Training Log Archive: Golfer

Event: Hume and Hovell Ultra
 

Great weather on Saturday for the Hume and Hovell Ultra weekend at Tumbarumba. We camped at the start/finish at Henry Angel Trackhead on Friday and Saturday nights in the trailer (Deb, Logan and I) with Briohny and Ryder in a tent. I got up at 6:00am to watch the "brave" ones start in the 100mile and 100km races. Briohny and I ran the 22km "half". We were bused to Mannus Creek for our remote start at 10:30am.

Fire trails for the first 5km and I started OK (watching Briohny disappearing into the distance) but an equipment failure (broken strap on hydration pack) after just 3km slowed me down. Bern and Fiona assisted me in patching it together with safety pins and it held out to the 5km checkpoint where good old gaffer tape came to the rescue (thanks Jeff!). Onto the single track just after this and into the climb (and mud) up Mt Garland and from 7.4km to about 8.6km I was basically walking. 2nd checkpoint at the top of a ridge at 9.1k was a false dawn as, after a quick downhill, I was climbing (and walking) again and this pattern continued for another 2-3km before finally reaching the top (over 600m climb) and starting a fast downhill to a spectacular crossing on a swing bridge of a very fast flowing Tumbarumba Creek. Passed all the 50km runners on their way out on this section.

Then the steady but consistent climb back up along Burra Creek, which was also putting on a great white water show, feeling pretty good and confident of meeting my pre-race goal of 3 hours or even better. Then with just 3 km to go I started cramping badly in both legs and had to walk pretty much the whole of the remaining distance. A slight deviation from the marked route also cost me a few minutes when I lost sight of the taped route and instead found myself following an animal track! Finally reached the last stile crossing just 500m from the finish but when I tried to climb over, both legs locked in a serious cramp. Had to stretch and just wait until the spasms subsided before getting over. I then had about 3 minutes for cover the remaining distance and managed to hobble along and cross the line at 2hrs 59min and 39sec!

Really tough run but great terrain and scenery and so pleased to finish inside my target time. Briohny ran very well and probably would have had 2nd female but for her own slight deviation off the marked track but 3rd was still a great effort.

We spent much of the afternoon and evening watching and cheering as runners on all courses apart from the 100 mile finished (1st in this came in at about 5:00am Sunday). Mixed this with chasing the grand kids around and keeping them away from the several fire pits! Deb had a tough day as she was left with the boys whilst Briohny and I ran but did a fantastic job:-)

C • Good run.. 4

Afternoon run from Briohny's place around the east side of the Lake and then home along Kooringal Rd before finishing with the steep climb up Simpkin Cres onto and over the top of Rocky Hill. Probably last run before Saturday's H&H half but might squeeze another short run in tomorrow or Friday morning.

Enjoyable morning ride with Deb out along Mitchell, Gregadoo and Plumpton Rds before a nice coffee at Kooringal shops. Forgot to stop the Garmin at the coffee stop so time is a guestimate but distance OK.