From The Ground Up
It's five months out from Sri Chimnoy Canberra 100 and I'm finally finding some peace in the journey.
I understood myself only after I destroyed myself. And only in the process of fixing myself, did I know who I really was.
Sade Andria Zabala
Dialled In
The last week and a bit has hurt. After feeling really good at my session on Tuesday with Elevate, I realised at times I might’ve pushed too hard evidenced by my top speed for the session (mid 30km/h even if for a second!) I pulled up absolutely cactus for a slow run the next day, and haven’t run since.
It’s a frightening prospect to know that there is a hundred kilometre race only five months away and I feel like I’m well behind where I was when I started Ultra Trail Kosciuszko preparation, but that’s only physically, mentally I’m a different person than I was in May last year and I know that a 20-week plan can have me race fit in no time.
I finished Ultra Trail Kosciuszko at a weight heavier than I am now, and the prospect of finishing Sri Chimnoy Canberra means I need to shave six hours at least off my UTK time, which with what I know now is completely possible.
Taking the lessons I’ve learnt in the last couple of months I’ve realised three things:
I need to let my yearly goal go and just focus on my races and train specifically to achieve finishing them.
More strength will go a long way to seeing me succeed in September.
If I can maintain my current control over my diet I’ll be a completely different person come September.
Gumbaby was a brutal reality check that I needed. I’d been surviving runs, The Archie in under 13 hours, conked out at 11 and a bit hours into a 12-hour run at the recent 48-hour track event.
I bit off more than I could chew and probably got my just desserts at the Gumbaby. It’s a brutal way to learn, but in the same way I found out at Kowen and at Stromlo the only way you’re going to learn is if you suffer enough that you won’t make the same mistake twice.
So, while not being able to run in the last week has taught me anything it’s that when lessons are handed to you, you better learn and make the most of that opportunity, and this time I’ve realised that chasing a yearly kilometre goal is silly, and that allowing my body to reset and de-load over a two week period, means that come the middle of this month I’ll be able to start what will hopefully be a more focussed and dialled in training block.
Letting Go
Has it been easy to let the yearly goal go? Absolutely not, and not being able to run has been absolutely crushing me mentally, so I’ve focussed on what I can control which is my environment and my diet.
For the first time in a long time I feel in control with my diet, and fuck it’s been a struggle for a long time, but finally finding that balance feels like complete freedom and I feel like I don’t have to lie to myself with what I’m eating daily.
As for not running, having it be a huge reliever of stress and then not having that outlet as often has been incredibly difficult, but I’ve found a rhythm at work, I’ve never been in a management role before, and I’m so fortunate to have the mentors around me that I do, it’s made the transition a lot easier.
I also started on new hours which means 4:10am alarms, but again talking about what I can control, I’ve been very fortunate that Cassandra has been letting me skip off to bed early and get into a good pattern. Plus I’ve managed to find that balance between the early morning work, middle of the day and time at night with a loved one.
It wasn’t easy at the start and it felt a bit ‘hi and bye’ but it’s slowly coming together, which has helped a lot, and I know down the track once I’m feeling better I’m going to be super grateful to have the middle of the day to head out to the mountains and train knowing a day of work is behind me.
But going back to my yearly goal, while it would’ve been nice to achieve, finishing another 100 kilometre race is going to be sweeter, and now that I follow a lot of elite runners, I see a pattern between going hard during a training block and then allowing that down time, the focus is purely on the next event, and the block and rest that gets them there, it’s been a good lesson.
The Sweat Test
I’m excited through my running club I’m finally going to be able to work out my sweat rate. This for me is the final piece of the puzzle, and believe it will help me truly unlock my nutrition levels, so thank you Shiree for helping organise this. Absolute game changer.
Short and Sweet
I’m keeping this one short and sweet cause in reality I’ve done stuff all this week and that’s it.
While I’m not moving well though I’m continuing to educate myself and this week I had a great conversation with Cassie Cohen, an absolute elite endurance athlete and even better person!
If you’re interested in hearing her talk about a journey from Cooktown to Melbourne, injuries, Coast to Kosci, the Gumby and life in general this is the chat for you. She’s so humble and such a great long distance ultra runner both on the track and also off it.
Peak2Soon Podcast #9 Cassie Cohen
That link will take you straight to the pod and you can listen however you please. If you like what you hear, feel free to rate and subscribe so others get the value of listening as well!
Finally I’ve also enjoyed listening to Rob Mason’s podcast ‘Mindset for Runners’ I’m aways trying to take an opportunity to learn and his latest podcast with Courtney Pratt is well worth some time, I think I’ve listened to it a couple of times and it’s absolute gold.
I think this speech is so important particularly when Arnold talks about the small number of people that are genuinely enjoying what they do in life. I love my job and I love my running, but I think with my running I could’ve focussed a little bit better on what I want to achieve, and so now I’m focussing on what I can do to make that dream a reality.
Perhaps having time off while it’s been hard has been a blessing. I think back to my friend Joey Hujs and what he went through post Ultra Trail Kosciuszko, and it puts in perspective having a bit of race soreness isn’t the end of the world.
I know I’m heading in the right direction even if it’s just 1 per cent at a time, sometimes that’s all it takes.
Great work Brent! There's no such thing as over training - just under recovery. I too had to cut back last week due to not recovering properly. Last week was my first run in a month and while I didn't push hard and it was quite possibly my slowest R4R ever, my body was stressed, 70% of the run was in zone 5 and my HRV was low some days and unbalanced others. I think one of the best things we can learn is to listen to the messages our bodies are telling us and you're learning how to do just that :D.
I'm glad you're finding balance and settling into your new work routine too <3