Highway to the Taper Zone
Sometimes you have to go against the grain and do what's best for you, 10 days out and I'm more than ready to tackle the biggest challenge of my life.
Learning that it’s okay to be Selfish
I spent much of my college years and subsequent years in university and beyond trying to impress people. It might not make sense but I have always been a nervous person in a big group situations. If I bring a friend to a barbeque, the chances are they're going to have to make their own introductions because I'm terrible.
When I got my P-Plates I was often the designated driver, and I felt part of the reason I would be invited to places was so that I could partly be a taxi for some of my friends. I didn't mind as some of the parties and experiences I had before I could legally drink were incredible, when I turned 18 I joined in on the fun and it would often see me either crash on a couch at the party or at my mate Ryan Finnigan's house.
We made walking home from big night's out a thing well before Spilt Milk thought of trying it more than a decade later. At the time though I wanted to be a first grade footballer, drinking didn't align with my goals, but I did it because it's the social norm in this country.
I wonder how different my life would’ve been if I didn’t cave to social norms for so long.
It's taken more than a decade, but I now feel that I can go to a party and I can have a few drinks or next to no drinks and still have a good time. I don't know if that's to do with my close friendships changing, but it's a freedom I've rarely felt in my adult life.
I once went a year without drinking as I recovered from a shoulder stabilisation surgery, the amount of times I was offered a drink would've been in the hundreds.
"C'mon just a little sip."
"One won't kill you."
That might be true, but it was empowering to say no, it was the first time in my adult life I felt like I was doing something for me. I think since that year I may have been heavily intoxicated maybe a handful of times.
Perhaps I've become more aware of it as I follow
Thoughts journey. Or maybe I'm just at the point where I'm finally starting to do things for me and feel that I don't have to please anyone anymore by sculling an entire six pack to kick off a party.The effects of alcohol, binge drinking and persistent drinking are well documented, just about every single one of them are negative. Yet I've had more people tell me I'm crazy for running, more than I ever have for a big night out.
I think part of this is down to the misconception that you have to run as fast as you can all the time, or people view running as that sport you did when your P.E Teacher couldn’t be stuffed on a Friday afternoon. But simply moving your body, and being with friends can be one of the biggest health benefits you'll ever be able to take advantage of.
We live in a society where drinking culture is a norm, that's fine, but I've found greater happiness in breaking the shackles and not doing what others wanted or expected me to do. When I started doing things for me. Life opened doors I never thought I would walk through, I'm just glad I had enough courage to go against the grain.
It Takes a Village
I came into this year catching the bug for running trails. I found them far more stimulating than the road, and it might've had something to do with not being obsessed with how fast I was going, and that the journey you take on a trail is far more interesting.
I joined a running group off the advice of a friend I had never met in real life, Stacey King, you know how you have a connection with people, but that connection is entirely virtual and not a physical one?
Stacey and I connected via Instagram as I'd started trail running, and we'd share our favourite trails, and I saw she was part of a group called 'Elevate Running and Fitness'. At this stage the thought of running in a group terrified me, I had only just started going to Running For Resilience (where I met Stacey for the first time on a Friday morning run), and even running in that social group at the time was well outside my comfort zone.
Stacey told me there was a 'trial term' coming up in January of this year. I took the plunge and joined the Cooleman Group. It was one of the best things I have ever done, despite Stacey stitching me up and not being a part of it!
I have met so many people through that initial trial that I now call mates including Will, Nat, Jin, Nik B and of course Kaye. I suddenly realised that running in a group wasn't scary, and that if you were willing to come and train, then the group embraced you.
For the start of Term 1 of training, I was placed in Red Hill Group. I only knew Jess and Nat, but 10 months later I feel like I'm part of one big family.
I don't know whether that's because our coach Shiree is just an absolute legend and helps us embrace a variety of challenges, but I have now probably run with more than 60 different people who are part of Elevate.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it’s been a big blue family to help me become the trail runner I am today. The advice I have received from runners who have done incredible things has been invaluable, and I’m so glad I’m part of something as special as Elevate.
Close Calls
It's been a nervous few weeks in the lead up to Kosciuszko, given the number of people in my working and personal life that have contracted Covid-19.
Before heading up to the Gold Coast to see my parents two work colleagues who I am in close contact with both fell ill. They've since recovered, but it made me nervous.
The first and only time I know I've caught the virus, I was sick for a day, but had lingering heart rate issues for close to a month. An easy run would see my heart rate push into the higher zones, and in some cases be up to 30 beats a minute higher than normal.
I just don't want it heading into Ultra Trail Kosciuszko, especially given we're about to enter single digits in the countdown tomorrow.
My parents caught the virus in the first few days that I visited them. It was disappointing as it meant we couldn't do some stuff we planned too, but I'm just happy that they're okay, and that it was only a mild infection, with a few days of bed rest.
It was still invaluable to catch up with my parents.
I masked up for the entire week, and Glen20 with a combination of hand sanitiser and bacterial wipes were my best friend. We didn't share any meals, but we are at the same table. In a way I was still able to see my parents and spend quality time with them, but it wasn't in the way I thought it would go down.
Ultimately I didn't catch the virus from them, so someone or something was certainly looking out for me.
Training for the Week
Monday: I was still up on the Gold Coast, so used the beautiful weather as an opportunity to go to an outdoor mall and go shopping.
Tuesday: Went for a longer threshold run, only problem was I left it a little bit late in the day and by the time I started running it was already in the high 20s. This workout involved a 10 minute warm up, then aim to run the first 15 minute set at 5:20 minute pace, I got a five minute break and then went out for my second 15 minutes and aimed for 5:40 minute pace.
Wednesday: Another rest day (we’re in the taper) so an easy two kilometre walk with Cassandra and Duke.
Thursday: Downhill effort session with Elevate. I opened my big mouth during the warm-up so we ended up doing a session that was on a hill a lot steeper than the one we were intending to use, felt really good on the second hill and confident in my body and downhill technique.
It’s been a huge improvement across the year.
Another short walk at night to keep the legs ticking over.
Friday: A Friday Running For Resilience where I was absolutely spoiled by the group for my birthday. Stacey made cupcakes and Singhy got the group to sing while running! I was happy being able to do the six kilometres at 5:23 pace.
Saturday: I went to my second ever parkrun with my friend Courtney, she’s overcoming a pelvic fracture she sustained seven months ago, and is getting into running.
It was awesome to go to such a chilled morning at Umbagong, Run Director Will and his family (who filled a number of roles) were awesome at welcoming us as newer runners to parkrun.
In the afternoon Cassandra and I headed to Mulligans Flat for a seven kilometre hike. It was nice and warm, but I realised that the hike we did, despite enjoying was at around the cut off pace for UTK, which made me feel really good heading into next Friday.
Sunday: I joined one of the groups that has been formed through Elevate in ‘The Lazy Glutes’ as they took their sunday social run to the Cotter Loop.
It’s a 23 kilometre loop that includes a few water crossings which were very much welcomed on a hot Canberra morning.
Legs felt so good after a much lighter week, so hit 3:45 pace at one stage on the road downhill before the end. So glad to be able to run with the Glutes and take on a lot of advice before UTK. It’s invaluable advice to get before I undertake my biggest journey yet!
Totals: 57.3 kilometres run, 7 hours and 4 minutes with 1,512 metres of elevation
17.6 kilometres walked, 4 hours and 18 minutes with 169 metres of elevation
Still quite a very solid week in terms of totals, but reducing the amount of exercise being done at a higher intensity has seen my legs feel a lot better.
That might also have been with help from
who gave me an absolutely epic tune up, with easily the best sports massage I've ever had.I am just feeling the best I have all preparation, it’s now with 10 days to go about staying upright and making sure that I don’t get sick!
Monday Motivation Hero
I can’t remember the first time I connected with Toby Steele. It may have been a random strava add as I was trying to find trail runners to follow across the country.
Can’t think of a more humble bloke, who this weekend just gone completed one of Australia’s premier endurance races the Coast to Kosci, which starts on a beach in Eden and winds its way to the top of Australia over 240 kilometres.
I met Toby for the first time in Brisbane when I was up running for Club KT, and you could just tell no matter how tough things were going to get at CTK he was going to get through it.
His progression has been incredible, running The Guzzler and later finding out he had Covid-19 and then just weeks later a more than 107.2 kilometre effort at the Clint Eastwood Last One Standing.
So pumped for him and what he’s been able to achieve, he’s also a testament that if you want something badly enough you’ll work your butt off to get there, I can’t wait to see what he does next, but you’d be a brave person to bet against him!
Thanks for the shout-out, mate.
I am just now starting to find that I am enjoying myself MORE than I did when I was drinking. It's different shit, but it's better shit. I was probably pretty similar to you. Drink to be comfortable. Pretty fucked up really. It's been hard work learning to enjoy myself without it but the enjoyment is so much more.
Vanity's is fucking special, hey. So good after a long run. It's THAT cold, it's p[perfect. I remember the first time I panicked and wanted to get out but after a second or two I realised I never wanted to leave.
Best of luck with it all!