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Preparation for my first Ultra Marathon

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thank-you-950x658

Only 2 more sleeps until my first ever ultra marathon and I am beside myself with excitement!!

This Saturday I will be competing in the 30th anniversary edition of the Six Foot Track Marathon, a 45km trail run from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves, the beautiful Blue Mountains of New South Wales.

As it’s a Saturday race I have taken Friday off work so that I can sleep in and get to the mountains easily by avoiding the Friday afternoon traffic. And I’m getting a lift with one of my fellow Sydney Striders running buddies Sherin. As I won’t have my car it means I won’t be able to just throw everything in the boot in case i need it, so I need to pack smart. I’ve started a list as I think it’s the best way to make sure that I don’t forget anything, and I have to pack light so I’m keeping it simple.

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the people who have supported me and helped me get to where I am today.

Firstly to my husband, who puts up with me leaving the house at 4am most weekends (lately on both Saturday and Sunday), and then coming home to nap on the couch all afternoon with my feet up. Jared is my rock and I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have had without his love, encouragement and support.

To my family who have put up with my crazyness since I was a kid. I know it will be hard to believe (cough, cough) but I haven’t always been who I am today, and I know I must have given my folks some grief through my teenage years and maybe even later than that. But as least I got there in the end right?! When I was a kid my mum gave up countless hours, afternoons and weekends to drive me around the countryside, supporting me at various sporting events. But she always did it with ease. My parents have always supported me and taught me that anything is possible if you believe in yourself – so reach for the stars.

To Todd and the rest of my running buddies at SHR (and previously NRC), you have shown me how to become a runner. We have shared countless hours pounding the pavements and I’ve learnt more from you guys than I ever could have imagined. You show me that anything is possible with the right training and the right attitude. I owe my first marathon to you guys and I thank you for guiding me to the wonderful path that we follow today.

To Andy and all of the Sydney Striders members and especially the Six Foot Training Crew, wow! You have really opened my eyes to trail running. Sharing the mountains, the streams, the ups, and the downs with you has taught me so much about myself and also shown me how beautiful our world can be. The hours that we have spent together on the trails will never be forgotten, and I know that we will have many more adventures together in the future. I hope you all have a fantastic experience on Saturday and I look forward to seeing you for a celebratory drink at the finish.

And thank you to my friends who don’t see me enough because my schedule doesn’t allow much more than training, working, eating and sleeping. You know who you are and you always support me and encourage me with my running adventures. This includes all my work buddies at PwC too!

I really hope that I haven’t forgotten anyone and I promise you will all see much more of me after TNF100 in May! 

Now all that’s left to do is run the race – bring on the Six Foot Track Marathon!!

Happy Running 😀

Dirt rules

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I dedicate the title of this post to SJ my running buddy!

Last Saturday I ran my first trail run with the Sydney Striders 6ft training group. It was an early start as I had to be at Mosman for 7.00am and the drive would take me 45 mins to get there (plus I was a little worried I’d get lost, even with a GPS), so I left my place at 6.00am.

When I got there it was pouring with rain, just like it had been for the past day or two. But us serious runners never let that kind of thing dampen our spirits or stop us from training. I sat in the car for a little while waiting for others to arrive and secretly praying for the rain to stop. We eventually got out of our cars and I introduced myself to the team and they seemed like a very friendly bunch.

I got some brief advise from Pete and changed into my new Nike Zoom Wild Horse trail shoes as apparently my normal sneakers would be too slippery, and then we set off onto the trail. I was told it would be a part walkway and part trail kind of course, so probably a good way to start for someone who was new to this type of run. And it was awesome!

We ran up and down rock stairs, over boardwalks, through puddles and streams, and we even shared part of the track with a bush turkey who showed us the way. It was truly an awesome run and I haven’t even mentioned the views yet. They were magical. We ran along the coastline for and when we got to the turnaround point we had views of both north and south head from an old gunners barracks. We also ran past old cottages that are now heritage listed and it truly was a beautiful part of the world.

Unfortunately I didn’t take my phone with me so I have no photos but next time i’m up there I won’t be making that mistake again.

I think that’s one of the main reasons i’m attracted to trail running, the views and the different locations and the variety of landscape. It’s an adventure even more so than a road race and after Saturdays run I know it’s going to be a very tough training program from now until the 6ft track trail marathon. A challenge I accept and look forward to conquering!

Happy Running!