Running Wild Lawson Long Course

Posted on March 21, 2016 by laurenhailey

I think i’m still in shock!

Yesterday I somehow managed to score my first ever trail running podium and I was so overcome with happiness when I crossed the line that I burst into tears.

Last weekend while I was sitting in the car being chauffeured home from the Six Foot Track Marathon, Maria and I got talking about the Running Wild race in Lawson that was being held the next weekend. I had contemplated entering earlier in the week when I received an email reminder about the race letting me know that registrations were still open, but hadn’t fully committed as I wasn’t sure how my legs would feel a week later. Somehow Maria and I came to the conclusion that it was a good idea for me to enter and before I got home I was registered for the 17km event.

The Monday after Six Foot was tough. My quads and calfs were very, very sore and I was hoping that my massage on Thursday would help alleviate some of that before the race. Thankfully it did and by Saturday my legs were feeling normal again.

I spent Saturday morning taking the walk/run group at the gym where I work and training a few PT clients, then headed into Pyrmont for the Nike Training Club Tour Sydney, a day of fitness and fun. I took it pretty easy as I knew I had a tough run coming the next day.

Sunday I was up at 4.30am and heading to the Blue Mountains. I had convinced my friend Amanda to come and join me for the run too so I was looking forward to seeing her. We are both doing UTA100 in May so we have been trying to schedule some weekend runs together and this would be the first! (ha ha)

I parked at the Lawson Bowling Club and headed down the (hilly) road to the start/finish area and collected my bib. There weren’t many familiar faces but a few people said hi and asked me about 6 foot (I wore my race t-shirt). My plan was to take the race pretty easy as I knew my body would still be recovering so this was to be my long, slow run for the week.

Amanda and her friend Vicki arrived and we chatted as we waited for the race to start.

There were 2 distances being run on the same course at the same time, so the 17km (long) option were doing 2 laps of the course, and the shorter course was just 1 lap of the trail. We eventually started and the pack seemed to be very slow moving. I had planned to stick with Amanda for the first section of the trail, but as I started to overtake people I noticed that she wasn’t behind me anymore. I didn’t think i was going that fast but maybe she was still recovering from her run at 6 foot the week before, or perhaps she had decided to run with Vicki. I hoped that she wouldn’t be upset I had abandoned her as it was not intentional.

There are thousands of thoughts that go through my mind while running, sometimes they are run-related and sometimes that are not.

The first out and back section was short and brought us back past the start area where we made a left turn onto an uphill section, we would have to do this section 3 times. Most of this course was fire trail so it was quite wide and meant for easy passing, which I seemed to be doing without too much effort. I noticed that I still felt cold as we went up the first incline, my hands were freezing so I decided to keep running up the first hill so I could try and warm up. Normally I would have walked a hill that steep but I was feeling pretty good and was keen to get warm.

The trail was very rocky and I was thankful for my new Brooks Adrenaline ASR shoes, today was the first time I had worn them on trails as I was breaking them in and they felt really good. There were lots of ups and downs and I worked hard to overtake several people on the down sections as this seems to be my strength.

We passed through a gate and headed down another steep hill as I shuffled my feet in small, quick steps moving fast and calculated. My left eye kept watering which blurred my vision a little and make it tricky, but I didn’t let that bother me.

Eventually (after another short uphill section & a spot for a photo) we got to the turnaround point and I saw my friend Luke who is a volunteer for the Running Wild Club and he cheered me on. I made a mental note to grab food there when I came past next as I knew i’d be out of my drink by then. I was carrying a 600ml soft flask with Tailwind (grape) and it was already over half empty. I had started the race with a grumbly belly (even though I had eaten breakfast before I left home and had also eaten a banana as I walked from my car to the start line) so I had been trying to get the liquids in for my body to use during the race.

We passed back down the steep hill and along the trail seeing many runners coming the other way. I cheered them on and chatted to a few others near me too, it always helps make the time fly past.

As we went through the gates we were directed down a trail to the right and it was a beautiful downhill single track section, my favourite! I raced down there to try and make up some time and really enjoyed this section. I was already looking forward to doing it again on the second lap!

The single track ended and we were back near the start area and heading off up to the original out and back section. I saw many of the front runner as they motored back towards me and noticed that there were lots of females breathing down my tail. Little did I know that these ladies were all doing the short course and there run was almost over as they were only doing the 1 lap.

I got to the turnaround and headed back trying to keep up a descent pace on this flat section. My friend Kathy caught up to me and we chatted about Mile 27 and our coach Andy. I learned she was only doing the 1 lap as she was taking it easy and it got me thinking about how many other runners were almost done too, or were they speeding up trying to catch me too?

She motored off towards the finish line and I pulled up my socks for another lap of the course. I hit the steep first hill again and this time I power walked up that section. I kept trying to maintain a comfortable breathing pattern and staying positive. It was about this time that I met Dave and we chatted about 6 foot which he had also done the week before (and had beaten me by 10 minutes, ha ha). I ran with him for a while but he kept pulling ahead of me on the flats and the uphill. My plan was to try and stick with him as long as i could, so i kept him in my sights and caught up to him a few times on the downhills.

I got to the turnaround point and I had been pushing it a bit harder than the first lap so was starting to feel a little tired. I grabbed a piece of banana and scoffed it down as Luke cheered me off down the hill again. It was the last leg.

There was a lot of downhill here and I managed to catch up to Dave again so we chatted some more. I had been cheering on the runners coming in the other direction and if I was correct there were only 3 ladies in front of me, could that be right? Oh well, surely I was wrong and I should just stick to my race plan and enjoy the trails.

And then I saw the photo man again who confirmed it for me, he told me I was in 3rd place (but I knew he meant 4th place, surely I could not be 3rd!). How the hell did that happen?

And then the brain started ticking over….. would it be possible to get a podium? If i pushed it here and caught up to that lady I could see ahead would I be in 3rd place? Was it possible? Should I go for it?

I told Dave about my debacle and he made the call for me. He was going to help me get 3rd! (I owe him big time for that, thanks again Dave!). I told him I’d be happy with Top 5 but he said ‘screw that we are getting you 3rd place!’

And with that Dave motored me up the hills and told me that I would catch her on the downhills as she was slow and cautious going down. He was so encouraging and positive and his winning attitude seemed to rub off on me. The lady in front seemed to be pulling away from me on the hills but we had a lot of downhill coming and I hoped it would be her weakness (sorry Ros).

We passed through the gates and Dave cheered me on to “go for it”, so I turned right onto my favourite single track section and (with a hidden smile on my face) gave it my all as I headed down the trail and motored past the lady in front as she slowly clambered down the rocks. I felt like I was flying! I was now in 3rd place – far out! Really?!?!

Now there was the pressure of thinking about her creeping up behind me trying to catch up. I kept telling myself that she was closing in, that I could hear her breathing down my neck and it kept me pushing all the way down to the bottom of the track and also as i climbed back up the final stairs. At the end of the single track I turned right and just had the original out and back section to conquer.

I took a quick glance behind me to see if I could spot the other lady and she was nowhere to be seen. Could this be possible? Keep your head down Hailey, it’s not over yet. I knew I had about 1km to go so I tried to find another gear to increase the gap so she wouldn’t come flying past me on the last section, but I also wanted to leave something in the tank in case I needed to make a sprint finish. God this was stressful, but so exciting!

I’ve never felt anything like it.

We got to the turnaround and I anxiously kept an eye out for the lady runner behind me. Eventually I saw her and she wasn’t that far behind. She was smaller than me so probably much quicker on the flat sections so I had to keep up my pace and finish strong.

The trail went up and down and around and eventually I could see the finish line, this was it. I was going to do it. Oh my god!

I crossed the line and a lady walked over to me holding a wine glass and a voucher, she congratulated me and told me that i was the 2nd female. 2nd female! Was that right? Surely she was wrong. I burst into tears and bent forward as I tried to catch my breath and let my legs rest. She asked me if something was wrong and I told her it was my first podium, then she gave me a big hug and congratulated me again. Her name was Annie and she told me to go get a drink, some food and then come back for a photo.

As I wiped my tears I saw Dave crossing the finish line and I made my way over to thank him for pushing me and helping me so much, what a great guy. Trail runners really are a whole different breed of awesome humans!

After some food and water I walked bak over to Anne and we got a photo together. I think I was still in shock at the result, but you could not wipe the smile off my face! 😀

I chatted to some other friends Stephane, and Jill and then I found the ladies who had come 1st and 3rd and congratulated them on their race. They were both super friendly and really nice, genuine people. Below is a photo of us, there’s Ros (3rd) on the left, Alicia (1st)in the middle, and me (2nd) on the right.

I’m so glad i got to meet these 2 ladies, they were so kind and I wish them both congratulations again 🙂

A big thank you to all of the volunteers and organisers at the Running Wild event. They do an amazing job and it really is the quality people who bring it all together so well. Thank you for such a well organised and well supported event. I’ll be back for Series 7, see you then!

😀 😀 Happy Running 😀 😀

It’s a good thing I love hills!

Posted on May 1, 2014 by laurenhailey

I feel like I say this every week, but I can honestly say that last Saturday’s Mt Solitary 45km Ultra Marathon was the toughest course I have ever attempted. But it was also the most fun!!

Here are some stats to give you an idea of the course (as per my Garmin):

Distance – 46.3 km

Time – 8 hrs 36 mins 33 secs

Elevation Gain – 2,308 m

Elevation Loss – 2,292 m

Fastest km – 3’43” (running down Kedumba walls)

Slowest km – 28’44” (climbing up Mt Solitary)

I got up at 3.30am on Saturday morning to have some breakfast (toast, banana & peppermint tea) before jumping in the car and driving to the Blue Mountains. It’s about a 2 hour drive from my place which includes a toilet stop at the servo near the end of the journey to avoid the queues at the start line.

When I arrived it was still dark but thankfully not as cold as I had been expecting. There were a few other runners who were earlier than me and we got our mandatory gear ready for checking by the organisers. We were required to carry a course map, waterproof jacket, food for 3-5hrs, compression bandage, mobile phone, whistle, compass, space blanket and 2L of fluid. Plus they had added thermal gloves and a beanie/buff.

I chatted with Craig from the Striders at the start line and ran into lots of running friends as we prepared for the race. I even ran into Simon & Mike from my run club in the city, I had no idea they were doing this race but it was awesome to see them out there! Sam from PwC was also there getting another long run in before TNF100 and feeling much better than when I last saw him at Six Foot Track. And the lovely Sherin who was having difficulty with her hydration pack which was leaking and I worried that she would not have enough water, but tried to stay positive and reassure her that it would be fine.

We positioned ourselves at the start, a field of 168 runners with only 28 females. I know this means that I am guaranteed a Top 30 finish, but it would be great to see many more women out there competing.

The gun went off and we all made our way up the first section towards the top of Kedumba walls for the first descent. My goal for the day was to make it to the Checkpoint at 25km before the cut-off time which was 5hrs 15mins, which meant doing roughly 5km per hour (or faster). There were some really funny guys running just ahead of me and we all laughed at their jokes and it put me in a really good mood from the start. They were hilarious!

We ran down Kedumba and I love the downhill sections so I used it to get past a couple of people, knowing full well that they would catch me on the next flat or uphill, but you have to work your strengths. I used the downhill technique that Hanny and Graham had taught us at the training camp, and I was warming up and feeling good.

The first big hill we had to climb on this course was Mount Solitary and you knew it when you hit it. This was the slowest section of the course but it was also lots of fun. I had been chatting with a few of the runners around me and a Strider friend got some great shots of us making the climb so the next 4 photos are courtesy of Craig Thom.

The first shot below is probably the least steep section, it only got rockier and steeper after this point and you had to get your hands dirty too.

Here’s me holding up the speedsters (below). I let a few go past me on several sections as I need to make sure i left some fuel in the tank for the rest of the course.

And that’s me having a drink break (below).

And another break (below) for some air I think, but still smiling and thumbs up!

Once we got to the top it was rolling ups and downs and the views were magnificent. It was quite jaw dropping to think that we had started in the valley below and climbed our way to the top of the mountain….. the fog was so low beneath us too and i felt like I was up in the heavens.

And then even more fun began! You would be running a long and all of a sudden there would be a cliff in front of you and the only way to go was down the rocks on the cliff edge. Here’s one of the first climb down sections that was a good taster for what was still to come.

A new running friend (who I would later find out is called Blake) stopped to take in a shot of the view, and me being the tourist trail runner did exactly the same thing. So we decided to swap cameras and get a shot for each other. The view from Mt Solitary was amazing to say the least!!

The steepest section of rock climbing took me a little by surprise. I had been running through some thicker bush for a while and then all of a sudden there was an edge with some pink tape.

For the non-trail runners out there we always follows the tape along a course (today’s was pink) and it helps you to stay on track and not get lost. They are usually place every couple of kilometers and are most useful.

So I could see this pink tape flapping in the breeze ahead of me and I approached it slowly and with caution….

To say I have a slight fear of heights would be an understatement, so I crept closer and closer to the edge….

and realised this was going to be a very tough section for me. Look at that drop! I had to get photos because something a pictures tells a thousand words. And this one below should tell you that I was packing it!!

But slowly I made it down the rocky section and back onto some much loved dirt. It was a most beautiful course, rolling hills everywhere you looked.

We ran along some more dirt sections and rocky sections and then we hit the rainforest. The changes in scenery around me were so impressive that day. It was breathtaking.

Apologies for the awful selfie, but at least i’m still smiling 🙂

I took a break from photos through the middle sections which included the Furber Steps, as i concentrated on making it to the checkpoint within the cutoff time. I ran a few sctions with a lady called Tina, she was a lot faster than me on the flats so we played leap frog through a couple of sections here.

She was a bit lost as we approached the Scenic Railway and thankfully i knew this section so I guided her towards the Furber Steps. When I was about halfway up Furber Steps I looked back and saw Sarah-Jane, and if you’ve read the blog about my first marathon then you’ll probably remember this name. SJ kept me company during my first marathon and we ran most of the second half of the race together. She’s an amazing ultra runner (who sparked the idea of doing an ultra long ago) and has a heart of gold. I was so happy to see her and we chatted all the way to the top of the stairs. She encouraged me all the way to the top and I was so glad to have bumped into her on the course.

I made it to the checkpoint in 4 hrs 45 mins, so that gave me half an hours grace. I was so happy to have made it within the cut off time, as they had strictly told me that I would be pulled from the race if I did not meet the cut off. I wanted to get in and out as quick as possible too, as I still needed to make it to the finish line within 9 hours, and there was another 20km of tough course to come.

We also ran into Sherin who unfortunately had to pull herself out of the race due to problems with her foot. But it was a mart idea for her as she didn’t want to jeopardise her TNF chances. So I wished her well and re-filled my water bladder and 2 electrolyte flasks, grabbed a banana and some lollies and headed with SJ and a few others back down the Furber stairs, I wanted to try and stay with them for as long as possible.

They pulled ahead of me a little while after we had reached the flat section below and i settled in for some quiet alone running time with yours truly. It was a great time for me to clear my head and assess how I was feeling. I had not had enough water and so I started making an effort to try and drink more than I had been all morning.

The time alone was very relaxing and it geared me up ready for the final hills that were to come. I knew there was another rocky section ahead of me and then the infamous Kedumba walls as the final climb.

There were more and more rocks developing along the trail and it was getting steeper.

I looked up to my left at one point and the cliffs were amazing (below).

The next 2 photos are the official race photographers shots (GeoSnapShot.com) and they give you an idea of how steep some of the sections were. I’ve even got my hand on my knee to help me up at this point.

The photographer just sort of appeared out of nowhere, so i’m glad I was smiling.

Then we left the rocks behind again and headed through another rainforest section. The colours and landscapes were all so different and it was almost surreal to be running in this place. Here’s Tina giving me a smile for the camera (below).

Then we headed for Kedumba walls and I was on track to make it within the cut off time. I ran a large section with Blake and we chatted about life and about running. He and his wife were expecting a baby soon so she’d had to stop running only recently, which was driving her nuts. One day I will probably have to do the same, but not for a little while yet… Margie, don’t get excited. You can sit back down! (ha ha)

Kedumba was tough, very tough. After all the grueling kilometers it was a slow journey to the end and i spent most of it by myself when I pushed Blake to go on ahead and not let me hold him back.

I climbed and climbed and it felt like it was never going to end. But I managed to catch up to a guy called Darren who had run with SJ and i earlier. We chatted a little and eventually I let him go ahead too as he was speeding up and i didn’t have it in me.

However he did encourage me to keep running and moving to get to the line quicker and with that I started running again as soon as I hit the peak of the hill. I ran the last couple of kilometers and crossed the line in 8 hours 36 minutes and 22 seconds, 3rd last over all.

You could not wipe the smile off my face and as i crossed the finish line SJ was waiting for me with my medal and to give me a big hug!! I’d had my doubts the week before the run and I was so happy to have completed another exciting chapter in my journey to TNF100.

I came away from the race feeling a lot more confident about the big challenge that lies ahead in May, as i had handled this race and the course very well in my eyes. Especially when you consider that there were 11 people who unfortunately DNF (did not finish).

Now it’s time to taper and prepare for the biggest race of my life – bring on The NorthFace100 – 3 weeks to go!!

Happy Trail Running 😀

Preparing for Mt Solitary & other news

Posted on April 23, 2014 by laurenhailey

What about that elevation chart?!?!

This Saturday i’m running the RunningWild Mt Solitary 45km Ultra in the Blue Mountains, and although i’m looking forward to the last long run before my taper, it’s going to be the toughest course I have ever run to date!

So in preparation for this big race I decided to go for a massage yesterday and i’m so glad that I did, my body feels so much better today. Now for some carb loading and a few good night’s of sleep before the early start n Saturday.

In other news, today I was interviewed by a journalist for an article that will be published in Runners World magazine (I’m not sure which issue yet but I’ll keep you posted). The story will be about my running and also about my Fitness Ambassador role with UNSW Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA). I’m so excited about being in a magazine that I’ve been reading it for years, and I even get a photo shoot so they can include a picture of me running.

If you are interested to know more or would like to donate please use this link: https://cheba2.everydayhero.com/au/running-hailey

Happy Running 😀

Australia’s Toughest Half Marathon

Posted on March 24, 2014 by laurenhailey

The Running Wild Kedumba Half Marathon is described as ‘Arguably Australia’s toughest half marathon’ and (although I have not run many half marathons) I do agree. My legs have never felt like that before!! Check out the elevation chart below:

If you ask me why I had signed up for this race I would not be able to give you an answer. Maybe I like pain, or maybe I really am crazy like my friends keep saying. Either way, there I was getting up at 4am to drive from to the Blue Mountains to run the Kedumba Walls. And the term ‘Walls’ definitely describes what we climbed that day!

I arrived at the start/finish area about 6.40am to register and collect my bib. I ran into Lise from CHeBA and saw many other familiar faces that I’ve met over the past 6 months. It’s surprising how many people you see consistently turning up to races. And it’s lovely to have a chat about how their training is coming along and recent races, I really like hearing what everyone else has been up to.

A few people I met (while lining up for the porta loo) had competed in the Tarawara Ultra in New Zealand the week before, and due to Cyclone Luisi they had unfortunately been pulled from the race as the cut off times got moved during the race for safety reasons when the weather declined. Both of them were very upset to get a DNF (Did Not Finish) but could see the importance of safety. Frustrating nonetheless, but there’s always 2015…!

There were about 150 people competing in today’s race and there was also a short course option of 10km. I ran into Paul from our Sydney Striders Six Foot training group and we chatted about the upcoming NorthFace100 which he had just decided to enter. We started the race together when the gun went off at 7.30am I stayed with him for most of the race. I almost caught up to him right near the end too!

The first 10km of the course was down hill so it would be a lot faster than the trip back up!! We were so high at the start that we could see glimpses of the fog below us as we descended down the Kedumba Walls. I got talking to John another gentleman who I’ve met out on the trails before. I had a great time chatting to many new and old faces during the race and it’s probably what kept me going and kept me positive.

Thankfully the course was mostly fire trail, except for the small rocky section before and after the river crossing at the bottom (which they had added for fun!), I do love a river crossing and my feet enjoyed the cold water as I went through. But before I got to that section I decided that I would count the runners coming back up the hill towards me so I could gauge what place I was coming. I don’t know why I wanted to know what place I was in, it’s not like I am fast or anything, but it gave me something to strive for. I knew there weren’t too many females taking part in the race so I guess I had a better chance than in most races with a bigger turnout. And as I got to the river crossing I realised that i was in 5th place, but I knew it wouldn’t last long.

I made sure I encouraged the runners coming towards me as I went past them on my way back towards the mountain. I was also promising myself to stay positive and just keep lifting the legs. The return trip would be a lot harder and I knew I would have to dig deep.

I ran a few of the less steeper sections of the mountain, but for most of it I walked and power walked. It was so steep in some sections that I had to rest my hands on my knees for support to lift my legs, it was crazy! My legs have never worked so hard walking before! Thankfully there were some beautiful views on the way back down and i stopped to get a quick shot on one of the bends, with about 4km still to go. It was good to take my mind off my legs if only for a minute.

Of course by this point I had been overtaken by a lot more people, but not as many as I thought might go past me. I had counted 3 women go past me so I knew I was in about 9th place and thought to myself that it would be awesome to come in the Top 10. So that was my new plan, not to let any other women overtake me.

And then about 2km from the end an older lady called Alma came up behind me and encouraged me to run so we ran together from here until the end. We were still climbing but it was not as steep as earlier and I was determined not to let her get ahead of me. We caught up to another lady who was struggling about 1km from the end and I gave her some encouragement (while secretly smiling that I had overtaken her).

Then we saw the (heavenly) gates at the top of the hill which indicated the rest was downhill and we both sighed with relief. My legs were really feeling it so I decided to give them a stretch out and use gravity to propel me down the hill, I pushed as hard as I could and speed up giving it everything i had left in the tank.

I ended up in 9th place and I was thrilled to have been able to push myself so much without stopping. It was such a hard walk/run back up the mountain and I’m not sure that I would venture out to do it again….. but you never know. At least it was good hill training.

Happy Running 😀

RunningWild at Wentworth Falls

Posted on February 16, 2014 by laurenhailey

Yesterday we were lucky enough to run 16km at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains and it was one of the most spectacular courses I have had the pleasure of running on, even if it was pouring with rain the whole time!

Wave 1 were the first group to go and they lined up before us ready to run. We even had Brendan Davies competing who had won The NorthFace last year, a very skilled runner.

And here’s a shot of me, Rach, Emily & Kate, representing Sydney Harbour Runners waiting for our wave to start.

The first section of the course was down a trail, some slippery boards and very muddy patches as it had rained lightly for most of the night. It was a very green spot and there seemed like a lot of hills at the start, though mostly down (always worrying, ha ha).

We broke out of the greenery at one point and the view took your breath away….. the fog was eerily covering some of the mountains and about 30 seconds after this shot below you couldn’t see the mountains at all. We timed it well.

There was a lock of single track and stairs and running along the edge of mountains, very slippery. I had actually worn my new Salomon Speedcross 3’s to give them a go on the short course, I thought with the weather conditions they’d be a good test and they did not let me down. They fit so comfy from the moment I put them on and they held up great through the different and slippery trails that laid before us.

I remember having to concentrate a lot on this run as there were lots of trip hazards and puddles and everything was slippery. But when you did remember to look up it really was quite amazing.

Below is one of the driest sections of the course. It looked so different in comparison to the rest of the very green rainforest that we ran through for most of the trail, such a vast comparison.

And this next section was one of my favourites. We crossed the water going over the waterfall and got to climb back up the mountain next to the beautiful sounds of the running water. If you look carefully you can see runners on the left. How magical is this!?!?

I had to slow myself down a few times during this run as it was a training run and I was meant to be taking it easy. And i’m so glad I did because it meant I got to enjoy the area we were running. I just love running up here in the blue mountains, every time I do it takes my breath away.

Kate and I came to a lovely fast downhill section with some stairs and we started leaping through the air! We felt like kids again and laughed our way down that section. What a blast!!

This was such a great course!! Breathtaking views, stunning trails and very technical in parts so good practise at all types of terrain. At one point I even lost my foot under the mud, gross! ha ha I highly recommend getting your butt out of bed even when it’s wet as it was more than worth the effort.

It got very cold straight after the race too, so always pack some dry clothes so you can get changed and warm quickly. Thank you RunningWild for an awesome event!!

And here’s a nice muddy shot of my shoes/legs after the run – dirt rules!!

Happy Running 😀

Hails Trails

I love to move and be outdoors, a lot.

Tag Archives: runningwild

Running Wild Lawson Long Course

It’s a good thing I love hills!

Preparing for Mt Solitary & other news

Australia’s Toughest Half Marathon

RunningWild at Wentworth Falls