The Long Run Blogzine Issue 2

r o f t s u j t no hletes triat

issue 02

the long run.

ShiT tats!

Track v trail the sub 2 hour marathon achilles tendinopathy part 2 UTWT - Needs improvement training tips and more!

Strength

Training

why it’s good for ya

Post Run Beverages

What runners drink and what it says

Vic Mitchell not your average chick!

warning

The following pages contain: - Offensive language - Highly opinionated articles - Possible nudity - Poor spelling - Bad grammar - Stolen photos

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contents 6 All the gear, no idea 7 front of the pack; lucy bartholomew 8 Stuff & things 10 the sub 2 hour marathon 13 session: quarters 14 women’s only events - what’s the point?

16 strength training for endurance athletes 19 Vic mitchell - not your average chick!

24 what’s wrong with the UTWT 26 achilles tendinopathy part 2 28 the beer and the athlete 32 road v trail 34 tattoo nightmares

Editor’s note:

The first blogazine seemed to go down fairly well. As far as I know, no one was offended and according to feedback it actually stirred a bit of conversation. It seems my ramblings and opinions are of interest, or at least provide some light entertainment. In all honesty, by no means do I think I know best. Much of what I say might be utter bullshit. But typing out my thoughts and then playing with photos to do the layout of this little publication is somewhat therapeutic. It allows me to vent when I don’t have someones ear the chew off about stuff that either gets me thinking or pisses me off.

Hopefully this one goes as well as the first. There are a few well thought out articles written by others, and some brief Mr Negative Pants spiels by me. It’s easy to tell which ones are which. The educational pieces are generally penned by professionals in the given field and have ACTUAL info, not just opinions!

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All the Gear. No Idea!

Regardless of needing half the crap we buy, every runner loves new stuff. Below are some non-essential essentials worth looking at, or avoiding.

camelbak podium chill

Drink bottles use to be just a vessel for holding your fluids.

Not anymore! Now they have special features like a jet valve so your drink comes out fast and furious, but only when you suck on the nozzle.

Plus a lockout top that means no leaks when the bottle is in your backpack or rolling around the back seat of the car. Another cool thing you can find on this fancy bottle is insulation that keeps the contents chilled. No more drinking warm water on a hot day after a hard run.

NIKE zoom terra KIGER

5 Reasons I love these shoes: 1. They look cool 2. They’re a neutral fit 3. I’m sponsored by Nike 4. They are super comfy 5. They’re light yet supportive

hammer peanut butter gel Possibly the worst nutritional product I’ve come across. I’m all for something different and flavours that are more easily consumed when you’re sick of the sweet taste of most gels, but this is just horrible! I already struggle with Hammer gels as they’re quite thick, but add a shit flavour to the mix and I’m even more against them. That said, the huckleberry flavour is probably one of the best tasting gels I’ve tried.

Look at him. Isn’t he just magnificent. That relaxed yet fierce look in his eyes. The masculine yet approachable appearance.

It’s just inspiring.

I started my love affair with Tucks quite some time ago. He was this dude that ran well at any distance.

Not afraid of testing the pins in a 3,000m track race and then hit the trails for an ultra a few weeks later. What sealed the mancrush deal was the 2014 TNF100. Here Andrew used an approach to racing that has seem him become somewhat of a legend. He started slow, built his way into it and then powered home to a climactic sprint finish that saw him place second. It reads like a man that made love to a race. I too reached a simultaneous climax watching the intense closing stages. He’s a generous lover...I mean racer.

In all seriousness, you won’t meet a more humble bloke, who has achieved a heck of a lot. Most recently placing 6th at Ultra Trail Mt Blanc!

Front of the Pack

Andrew TUCKEY

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Stuff & Things barefoot runners are morons The idea that barefoot running is somehow better for you than running in footwear is just plain dumb. But a whole lot of morons got sucked in by reading a book about some shufflers getting around in sandles and suddenly it’s the most efficient way to run. Well, the reality is you’re more likely to get injured and if you’ve watched a barefoot runner in a road race they look like they’ve crapped themselves as they awkwardly jog along. Yes, historically we didn’t have shoes, but we also didn’t have concrete footpaths or paved roads.

Also, only when you are running very fast are you forefoot striking. The rest of the time you’re like the smart people in joggers and landing on your heels.

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being anal about running If you’re a regular reader of The Long Run website, you might have seen this already. If you don’t visit the site daily then you should.

Some say it’s the best thing on the internets! Essentially, one of our regular bloggers, our WOGOR (Wife or Girlfriend of Runners) discovered that Pjur Analyse Me anal lube is ideal for your feet. No, not to be able to stick your hoof in your partners bum (Even though it could be good for this purpose).

But instead as a means to prevent chafing on your feet during long runs. Apparently it works a treat, also on your nipples. As to its quality for what it’s actually made for, I’m yet to have had a report from her or her partner. But I can tell you my mate has never complained of having a sore arse.

fun runners. why is it if your gps watch says 5.2km you'll say a 5km course was long. But if it said 4.8km you'll post on facebook about how fast you ran and claim the time?

There's no hiding on the track...that's why a lot of you buggers avoid it!

RUN or hike?

There’s a phenomenon I’ve noticed where race directors are going about creating events that are becoming increasingly longer or tougher. It’s almost as though there’s a pissing contest to see who can be the more extreme. But there’s a point at which an ultra marathon simply becomes a long hike, thanks to either the distance or massive amounts of vertical gain across the journey....or the inability of the competitors. A good example is the Tahoe 200 mile event in US this year. Apart from attracting bugger all entrants, the time it took competitors to complete the course suggests that it was more or less a bloody long hike. Now there’s nothing wrong with spending several days on your feet traversing the countryside. But to call it a run is a lie. If you’re hiking more then 25% of the distance then it’s no longer considered to be a running race. Call it a ‘rike’ or some other hybrid term.

This leads me to a phenomenon I call “Extreme mediocrity”. It’s in reference to the athletes out there that enter these obscure and quite long events, but avoid the competitive races out there. Tahoe is a great example. If you were serious about your running, or were the type of runner that loves the scenery or big challenges, then why on earth would you do this race? It’s a shit course, boring and lacks competition.

TNF100 just keeps Growing!

From humble beginnings to now being Australia’s most prestigious ultra marathon. The North Face 100 has firmly established itself as the Queen of the country’s long distance races.

For newcomers to the sport there’s the 50km option, and for the more experienced or adventurous you have the main game - 100km.

The courses are challenging and spectacular. There are serious climbs, loads of stairs, firetrail, single track and a dash of road running. But what makes it so special an event are the spectacular views and supportive atmosphere.

Entries for the 100 sold out but the 50 is still available.

Location: Katoomba, NSW The next edition is in May 2015 www.thenorthface100.com.au

The Sub 2 Hour Ma With the rapid improvement in the marathon world record over the last 10 years, it is becoming more realistic that someone could break two hours for the distance.

Similar to the debate about the sub four-minute mile, this is a barrier that once seemed impossible to surpass, yet some believe it feasible that it will be conquered within the next 20 years. So lets look at the numbers required to attain this lofty goal.

Essentially it works out to be 2:50.5 per kilometre. So at 10km this freak of nature will split about 28:25, which means there’s only a couple Australian runners that could keep up for less than a quarter of the race! The split of sub 60mins for a half marathon is alone an incredible run, but our 2-hour marathon man would only just be warming up by this point. You’d be hard pressed finding a pacemaker capable of leading him through so quickly. Anyone

good enough to do that would likely be vying for the world record themselves.

Now in order to have the type of speed required to run back to back 10km splits of that mentioned above, there are some rough calculations you can do to ascertain approximately what PBs over various distances the runner would realistically be able to achieve. For 5,000m you would think 12:35 was within reason. At 10,000m track he’d be capable of sub 26mins... yep, back to back 13minute 5k’s! You’d also expect a 57minute half marathon PB is well within reason.

When you break down the numbers and look at the splits, it somehow becomes tangible that there will one day be a genetic freak that will come along and have the work ethic and mental toughness to run beneath the two-hour barrier.

Will it happen in the next couple of decades? Probably not.

Sorry white people. Unless you take a lot of drugs you will not run sub 2 hours. Even a juiced up African is gonna struggle!

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arathon

god damn that''s fast!

The marathon world record seems to be getting broken on a regular basis over the last few years. Why is this? Probably because there’s a heck of a lot of money in marathons and a much more sophisticated approach to training for them....and then there’s likely to be a quality doping program going on.

APRIL 2015 - BUFFALO STAMPEDE - CLASH OF THE GUPPIES

TRANS-TASMAN SHOWDOWn

MATT “THE KIWI KID” BIXLEY

V

DAN

“THE GIT”

BLEAKMAN

CAN DAN’S WALK MATCH HIS TALK? WILL AGE FINALLY CATCH UP WITH MATT?

session: This is a common session for anyone that races 1,500m to a marathon. The athletes at the shorter end of the spectrum benefit from the speed endurance and should run the efforts faster and the recoveries slower, and those from the marathon side will enjoy the speed element and can push the floats along.

Session:

8 x 400m with 200m float recovery Total Distance: 4.8km Efforts should be just under 5,000m race pace and recoveries at half marathon race pace. For example a 14:30min 5,000m runner would run 68sec for the reps and 40sec in the floats (Approx. 14:25min total). A 20min 5,000m runner would do roughly 1:35min reps and 60sec floats (Approx total 20:40mins)

PACE GUIDE:

MEN Elite: Sub 14:30 mins Serious: Sub 16 mins Club: Sub 18 mins

quarters

Many distance runners and trail purists don’t do track sessions to the detriment of their improvement as a runner. Speed workouts should be a part of any thorough training regime.

WOMEN: Elite: Sub 16 mins Serious: Sub 18 mins Club: Sub 20 mins

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women's only events.

What's the point?

Note the use of pink. That’s for all the ladies out there.

Apparently pink is for girls.

Ok. I get it. There are generally fewer women running in events than there are men and something needs to be done to fire the ladies up. But what’s with women’s only races? Firstly, it’s sexist.

If I organised a men’s only event, women’s lib groups would probably be up in arms and all the pseudo feminists would come out complaining.

I call them pseudo fems as most so called feminists only choose to wave the flag of oppression when it suits them and ignore the many inequities that exist in their favour.

Secondly, it undermines the whole feminist movement by suggesting that the girls can’t keep up with the guys and are not comfortable around men. Realistically there are plenty of ladies that beat a large portion of the guys in a race and by having blokes to compete against helps motivate them to push harder. And the suggestion

that men can put women off doing a run is stupid.

The blokes are typically too worried about each other and their own race to start trying to pick up girls on the start line. I for one am generally nervous, half asleep and too insecure about my chicken legs to bother chatting to a girl before, during or after a run. And if we’re going to be honest here, it’s usually women that are the judgemental and bitchy ones.

Comments like “Oh my god, look at her outfit!” or “How skinny is she? I bet she has an eating disorder” are the types of things I’ve heard many a female comment while milling around before a race....and yes, she probably does have an eating disorder.

Next we have the commercial sense of it. By saying an event is for one sex and not the other effectively halves the possible entries. Yep, Nike She Runs is a successful promo event and attracts

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large numbers of women. But it’s a unique phenomenon with a huge marketing machine behind it and is more a party than a race.

If you’ve ever seen it, you could be forgiven for thinking you were at the ultimate nightclub where for once the girls outnumbered the guys.

I can understand that there will be some females out there that will find it intimidating to do a fun run. But to say it’s because they don’t like men gawking at them or being hit on by lustful dudes in short, shorts is just plain idiotic. The types of women that think this way are just insecure about their appearance or ability and wouldn’t bother entering an event regardless of it being for a single gender. What’s more, the running world can do without these types of chicks, as lady runners tend to be weird and neurotic enough as it is!

Oh my god, I can’t believe she wore the same outfit as me.

What a bitch!

Strength training for endurance athletes

Strength training has long been thought of as a training method only needed for sprint and power athletes. But there’s plenty of evidence available indicating the importance of it for both novice and elite endurance runners.

Strength training means lifting heavy loads for few repetitions, using free weights or machines in a gym. It can also be completed using just your own body weight, otherwise known as plyometric training.

Endurance athletes, especially runners, will argue that they don’t need to do any strength training

because they don’t need to be strong. However, if you want to get the most out of your training and run as fast as physiologically possible, than you better get lifting! Here’s why:

speed. Strength training increases the percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers and the body’s ability to recruit them, meaning you can develop more power and hit and hold higher speeds.

Speed Whether you want to run a pb for 5k, 10k, 21k or a marathon you need top end

Running economy Strength training will make you a more efficient runner through an improvement in

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Advanced weights program for runners Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8 reps Bulgarian split squats: 3 sets of 8 reps Single leg curls on swiss ball 3 sets 8 reps Single arm cable rows: 3 sets 8 reps Dumbell press on swiss ball: 3 sets 8 reps Pallof press: 2 sets 8 reps Hanging leg raises: 2 sets 8 reps the body’s ability to utilize the stretch-shortening cycle (the storage and use of elastic energy – like a kangaroo bouncing!), improved motor unit recruitment and synchronization, increased intramuscular glycogen and increased enzyme activity.

Injury reduction Strength training increases bone, tendon, ligament and muscle strength more so than just purely running will.

This occurs because greater loads are being lifted and a stronger body means a more durable body. Weight training is also a great way to focus on specific muscles to decrease muscle imbalances and get all the right muscles switching on.

Body composition Resistance training can increase fat free mass and will decrease body fat levels, meaning come race day you are leaner and meaner!

Cross training It’s winter, it’s cold and wet outside or you just don’t feel like running. Strength training is a great way to not only make you stronger but it will also help you maintain your aerobic fitness through increases in mitochondrial and capillary numbers, resistance to fatigue, rate of force development, buffering capacity and metabolic enzyme activity.

When introducing strength training into your running

program remember to start slowly and ideally in your ‘off season’ to allow your body to adapt to the new training stimulus. You are going to be sore from the first few sessions!

Weights will help you avoid having girly legs like mine!

vic mitchell: not your average chick

Vic Mitchell is not your average chick.

Apart from her obvious talents as a runner, she’s a bit, well how do I put this nicely…Out there! Famed for her larger than life personality and penchant for wild hairdos, Vic is also no stranger to the norms every runner experiences. The need for hard work and sacrifice. The overwhelming desire to run. And yes, the harsh reality of injuries. These are things we can all relate to at some level. Yet despite her age - a young 32 years – in her athletic career Vic has gone through a heck of a lot, in what can only be described as a rollercoaster journey.

Apart from being a multiple World Cross Country Championships representative, Vic has also been to two Commonwealth Games, a World Track and Field Champs and an Olympics. It’s quite a list of achievements! But injury and a lack of motivation took their toll and she left the sport for a couple of years. Now though she’s back and hitting form that sees her a genuine shot at making the Rio Olympics. So I caught up with Vic to find out what has brought about this return to the top of the sport.

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personal bests:

800m 2:11.47 1,500m 4:18.01 Mile 4:38.05 3,000m 8:58.42 5,000m 15:36.15 3,000m Steeple 9:30.84 10km Road 33:06

After giving running away for a while, you made a successful comeback and ran at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in the steeplechase. What do you attribute most for getting you back on track and into shape again?

I contribute the recent success not only to the running work I do with the SWEAT squad, but to the Damien Kelly Fitness Studio. Since joining the studio I haven’t been injured, something I was plagued with in the past. Any great success needs consistent work and the strength I get from the studio translates into fast, injury free running.

You had a cracker of a year and once again established yourself as the number one female steeplechaser in the country. What were your highlights for 2014?

My highlights in 2014 were my Australian Championship win and my IAAF World Challenge fall and win!

Gym work plays a big role in your training. What sort of sessions do you do and how often?

The strength work I do is 2-3 times per week. It is mainly high intensity strength circuits with a functional movement focus.

How many kilometres do you run each week during a

build phase?

I am a low km runner now, the most I do now isn’t more than 100km. I’m normally somewhere between 70-90km per week.

What’s your favourite running session?

My favourite running session we do at the moment is 2km, 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m and 5 x 200m. The recovery decreases with the reps and the 200s have only 30secs between... it’s a killer.

I like interval track work the best. I like the feeling of going fast!

You’ve done a few trail races recently, does this mean you might make a

There’s plenty of style and subsstance to this chick. She can run and aint affraid to express herself.

Crazy hairdo

Girlpower attitude

Something to say

move to off-road running one day?

Yes! I adore trail running and will do more of it when my track time is over. Might even do the odd one now and then as well.

Rio Olympics are the major goal, but what steppingstones do you have along the way?

The big steppingstones to Rio were the Commonwealth Games and now World Champs next year. In between are key races such as Nationals in 2015.

If there was one person you could have as a training partner, who would it be and why?

Eloise Wellings and Lisa Corrigan, because they’re not only great athletes, but great friends. I do want to travel down to the Shire and do some sessions with Elzy this season.

Gettin’ shredded at the gym plays a big role in her training. Vic proves you don’t need big miles to run fast at the longer stuff.

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THE FLAWS OF THE ULTR The Ultra Trail World Tour touts itself as being a collection of the world’s leading ultra marathons.

A series of races where the best runners on the planet go head to head in some of the most iconic and challenging courses you’ll find. Yep, part of what they say is true.

The events in the series are spectacular and epic in nature. But there are several problems with the UTWT. Lets start with the races in the circuit. For the most part, they’re fine. You can get an entry and the prices aren’t too silly. But then there are several races where things aint so good. Marathon des Sables for example. It’s a

multiday event that costs an absolute fortune to partake in. It doesn’t attract the elite, only those with plenty of cash or lucky enough to have someone else fork out the doe for them. Then you’ve got Western States.

It’s not open to anyone and everyone, as you have to go through a lottery to score one of the bugger-all entries on offer. Therefore many of the top guys don’t get a start or even try, hence why it’s an America-centric event. It’s ridiculous to include it in the series unless anyone vying for points in the UTWT can enter.

As for the rest of the competitions in the list,

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well they are in awesome localtions and attract great fields, but many of them clash with Sky Running events.

Some would say that this isn’t an issue as the type of runner that does a Sky Run is very different to a UTWT athlete.

Yep, that’s right when it comes to a vertical kilometer or a short distance event, but any Sky Run of marathon or ultra distance will lead to fields becoming split between the two.

The final issues I have with the UTWT concept is that the nature of the events on the calendar and the locations, largely limit how many of these races an athlete can compete in. Realistically,

RA TRAIL WORLD TOUR if you want a shot at the title you have to race every second month, in a different part of the world. Apart from the fatigue of racing so frequently, due to the costs associated and the time required to travel you’ve more or less got to be a professional runner.

Don’t get me wrong. I love what they say they are trying to achieve. Bringing together the best athletes and incentivising participation.

But there are clear issues with the execution that need to be addressed. One thing is proper drug testing. But that’s an article for next issue!

Achilles Tendinopathy Part 2: Insertional In our previous article we discussed exercise rehabilitation techniques for mid tendon Achilles Tendinopathy with a big focus on eccentric heel drops.

In this article we’ll explain why modifications to these heel drops are necessary for people who suffer from insertional Achilles Tendinopathy.

In contrast to mid tendon Achilles Tendinopathy which is felt usually 2-6 cm up from the insertion of the heel bone, insertional Achilles Tendinopathy is felt directly at the insertion onto the calcaneus. Previous research has shown individuals with mid tendon Achilles Tendinopathy have very successful return rates to full training and competition following traditional eccentric

heel drop protocols. However, individuals with insertional Achilles Tendinopathy have much lower success rates in returning to exercise. It’s believed as the foot drops below parallel on the step it causes compression at the insertion point of the tendon and therefore aggravates the area.

To account for this, modifications need to be made to the way the eccentric

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heel drops are performed.

The heel drops should be done on flat ground to prevent the heel dropping below the level of parallel and the exercise should also only be performed with a straight knee. This is in contrast to mid tendon Achilles Tendinopathy where the exercise was performed with both straight and bent knees. Avoiding the bent knee component of the exercise prevents excess compression

occurring to the area.

As with mid tendon Achilles Tendinopathy the exercises should be performed twice daily consisting of 3 sets of 15 repetitions and as the individual becomes adjusted to the exercise they should still look to add resistance to the exercise in the form of a weighted back pack.

Possibly the most boring exercise on the planet. But it works. I don’t have the discipline to do it, hence why I always have sore achilles.

Don’t let this be you! This is wh at it looks like when someone gets their snapped ach illes reattached.

The Beer and the Athlete

What your post race beverage of choice says about you

Most distance runners have a bit of a tendancy to like a celebratory tipple. It’s part of the recovery process and an opportunity to relax over a few beverages after a race. Over the years while enjoying a post run bevy I’ve noticed that there’s a correlation between an athlete and their favourite alcohol. So I canvassed a bunch of runners to see if my drunken observations were accurate.

Andrew TUCKEY He’s a humble yet talented athlete. He likes to build his way into a race and then comes home strongly. But there’s an underlying eccentricity about him.

There’s a quirk and sense of humour only a few would understand.

Brendan Davies & Scott Hawker Now this says a lot. These guys like “Any cold beer.” Men of the people I say. It’s not about the beverage, but the people you share it with and the moments you are reflecting upon.

Caine Warburton Reliable, honest and nothing over the top. Caine is a man’s man but still appreciates a bit of quality in his beer.

There’s a sharpness about him and a versatility in his running. He’s not a bogan, but by no means a yuppie.

Jo Brischetto Lunatic. Hippie. Yoga enthusiast. Need I say more. This is a drink that no one has heard of, but somehow Jo has found it. She’s a unique human. Bloody funny, honest , yet there’s a bit of quirkiness about her that makes ya smile.

Ben St Lawrence Whatever the local drop is! For Ben, first things first - Food! Then he’s keen to try what the residents drink. It’s similar to Braendan and Scott above, in that the approach is simple, but with an element of “Potential looseness” depending on how the day’s race went and the quality of the local drop...and the surroundings.

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Blake Hose Ahh young buck. You’re a good kid, but have a lot to learn. This is the drink for the non-drinker, but the guy that wants to get a bit tipsy, share a laugh and be part of the celebrations with his mates.

This is why Blake is such a likeable fella!

Dan bleakman

This is where the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney meets the inner West. It says, “I’m a bit hip and trendy, but I don’t need a beard and skinny jeans to prove it.” Dan’s been there, done that and now moved on to new challenges.

Ben Moreau Ben is a mad genius. He’s a talent and a workhorse, but still likes to get freaky.

He drinks what an English gentlemen should, but has an overt eccentricity that makes you wonder if he’s all there.

marcus warner

The beverage of choice for the metrosexual.

Apple cider is trendy and yes, I’ll admit it’s nice on a summer day, but for a 40+ male to be drinking it in volume says he’s more style than substance. He’s done Western States, but did he try as hard as he could have?

phil murphy This is a man who is best described as reliable, honest and experienced. His beer says exactly that. It’s not trying hard to be a boutique drop, but still a solid, quality beverage. It’s the old faithful and available at most good pubs.

sean greenhill He’s a man of experience. Sean has been around the traps, raced a lot and also knows the life of the race director. This is a beer for the well versed runner. He may not be a thoroughbred, but he’s seen plenty of turf and can handle a few drinks.

vlad ixel The purist. This gluten free beer is for the runners out there that drink alcohol as a rarity and when they do they are still health conscious, not so much into the whole “Drinking thing”. Their body is a temple...mine is a brothel.

roger hanney Hardcore nutbag! It’s a seriously heavy drink for post race and only the most ‘unique’ of crazies would drop a few of these with an ultra marathon in their legs.

But that’s Roger. He’s...crazy funny!

andrew lee The likeable hardman. Andy is one of the nicest fellas you’ll meet, but he’s still a badass and quality runner. On his day he’s a winner, and on a bad day he’s still gonna make you earn it. A mountain beer for a mountain man.

april 10 -11-12 2015

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Road V TRAIL Running is running, right?

Well if you’re anything like me then you love it in all its forms. Track, road, trail, and mountain. But there are some purists out there that prefer one over the other.

The Road Runner This is someone, usually an urban dweller, that typically focuses on times. They are

forever in search of personal bests for distances like 5km, 10km, half and full marathons. They also tend to think that their Garmin is always accurate and for some reason most courses they raced on were too long and they have to mention it in their post race blogs, just so fellow athletes know they were actually faster than the time given to them by the

Trail runners are typically more environmentally aware...until they get really tired in a race and drop their empty gel packets on the track.

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race organisers.

Road runners also wear the least amount of clothing possible, as every gram matters, plus the men take on some feminine characteristics such as shaven legs and an affinity towards lycra. The really competitive women can often be described as “Skinny bitches”. You know, girls that are unhealthily slim and have a bit of a strut about them. The idea of having a period is a nightmare, as many of them are too malnourished to function normally. For roadies, post race celebrations include carbonated water, salads and telling people that they haven’t been training as much as normal due to injury or for some other reason.

The Trail Runner

Typically hailing from the wilds, they like to think of themselves as being ‘purists’, lovers of running and not in it for glory. Yet for some reason they still enter races and train their asses off, and often enter obscure events so they can be at the pointy end of the field. Also, don’t let the appearance of these rather scruffy looking folks lead you to thinking they’re not into aesthetics. Having a beard and hairy legs (sometimes even the women) is a badge of honour. It says “I’m tough and can move slowly through the bush for extended periods of time.” That’s one of the key attributes of trail purists.

They’re usually not out there looking for fast times, it’s just

Note the minimalist approach to hair and attire. Also, major road races are dominated by African runners, whereas the trail scene is the domain of the white fella.

The African’s chase the cash while the Euro’s are in it for the glory.

about finishing…or at least that’s what they say. Most trail runners would love to win and be fast, but you can’t admit that if you’re part of the scene. Instead you have to be happy to simply finish and enjoy “Playing in the mountains.” Post race is all about drinking craft beer and comparing superlatives about how ‘Hard’ ‘Tough’ or ‘Epic’ your run was. He/she who suffered the most, or can at least say they did, is often the people’s champion. One final thing to note is that trail runners will often have lots of gear, like hydration packs, compression garments and special shoes, and regardless of where they’re running or for how long, these items are mandatory.

There is no way this is a properly functioning woman. But in the elite women’s road scene this is considered healthy.

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tattoo nightmares Every time I see someone with a tattoo of the Ironman triathlon logo on them I want to punch them in the face. If I weren’t such a runt I probably would at least comment to them that their ink work is akin to a dipshit putting a Nike logo on them....and guess what, there are running freaks out there that have this exact tat! So I have trolled the internet and found that the bad running tattoo is almost as common as the “I’ve done 14 hours for an Ironman tri and I have the tat to prove it” inking that you see pictured here. On a final note, I am happy to admit my tats are pretty average. While they’re not running related, they’re half finished and in their current form look like the sort of work an angry teen rebelling against his parents would have.

P34 www.thelongrun.com.au

www.marceauphotography.com lyndon@marceauphotography.com 0402 812 445