The Long Run Issue 6

issue 06

the long run.

s u f f u d n e b the maimnb! can cl

r i u M y b u R she’s back !with a bang

beth cardelli interviewed best of the web news and product tests training tips and more!

: G N I D U L C IN Australian & New Zealand

Skyrunner

- ben duffus talks about his return - new skyrunning committee - The hounslow race report - world champs selection criteria

warning

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

contents 6 All the gear, no idea 7 front of the pack; brad milosevic 8 Stuff & things 10 best of the web 13 session: stairs 14 gear tests 15 ruby muir - back with a bang 21 bright alpine 4 peaks report 24 beth cardelli - the pocket rocket 28 why so serious? a blog by blake hose 30 skyrunner magazine 31 the latest news 32 world champs selection criteria 34 the hounslow race report 39 ben duffus - the man can climb!

44 The Ultra Easy - race one in the 2016 ANZ series Cover: Scott Hawker on his way to victory in the 2015 Ultra Easy 100km

P4 www.thelongrun.com.au

THE CHOICE OF

CHAMPIONS

Ben Duffas

Scott Hawker

Caine Warburton

3rd Sky Running World Championships 2014

2nd TNF100 2015

Australian Sky Running Champion 2014

5th TNF100 2014

7th Lavaredo Ultra Trail 2014

9th Sky Running World Championships 2014

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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.

r8 roll recovery

Self-massage the easy way! These little gadgets are a great alternative to foam rolling and working out some of the posttraining soreness. The wheels freely move across your muscles and apply ample pressure for flushing out the toxins and loosening tight spots, plus they’re compact and relatively light weight.

More info at: www.rollrecovery.com.au

chief bars - meaty yum yums!

Yes, you read the packaging correctly. These bars contain meat! It’s kinda like lamb or beef jerky with a dash of almonds and some berries. It doesn’t sound like a tasty post or pre workout treat, but in actual fact they’re really nice. They’re all natural, high in protein and dairy free. Give ‘em a go, you just might enjoy them.

camelbak forge

So what’s a travel mug doing in a running mag? Well, you’d be lucky to find a person that doesn’t like a hot beverage, be it pre or post run. Personally, a cup of tea and walk with the pug is my favourite way to work off some after-training stiffness. This vacuum-sealed, double-walled steel mug has serious insulation that keeps the good stuff hot for hours.

It works so well that three hours after making my tea I scolded my tongue when having a sip after a long run in the mountains. There’s a self-sealing lid that’s easy to operate with one hand and it never leaks or spills, even when driving down a bumpy fire trail.

He might only be new on the trail running scene, but already he’s making his mark. Aaron hails from Victoria’s Mt Beauty and has a mountain bike and cycling background so he knows how to suffer.

It seems he’s using this strength to his advantage and hitting the climbs hard to reel in the opposition.

With high placings in plenty of races including victory in the 23km event at The Hounslow Classic, Aaron is one to watch in the years to come.

What we like most about this guy is his relaxed attitude, confidence in his ability and his like of a post-race beer!

Front of the Pack

aaron knight

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Stuff & Things the pace22 has arrived The Ultra-Trail Australia 100 and 50 are both well-established events, so we thought we’d take a look at the new additions to the biggest weekend of trail running in Australia, and first cab off the rank is the U-TA Pace 22, named so thanks to the support of Pace Athletic (The best trail running stores in Sydney and online!) as well as the distance of 22km. The length is just long enough to be a serious challenge, but it’s the downs, ups and stairs that will really test you. Click here for more info!

the shit guy Whatever happened to the “Shit guy”?

Well, he just ran 2:12:07 for 11th place at the Frankfurt Marathon. By the way, “Shit guy” isn’t his real name.

It’s actually Mikael Ekvall and he’s a bloody good runner!

"Inside I was thinking

world’s longest half mara

- ruby muir

Next time you stop your GPS at the end of a race and get annoyed that is says you ran a tad further than the event flyer said the distance was, think of the people that entered the Bangkok Half Marathon this year.

Instead of 21.1km of fun, they got an extra 8km for free! However I’m not sure many of them appreciated doing 29km.

‘fuck this’ I had worked so hard for 90kms and I wasn't prepared to let it go."

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100km 4,100+ D 30th January Wanaka, New Zealand

theultraeasy100.nz

best of the web SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR STUFF ON THE LONG RUN WEBSITE THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED the UTA951 Stair Time Trial New in 2016 at Ultra-Trail Australia (Formerly The North Face 100) is the UTA951 which pitches runner against mountain in a time trial from the Scenic Railway lower station, to the base of Furber Steps and all the way to the top of the cliffs at Scenic World.

It traverses the final quad burning and lung-busting ascent to the finish of the 100km and 50km events at Ultra-Trail Australia and is something most competitors dread....

Click here to read the article!

Dave byrne yurrebilla ultra report Since my trail running journey began I’ve always talked about how friendly and supportive the off-road running community is. They’re all so bloody nice!

Well, at the Yurrebilla Ultra they took it to another level. It all began several weeks earlier when I flew to Adelaide to meet the committee, run with some of the competitors and have a look at part of the course....

Click here to read the article!

R8 Roll Recovery - Massage Made Easy As a runner you’re always on the lookout for the latest and greatest gadgets that either look cool, or more importantly, improve your performance. Most of the time we fall victim to gimmicks. Stuff that’s promoted with slick marketing slang or has the support of a famous athlete and a bit of pseudo-science to back up exaggerated claims. Often it’s a case of style over substance.....

Click here to read the article!

P10 www.thelongrun.com.au

blake hose - a rollercoaster year After a nice start to 2015 with some results I am incredibly happy with, a little bit of inexperience and overexuberance definitely got the best of me throughout the mid to late portion of the year. Having a couple of podiums under my belt, I was of course keen to test myself against all the best international runners and take my given opportunities to race overseas where I could....

Click here to read the article!

Make sure you visit www.thelongrun.com.au for training tips, news, gear reviews and more running related features!

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session: stair training Most runners prefer to stick to the flat and fast stuff when it comes to doing reps. Fair enough too, because generally it’s more specific to the racing we typically do and a major purpose of doing repeats is to develop speed. However it can also be hugely beneficial to throw in occasional stair repeats. While running up and down a bunch of steps might seem more suited to folks that do those crazy tower races, the reality is, there’s value in it for every runner. The benefits of stair sessions include engine building, increased glut/quad power and overall leg strength, as well as improved lactic threshold and running form.

How to introduce stair sessions: Start slowly! Don’t go straight into doing 10 sets of sprinting up and down flights of stairs as it will only lead to injury. To begin with, just do 4 or 5 easy repeats of 20 to 40 stairs, alternating between doing two steps at a time and one step at a time. Focus on good technique and not speed. The recovery is the run back down. Take care and descend one step at a time as it loads your quads up a lot less and is much safer. Do this once a week for a couple weeks before slowly increasing the speed and number of reps. The end goal should be 10 to 15 sets of 30+ stairs, but it should take around three months to reach this point.

stair training

stair sessions are often regarded as the poor cousin of the hill rep. There’s something about them that makes stairs unattractive to the average runner But we think it’s well worth taking the plunge and giving them a go!

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gear tests

la sportiva helios sr I bought a pair of La Sportiva Helios Shoes for the 2014 Pomona King of the Mountain race. This is a super steep up and down event on a sketchy trail so I was after a light shoe that had lots of grip but also plenty of responsiveness - The Helios performed superbly!

I have since continued to use them for other trail races and they’ve been great over distances from 4 to 42 kilometres. The only time I have felt that they lacked something was on really rocky ground when moving at speed. You occasionally would feel a rock more than you would like to. But on terrain like that the solution was to wear another shoe like the La Sportiva Bushido.

But now La Sportiva has released the Helios SR. The SR model retains the same qualities I was so happy about in the Helios but with the added protection of a sole stone guard.

They are still super-light and responsive but the rock plate gives you more protection on rocky ground. So for most rocky trails you encounter the Helios SR’s are a superb addition to the La Sportiva range. They should be available soon so let a retailer know you are keen for them. I have been training in them lots and these are my new “Go to” shoe for trail running and racing.

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by aaron knight

grivel mountain runner comp pack out, which you could expect from a quality product developed only recently.

The standout feature of the Grivel is its robust construction. It’s built to last but is still light enough to race with. Compared to my other pack it’s 80 grams heavier however I’d rather carry that additional weight and know the pack will survive my next adventure and many more to come!

More info here: http://www.grivel.com/ products/rock/rucksacks/79-mountain_ runner_comp

by aaron knight

I must be becoming a mountain runner because I now have two running packs!

It seems to be an item people collect a few of as they seek greater comfort or options in load carrying capacity. I bought a pack years ago to do an event and hated it. I sold it the next week. But after borrowing packs a few times for long runs I was convinced by friends to try the new ‘vest’ style ones.

The second pack I purchased was a winner!

A Grivel Mountain Runner Comp Pack was given to me to trial after the Hounslow Classic. It is also a ‘vest’ style pack that I feel works best for mountain running. It is listed as having a 5-Litre capacity and uses front mounted bottles to carry fluids (2 x 500ml). Despite it’s small size, it has lots of additional pockets for gels, bars and other gear you take onto the trails when a pack is required. I really like the zippered pockets that allow quick access but also keep gear secure.

Most importantly I like the fit and feel of the Grivel and what’s more adjustments can be easily made before or during a run. This means that as you reduce the amount of liquids you’re carrying or dump/ add stuff at an aid station you can easily tighten or loosen the vest. With a few minor modifications you could also use a bladder. It’s certainly comparable in all areas to other packs I have used or checked

guided trail runs in the Victorian alps

www.alpinetrailrunning.com.au

ruby muir One of the most naturally telanted trail runners has found her way back from injury....and now on the roads!

How did you get started in the sport?

Actually I always used to run and win my school cross countries as child but I never trained for them or anything and running wasn’t really considered a sport at my school just something that you had to do once a year.

I really started as a young teen, maybe 16 or 17. My father was dying of brain cancer my world was falling apart and had a lot of emotions to deal with so I started running. A lot of my runs were fuelled by anger or frustration but it quickly developed into a way to have control at time when my life was very much out of my control. I loved it and am a very driven person so when by chance I found I was good at it I just kept on going.

What is it about trail running that you love the most?

All the clichĂŠd things. I love being in nature and feeling a part of nature. I love seeing beautiful places and being inspired by my surroundings. Also I love really challenging technical runs where I can smash the down

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hills; feeling bad ass and a little bit out of control. I am dealing with a serious quad injury at the moment however, so haven’t been tearing up any downhills for the last year.

Where is your favourite place to train?

At the moment I am doing almost all of my training on the rural roads around Hawkes Bay. I haven’t been able to handle lots of miles on the trails since my injury. I am loving the road training and believe it is the best place to train in terms of actually getting fit and achieving goals. If and when I can, however, I love to train in the gnarly back country, although to be honest, it is more playing then training.

The Kaweka Ranges in Hawkes bay are brutal, with back country tracks and huts used primarily by hunters.

I love it in there, the ranges are uncompromising with huge ascents and descents and it’s stunningly beautiful.

What athlete or person inspires you the most with your running?

I don’t really have any big role models.

I guess it’s really my partner Kristian.

We are both runners and both work very hard at it and do a lot of our training together. Even if we are both chasing different goals, having him putting in the work every day too is very motivational and keeps me honest.

What’s your most memorable racing experience?

I am torn between talking about racing Tarawera in 2015 or DNFing at the Mont Blanc 80km in 2014, they are experience from completely different ends of the spectrum but both are very memorable. During Tarawera Ruth Croft caught me at 10kms to the

finish, after I had been leading for 90kms. I was feeling utterly spent right before she caught me and my quads and calf were both completely blown and I was doubting if I was going to be able to run the last 10km. And then she caught me. I was really scared that if she drew ahead of me I would give up. She ran up until she was perfectly in line with me and we looked each other in the eyes and traded pleasantries.

Inside I was thinking “fuck this” I had worked so hard for 90kms and I wasn’t prepared to let it go.

So I put in my head phones and turned up some heavy metal and tried to put the hammer on. It felt like I was hauling ass but it was probably only 5 minute kms at best. She held on for another 5kms or so, before I managed to pull ahead. It felt great to have such a close battle and to feel so well and truly tested. During Mont Blanc I suffered from some terrible altitude sickness. It wasn’t that high but I have learnt that I really cannot handle altitude well.

I was sick and dizzy and unable to keep any food down, vomiting again and again. I became really clumsy so took some big falls.

Basically, everything that could go wrong did. Anyway, I got some cell reception coming off one of the biggest climbs and called Kristian who was following the race online back in NZ. I had a little wha to him, and told him how horrible I was feeling and how I didn’t think I could make it safely down the mountain, and how I needed to pull out. It was really surreal to be talking to him from the side of a mountain in Chamonix during a race. Anyway he contacted my crew and when I finally made it down the bastards made me

keep going! I summited another mountain before finally DNFing.

At some point during the race I had a nasty fall and tore off my vastus intermedius, which I have been dealing with ever since. I was way too out of it to even know for sure when the injury happened. I made a lot of mistakes during that race and learnt a lot from it.

What does a standard week of training look like?

You trail fans will be aghast! I am training for a road marathon so at the moment I am training between 125-155kms a week.

Two easy doubles Monday. A workout Tuesday, something nasty like 10 x 1km on the track with short recoveries. 26km or so on the roads Wednesday, trying to incorporate some marathon pace work. Two easy doubles Thursday, this is my trail run opportunity of the week. Friday I try to do an easy run and a workout; often a progressive tempo. Saturday another 15km easy. Sunday long run 30-36km.

bright alpine

4 peaks

The Bright 4 Peaks is perhaps Australia’s oldest continuously operating trail run. Starting in 1979, it has sent runners and walkers up the alpine peaks surrounding Bright every Melbourne Cup weekend since then.

It epitomizes the simplest maxim of mountain running“I’ll race you to the top of that hill!”

The peaks themselves have changed over the years, but the current four peaks are Mystic Hill (11km), Mt Feathertop via Bungalow Spur (11km), Mt Hotham via Bon Accord Spur (15km), and Mt Buffalo via the Big Walk (10km). One peak each morning, with times

aggregated at the end for the final result.

This year, a washed out bridge on the Bon Accord Track meant Mt Hotham was temporarily dropped and a second climb up Mt Feathertop - this time 9.5km

up Northwest Spur - replaced it.

It creates interesting contests as the terrain demands different skills on different days. Speed, strength, endurance, aggression and patience are all needed to

run well over four days at the Four Peaks. Not many events could place an orienteer (Ralph Street), a crosscountry skier (Ben Derrick), an ultra marathoner (Tom Brazier) and a former cyclist (Aaron Knight) on nearly level standings before the last day.

In 2015, Mountain Sports had taken the event over with a brief from the authorities to make the event safer and closer to modern standards than 1979. So there were more course markings, radio networks on course, smartphone navigational aids, tracking competitors after they’d reached the summits and tighter compulsory gear rules.

These were put to the test on the second day up Bungalow

Spur, when a lightning storm rolled through the area after all the competitors had left.

Of 280 runners who had left Harrietville, most were turned around before making the summit and directed back down. Everyone made it back safely, but as in cycling, the day was neutralised for scoring purposes.

Day three up Northwest Spur was a grueling test.

The track had never seen an organised event before, so the centerpiece was a rude shock to nearly all – ‘The Wall’, a 4.5km stretch that climbs 1,100m. The last walkers left the start at 6am, made the summit just after midday, and were back at their cars

by 5pm in what was a long but spectacular day for competitors and organisers alike.

The last day up Mt Buffalo provides a spectacular finale, up the steps to the front door of the Mt Buffalo Chalet for a BBQ lunch. Meg Reeves from Orange led the ladies field but only by a couple of minutes from Lucy Bartholomew and Gill Fowler, three very different and geographically diverse athletes. Tom Brazier was narrowly guarding his lead over orienteers Ralph Street and Peter Bray, with skiiers Ben Derrick and Valerio Leccardi, and former cyclist (and Hounslow Classic winner) Aaron Knight not far adrift.

10km and 1,200m of climbing later, Meg and Ralph emerged as the winners from over 300 runners over the weekend.

BBQ food and cold drinks were eagerly consumed before returning to Bright to watch the Melbourne Cup. The Bright 4 Peaks will be back in 2016 with more improvements. See www.4peaks.com.au for all the details!

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beth cardelli

she’s the pocket rocket with a passion for big mountains

P24 www.thelongrun.com.au

You’ve had a big season of racing. What has been the highlight so far?

The highlight has been competing in the inaugural Oceania SkyRunning Series.

There has been a mix of existing and new events that have all stepped up to put on a series of great races.

I’ve been fortunate to do four of the seven events; The Hillary, Buffalo Stampede, Mt Difficulty Ascent and Hounslow Classic. This was the first time that I’d done any of these events which have all been very exciting and challenging in their own way. My goal for the year was the Oceania SkyRunning Series and I’m pleased to have accomplished that. I’ve made sure to limit my racing in an attempt to avoid stress related injury. Throughout the year I made sure that I kept my base level of fitness and only tried to peak for events.

Of all the courses you’ve raced, which is the most challenging and which one the most scenic?

The most challenging has been Mt Difficulty Ascent.

Although it was marathon distance, the terrain is very steep and technical, which was made worse by the gale force winds and freezing temperatures. It was a real test of character to get through that event.

For the most scenic I’d like to say Hounslow Classic, because it is, but The Hillary

was exceptionally scenic as I was seeing it for the first time during the race. Every new section of trail on The Hillary course revealed a gorgeous coastal view that drew me along towards the finish.

What specific training did you do to prepare for The Hounslow?

Hills, hills and more hills.

I live in a pretty hilly area north of Sydney so did plenty of hill reps. The ascents are only 200m, but most of them are pretty runnable, so I just went up and down lots of times, pretty much every day for the last three months. I’m also lucky enough to have a training base in Katoomba, so I did what I was doing at home, just on the bigger mountains in the Upper Blue Mountains. To push me a long during training runs I’d joined some of my faster friends and they’d help lift the intensity.

Your win at The Hounslow secured you the Skyrunning ANZ series points victory.

This means you’re headed for the World Champs in 2016! What will you do in the lead up?

I haven’t looked that far ahead yet. I don’t even know which European race will be hosting the SkyRunning World Championship. I do know that I’ll be choosing the ultra distance. Better value for money right? I’ve

learnt from previous race trips overseas that it pays to do some course recce beforehand and some training at real altitude helps subdue the symptoms come race day.

How does a normal week of training look for you?

I’m weekly runs are unstructured. My preference is to run entirely on trails. I run every day, some times up to 3 times a day. Saturday’s I do a longish run with my husband, at least for the first bit. On Sunday’s I run with my local club, Berowra Bush Runners.

My dogs get a run every day of the week, which is my fartlek training. I try to do one session of speed intervals at least once a week. Occasionally I remember to wear a GPS watch for my runs and I easily clock up 100km weeks, occasionally a lot more leading up to big races. My golden rule is to just have fun.

What’s your favorite session or training run?

Any training session that I get to run with friends in the Blue Mountains is the best.

If you weren’t running ultras, what would you do with all the spare time?

Probably helping to grow the Australian population.

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why so serious?

A blog by blake hose

Training is a complex process that can be hard to master and harder to measure, so most of us never really know what parts of our program are helping our performance and what parts are hindering it. Adding confusion to the never-ending pursuit of our own potential is the latest scientific research which seems to always contradict the research released just before it.

I don’t dismiss the science — it plays an important part in our athletic lives — but it should only be a valueadd, never a replacement.

And these days it’s way too easy to focus on the latest training techniques and diet fads while forgetting the simplest and most important things: foundations. And laying foundations is the key to consistent training and improvement.

Good foundations don’t only get laid during training though, which is something I’ve seen first-hand during our 9-day Run Crew training camp in the Blue Mountains.

Living, eating, and training with athletes the likes of Ben St Lawrence (an Olympian and, with a PB of 27:24, the fastest Australian ever over 10,000 meters) is not what you might expect it to be — there are no radical diets and no radical training techniques; he eats healthy and balanced while training hard and smart.

He’s incredibly laid-back

and relaxed… all day every day. Now I’m not saying that Benny’s too relaxed and that he should be more radical or serious, but for me, having come from the cycling world, I’ve seen much lessor athletes take training much more seriously with much less success. So to see Ben’s approach is a breath of fresh air.

Consistency, discipline, and life balance are three more keys to Ben’s incredible success. He’s focused and driven when he needs to be but he doesn’t let training consume his life unnecessarily. He knows that living and breathing your sport 24/7 isn’t balance, it’s stress. And stress doesn’t add to your performance, it subtracts from it. If you’re stressing over next week’s training sessions how focused can you possibly be on today’s training and recovery?

Finally, flexibility: life’s too unpredictable to be inflexible. We can’t predict when work, family, or injury will interrupt our training program but we can be flexible enough to rearrange around it. Ben’s an incredible athlete but he’s still an everyday human like the rest of us, so don’t think for a second that he doesn’t alter his training when need be.

It’s a relief to see somebody so good living and training so normal. We could all learn a lot from Mr St Lawrence.

Seriously!

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Skyrunner Australian & New Zealand

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editorial and news a note from skyrunning ANZ

world champs criteria what you need to know to qualify

the hounslow report hills and thrills in the blue mtns

ben duffus the steeper the better

the ultra easy check out race 1 in the 2016 series

www.Skyrunninganz.com

a note from skyrunning ANZ:

new leadership In exciting news, Skyrunning Australia and New Zealand recently created a new management committee, with founding president Marcus Warner handing over the reins to David Byrne as the new president. Joining Dave is Matt Cooper, taking on the role of Race Director liaison, as well as Caine Warburton heading up the high performance side of things as the athlete liaison.

This development not only brings about a change in governance for Skyrunning ANZ, but also a fresh new approach to strategy and communications. What does this mean for runners?

Well, to begin with we aim to introduce more events across a variety of disciplines. This means plenty of opportunities to test yourself on some of the most spectacular and challenging courses in Australia and New Zealand. Coupled with this we will have development events that may not fulfill the criteria to be Skyraces, but they are in keeping with the mountain culture of the sport and provide a stepping-stone to becoming a Skyrunner!

In the weeks ahead you will see plenty of news and developments with the sport in our region and we advise you frequent the website and facebook page to keep up to dat.

meet the new team: These are the smiling faces that will be your point of contact for any information regarding Skyrunning in ANZ. The team brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table, but most importantly we possess a huge amount of passion for the sport. Please keep a lookout for us around the trails and feel free to say hello and ask any questions you might have. What matters most to us is making Skyrunning the best it can be & that means we need all of you - the athletes & race directors - to share the passion and journey with us!

caine warburton

matt cooper dave byrne

world champs selection criteria

in 2014 the ANZ skyrunning world championships team performed well beyond expectations. here’s what you need to do to make the 2016 team

In order to attend the Skyrunning World Championships, to be held in Vall de Boi (Spanish Pyrenees) from July 22nd – 24th athletes are required to email their interest in selection to Caine Warburton (caine.warburton@ gmail.com). Within that email please include relevant race results from 2015/2016 and indicate which discipline/s you wish to be considered for at the Skyrunning World Championships.

Selection Criteria: 1) Win the 2015 ANZ Series 2) First AU or NZ in the 2015 ANZ Championships (Marathon/Ultra) 3) First AU or NZ in the 2016 Buffalo Stampede (Marathon/Ultra) 4) Top 10 at previous World Skyrunning Championships with proof of fitness. *Top 3 in any of the 2015 or

2016 ANZ Series events (Marathon/Ultra) 5) Further additions to the team to be made using Committee discretion. Results in the 2015 and 2016 ANZ Series will be considered, as well as major international ultra marathons and Skyraces 6) Selection in the Vertical Kilometer discipline will be based upon Committee discretion with reference to

performances in international VK’s or similar events held in Australia/New Zealand.

Entries Open Wednesday 23rd September 2015

the hounslow

this event proves that the alpine trails of the blue mountains are as epic as those anywhere in the country!

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The Hounslow classic had been in gestation since 2010, when Mountain Sports first conceived a run over the tremendously rugged trails of the Grose Valley in the Blue Mountains of NSW. This valley, having never hosted an organised run before, boasted trails that scaled the highest cliffs on Australia’s mainland.

These rugged, rocky tracks deliver spectacular scenery as well as sweat and pain.

Fast forward to 2015 and the Hounslow Classic was a new event in the Australia/New Zealand Skyrunning series.

Starting and finishing in Blackheath, the highest town in the Blue Mountains (or

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Hounslow, as the colonial settlers originally called it), two courses offered 68 or 23km of the roughest tracks in Australia. Climbs such as Rodriguez Pass, Perry’s Lookdown and Lockley Pylon would be notorious even before race day, as curious runners trained on the fresh trails of the Grose.

The 68km race was contested by a deep field.

Beth Cardelli, Jo Johansen, Lucy Bartholomew, Jean Beaumont, Isobel Ross, Ben Duffus, Martin Lukes, John Winsbury, Grant Guise, Andrew Lee, Ian Gallagher and Tom Brazier. They would race a course consisting of a 17km loop through the

Grand Canyon and Rodriguez Pass, then an out and back through Perry’s Lookdown and Lockley Pylon, before reversing the first loop to finish.

Runners weren’t disappointed either! A warm morning led to a thunderstorm breaking over the Grose as runners made their way up and down Lockley Pylon, bringing welcome rain and cooler temperatures. Ben Duffus and Beth Cardelli set fast paces from the start and gradually burned off their competition through the steepest parts of the course.

This domination continued till the end, with Ben well

clear of the field in winning in 7.51. Newcomer Eric Holt came second in his first major race, and Tom Brazier from Canberra finished fast as he usually does to place third.

Beth Cardelli was a clear winner of the female race, with the real contest coming in for the other podium places. All day second and third had traded back and forth between junior Skyrunning world champion Lucy Bartholomew, and Sydney’s Maggie Jones, thirty years older than Lucy but who probably knew the course better than anyone else out there. In the end, Lucy edged into second by only a couple of minutes.

The rest of the field came in slowly over many hours, until nearly midnight, when the runners of the next day’s

23km event were all in bed.

The 23km took in an out and back to the spectacular Pulpit Rock, before looping through Grand Canyon to Junction Rock and then the punishing climb up Rodriguez Pass to finish, climbing 805m in 3km.

A solid field contested this race under clear skies and moderate temperatures, and it was former pro cyclist Aaron Knight who emerged the clear winner. In fifth place at the bottom of the final climb Aaron engaged the afterburners and moved past all the competition well before reaching the end. New Zealand star Ruby Muir was a clear winner over the rest of the ladies field.

The first Hounslow Classic certainly added a distinctive and tough event to the NSW running scene and showed

what Australian-style Skyrunning could be. Massive thanks to our sponsors, including La Sportiva, Outdoor Research, Mund Socks and Hammer Nutrition who helped make the event possible.

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OPEN S E I R T EN y a

Thursd

1 r e b o Oct 2015

ben duffus at home in the mountains

You’ve been absent from the scene for a while with injury. Tells us about the journey over the last 6 months.

Really it all started 12months ago when I was hit by a car while riding my bike. After a series of various nonrunning related injuries I found myself almost ready, but not quite ready, for the Buffalo Stampede Ultra (held in April). So, three weeks out, I tried to step up my training a little too quickly and developed a case of plantar fasciitis. This saw me ultimately miss the Buffalo Stampede, UTA and Ice Trail Tarentaise. I wasn’t able to do much running until August, but even then my coach and I were very careful with how quickly we built up my training.

What have you done to get back into shape?

Throughout April, May and June I was predominantly hiking and biking, as well as doing strength work. The hiking was slowly introduced and was a great way to get my foot, calves, ect. strong for the mountains, without the rapid loading of running.

Meanwhile, I was focusing on strengthening some of my weaker muscles in the gym and still getting some cardio workouts on the bike.

By the time I headed over to Europe in July I was able to do a little bit of running but spent most of the trip hiking – this included racing the Skyrunning World Series

Vertical K at Val d’Isère.

Since getting back home in August I’ve been steadily increasing the amount of running I’ve been doing.

After the Coastal High 50 in September I was able to train reasonably solidly for the Hounslow Classic.

if nothing’s sore, they will always find some sort tightness or imbalance that I wasn’t aware off, so it’s better to get those sorted straight away!)

You had a great result at the Hounslow. How did you find the course?

I’ve got some pretty fun races lined up for the rest of 2015. Next up I’ll be heading over the NZ north island for the 60th anniversary of the Kawerau King of the Mountain race. I did this race back in 2013 and it remains the most fun descent that I have ever done. After that I’ll be heading back to NZ, but the south island this time, for the final event of the Oceania Skyrunning Series, the Sky

The Hounslow Classic course is very different to any other ultramarathon that I’ve run.

It combines the ruggedness and steepness of many of the European races I’ve seen, with the spectacular scenery of the Aussie bush (and you really do feel like you’re immersed in bushland for most of the course). So it’s a really unique experience that wouldn’t be possible anywhere else in the world.

What’s next on your agenda?

What was your recovery process like after the event? Is there anything specific you do to recover?

I think my recovery process is pretty similar to many other athletes. I eat and sleep a lot after the event and wear my Compressport full length socks for around 24 hours after the event. I find active recovery is important in the week after an ultra (starting off with just a walk the day after a race, and then introducing mobility exercises and light running throughout the week), as well as getting a massage and seeing my physio (even

www.thelongrun.com.au 37

Rock ‘n Run. This marathon distance Skyrace has the most vert-per-km of all the races in the Oceania series, so I’m very excited for it. Then I’ll be finishing off my year with Australia’s first Vertical K at Mount Donna Buang. It’s based on a really cool concept of pitting runner (on a trail) versus cyclists (on a road), so it’ll be interesting to see who wins!

Will you be heading to Europe to race in 2016?

It would be great to see you at the World Skyrunning Champs again!

Pretty much since I finished the 2014 Skyrunning World Champs I’ve been thinking about the 2016 edition. I love the look of the course in Spain, so I definitely want to head over. If I can, then I might stick around for another race afterwards.

Can you give our readers a training tip for preparing to run a Skyrace.

My main tip is a fairly obvious one, and that is that best way to prepare for running in the mountains is to run in the mountains (a.k.a., specificity). Use

whatever you have available, even if that means getting creative (my coach, Andy DuBois, talks of doing 100 repeats of the same hill in single a run while training for UTMB in London). I think that I’m very lucky that I live 5min from the Brisbane CBD, but also 5min from the trails of Mt Coot-tha…though when I go to races in Europe the locals baulk when I tell them my home “mountain” is less than 300m high! Anyway, I assume most people signing up for a Skyrace enjoy the mountains, so perhaps this tip will come naturally to many.

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NEW GYM "OUR PLAYGROUND"

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STRONGER LEANER FASTER

the ultra easy race one in the 2016 skyrunning anz series

The Ultra Easy kicks off the 2016 ANZ Skyrunning Series and is doing it in style! Held on a challenging and picturesque course in the South Island of New Zealand, it’s an event that suits all types of runner – from those who like nice runnable climbs to the fans of single track and technical terrain.

The 100km event has about 4,100m of vertical gain and is accompanied by a much more tame marathon distance event and a leisurely 14km run along the river. So while you’re enjoying an ultra-sufferfest, your friends and family can get a shorter run.

One of the highlights of this event is spending time before or after racing in the region around Wanaka. The town itself is stunning, sitting beside a lake with a spectacular backdrop of mountains. It’s a lot like being in the French or Swiss Alps! There’s loads to do, from hiking and mountain biking, to fly fishing, wineries and great dining.

To be honest, it’s worth turning up just for a relaxing few days in the hills and some cellar door visits.

The 2015 edition of the race saw Scott Hawker take the win in 11 hours 11 minutes, with the women’s winner being Becky Nixon in 14 hours 34 minutes.

Who will be in the mix in 2016? It’s wide open at the moment with the current frontrunner looking to be Ben Duffus from Australia. His return to form suggests he’ll be looking for the win to establish an early lead in the 2016 series. www.theultraeasy100.nz

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