (she’s an ultra runner too), cat Lara, dog Gobi and I lived in France for 2 years before making the move over to the United States for the last 3 years. I still have Aussie colours running through my veins when it comes to sport even though I haven’t lived there for over 20 years. Edinburgh in Scotland has some fantastic trails in the city, so much history and so much beauty. Arthurs Seat is a great run any time during the day to…