Stoked! After missing out last year, I got pulled out of the draw for the 2016 Ultra Trail Mt Blanc. I decided to make the most of it, and went over to Europe a month early to get some serious training in.
A friend of mine Adam Keen, who I’d done a fair bit of training around Queenstown, decided to join me for a European Alps running mission over the 6 weeks and to crew me for during UTMB.
We hit the trails in Grindelwald Switzerland first. Running various sections of the Eiger Ultra Trail, and heading out for a big day over the Oberland country. This was definitely some of the most beautiful views of my trip. Feeling pretty strong after a few big days in the mountains., we decided to hit the Dolomites in northern Italy.
Becky training around Grindelwald, Switzerland.
We rocked up to Cortina, and the information center had maps with the course routes of various mountain races in the area. The Laverado Trail was a must, having heard amazing things about this trail, so after running Croda de Lago trail, we decided to run sections of the Laverado trail. WOAH! Truly amazing run with pretty sweet views.
After a couple of big weeks, we headed away from the mountains for a few days of rest and recovery, exploring Rome.
I was dying to get out on the UTMB course so after a couple of days off, we headed to the Alps and Courmayeur, in Italy, which is pretty much the half way mark at UTMB. We set up camp at Morgex in the Aeosta Valley. Courmayeur is a quick drive from there…. We had a few missions on the course, which gave me a lot of confidence for race day.
I always like getting to know sections of a race course and find it really helps me on race day, more mentally as I know what’s coming next. It was now a week before UTMB, so we head over to Chamonix…..
BOOM! CHAMOINX, I love this place, and it is even better when it’s UTMB week, with runners everywhere and heaps of pre-race hype. I managed to find the Altra Running tent at the expo and was very privileged to meet up with other Altra athletes Jason Schlarb and Callum Neff. Even saw Anton Krupicka fly by on his bike. Stoked!
Race day……. No matter how much I paint the picture, you’ll never understand what it’s like to line up at that start line of UTMB, until you do it yourself.
I have never experienced anything like it before, it’s intense, it’s pretty mind blowing and it doesn’t stop…. The support is unreal and the atmosphere is crazy.
I hit a lot of walls during the race but the highs stick in mind more, the sunsets and sunrises are always a highlight and give me an adrenaline rush. My support crew rocked it too, it would’ve been a different race without them, they made it fun.
And I’m stoked with my race - 170k with 10000+D , in 36hr51mins and I was the 27th woman overall. Living the dream guys 😁
Becky used the UltrAspire Velocity Vest for training and during UTMB.
]]>Becky training on Sefinenfurgge Pass. Photo- Adam Keen
If you are like me, you will be beyond excited to follow UTMB and Becky on this epic journey. To get in the mode, I have been watching one or two UTMB movies on youtube this week.
Below are my UTMB movie picks to feed the stoke ahead of this weekend-
The UTMB course in 3D- a great way to get your head around this amazing course! 170km, 10,000mD+
MONT BLANC | CCC UTMB® 2015- Follows the NIKE Trail Team at the 2015 CCC and UTMB races.
The North Face: Curiosity- "Curiosity is a real bastard......"
The Ingenuous Choice follows Anton Kurticka's 2014 UTMB attempt.
IRunFar will have live UTMB updates from the front of the race, with live tracking available HERE.
All the best to Becky! We can't wait to follow your race!
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I like my running events like my music: DIY, Grassroots and gnarly. With these three things in mind I was instantly drawn to the inaugural WUU2k, which was held three weeks ago in Wellington. With a busy life, planning to attend a race outside of Auckland doesn’t always pan out, but in this case the stars aligned. I found myself excitedly waiting at Auckland airport on Saturday july 16th, headphones full of the Turned Out A Punk podcast and one eye constantly updating the irunfar twitter feed to see how Grant was doing at Hardrock (the “other” race that weekend).
The handful of other runners that ventured south of the Bombays with me must have brought the Auckland weather with us to the capital as when I arrived it was a bluebird day, calm and clear, with more of the same forecast for race day. From the airport it was straight to registration, and onto the trails around Belmont for a quick shakeout with my hosts, Chan and Orsi of runwellington. After an inordinate amount of risotto I retired to bed, excited about the challenge that lay ahead.
Four Thirty rolled around as it does and before we know it I’m at the start of the race, which is at the base of Mt. Kaukau. Around me are the headlights of 150 other runners taking on the 42.2 or 60km distance. I opted for the marathon as it’s a distance I don’t have experience with and one that I’m keen to explore more fully.
Just like that, we’re off. The internal battle between going off the line hard and having a sensible start was won by prudence and I found myself in around 20th spot when I got to the summit. Over the next 5 hours I found myself treated to the best Wellington has to offer. Stunning scenery, interesting variation in trail (from lush singletrack, steep four wheel roads and rocky, exposed ridge running), big climbs and a tight, cohesive community of volunteers who kept everything ticking smoothly. These wonderful people supersized the themed aid stations and provided buckets of encouragement and good cheer to keep everyone going. If the heart of the race is the organizer, the soul is definitely the race crew itself. Well done team!!
I didn’t know really what to expect terrain-wise but I (correctly) presumed that there would not be that much super technical terrain. In terms of shoes I chose the Altra Superior 2.0, and couldn’t have been happier with the combination of lightness, low profile, grip, and protection. I found the rock plate came in very handy running down the tip track at 34km and I got through without even the hint of a metatarsal stone bruise.
Matt clearly enjoying himself! Photo: Run Wellington
Gareth was clear that this was a challenging run (it was) and there was the high probability of inclement conditions (thankfully the Aux weather spell held up) so we had a bunch of compulsory gear to cart with us. I had mine stowed into an UltrAspire Velocity, which was perfect for a race like this. I love this pack! It held everything I needed, wasn’t bulky, didn’t bounce or chafe.. it was mint (it’s actually a fetching lime, but there you go). Having ample storage on the chest pockets meant I was able to complete the event without removing the pack, So I only needed to stop at the later aid stations to have my bottle filled and grab some mandarins.
Employing a conservative approach for the first three quarters of the race paid off, and I found myself with enough energy to get up and over the final climbs of Mt Albert and Mt Victoria with some steam to come in at 5:20 and 18th place in the marathon. My watch read 43.4km and 1357m ascent. I spent the rest of the day at the top of Mt Vic. Slapping fives and cheering before I was off to prizegiving then the airport for a late flight home, promptly falling asleep as soon as I hit my seat. I’m hopeful that this event isn’t a once off, and judging by the great feedback and participation I’m pretty sure it won’t be. If so, Wuu2k is a dead set certainty on my 2017 race schedule.
]]>Sam- first of all welcome to Team UltrAspire NZ! We are super stoked to have you on board and representing us!
- Before we get into your sudden rise in the mountain ultra-scene, tells a little bit about your running background. You have come to running a little later if life?
Definitely a late addition to the running scene and even latter to ultras.
During high school I was a competitive swimmer and quite involved in surf life saving. I was training with Duncan Laing and it was probably one of the fittest I have ever been. While not doing any specific run training (I was playing soccer) I found I could always get around the school cross country course in a solid mid-pack position.
I studied in Otago and as a student I found running was a good way to keep fit that would suit around my class times. I also had a good friend, Rosie Hill, who was keen to head out for a jog and having someone to run with helped a lot. I was just running casually at this stage but did enter a couple of local races: Dunedin marathon, Routeburn,
The real transition came when I moved to Wellington. After running alright at Round the Bays someone at my work convinced me to join Wellington Scottish in 2014 and it was good move. I enjoyed having some structure to my training and seeing how quick the guys there really were. Even though I would be tagging along out the back they were supportive and it was motivating to try and keep up each time.
After a year at Scottish I entered the 2015 Kepler Challenge. It is a race the old man has run and one I always wanted to do at some stage. Snice Kepler I have enjoyed the style and challenge that ultras offer; the views are also much better than road running.
- Have things been playing out as you imagined? You have gone from being relatively a total unknown standing on the start line of the 2015 Kepler Challenge, to the 2016 Australia/New Zealand Skyrunning Ultra Champion in the space of 4 months.
Not at all. I didn’t have a plan or anything post-Kepler and was actually looking forward to some diving and beaches over New Year. After Kepler Skyrunning got in contact and suggested I should do a couple of races down south, one of which was the Ultra-Easy. I always wanted to run 100km (for some unknown reason) but wasn’t sure if I would be able to get fit in time as the race was in 6 weeks. But I decided to commit anyway and train through the New Year period (still with some diving and beaches around it).
After the Ultra-Easy I was presented with the opportunity of going to Spain for the World Champs. Again, this scared me but I knew I wouldn’t forgive myself if I turned down the opportunity. I entered Buffalo a bit last minute on whim and a suggestion from Grant Guise that it would be good prep for worlds.
Overall I have been incredibly lucky in how it has worked out. But also glad I took the opportunities when they were presented.
- What is you think that has contributed to you busting onto the scene here in such a way?
The biggest factor would have to be the people I have met. Ultra/trail runner are pretty friendly people and I was fortunate enough to be introduced to some good sorts who I have met and have helped me out over the past few months. I also think that making the most of opportunities has been a big factor.
- What have you been up to since winning the Buffalo Stamped in April and how has the build up to Mt Difficulty Ascent this weekend?
I have actually just got back from a three holiday in America (trip had been booked before getting selected for the World Champ’s team). Since arriving back from that I have been focusing hard on getting the fitness back and reacquainting myself with some hills (the places we went in the US were pretty flat). Danny Garrett took me for a blat up in the Tararuas the other week and that was a necessary shock to the system.
Because I have only been back in NZ for a few weeks the plan is to train through Mt Difficulty. I’ll ease off a bit towards the end of this week so I can hopefully put in a good performance on the day but the main focus is Buff Epic in late July.
- 60km at Kepler, 100 at Ultra Easy and 75 at Buffalo- will this be your first sub ultra-distance mountain race?
Yea, kind of. It will be my first since I started training for ultras last year. While back at uni I ran the Routeburn (almost killed me) and shortly after moving to Wellington I ran the Triple Peaks Challenge in the Hawkes Bay (Cyclone Lucy meant they had to shorten the course to 42K). While the 44 at Mt Difficulty is less distance than the traditional ultra the times/altitude map indicate that it is still going to feel like a long race.
- How are you feeling about the World Skyrunning Champs later in the year in Spain? You are doing the 100km Ultra, with 8000mD+ correct?
Yea, that’s the one. I’m incredibly nervous about it. It’s completely unfamiliar terrain and a ridiculous amount of vert. Your description above is intimidating but the altitude map is even worse.
In saying that, I am also excited about getting over there and giving it a nudge. It will be am epic achievement and the pictures look amazing.
- Looking past the Skyrunning Worlds- are you going to do anymore ANZ Skyrunning races? You have a good shot at the overall title, does that motivate you? And will we see you at the Kepler again this year?
At this stage the end of my year is looking a bit more relaxed and aside from Mt Difficulty I don’t have any other Skyrunning events on the calendar. As I have found in the past that can change pretty quickly but I am looking forward to a bit of a break after Spain.
Kepler is definitely on the list though. Enjoyed the run last time and would really like to get a sub-5 if the stars align. Will have to look at getting some speed back after this 100K to try and keep pace with the Aussies (Dave and Marty).
- I think you said on the Team Altra NZ page you are learning to spearfish and like a good coffee. How is the spearfishing coming along, and who has the best coffee- your home town of Dunedin, or Wellington, where you currently live?
To be honest, I haven’t been in the water half as much as I would have liked. Had two cool trips at the start of the year (D’Urville Island and Stewart Island) but aside from those mission the freezer has been a little empty.
In terms of coffee, Dunedin punches well above its weight. It has been a few years since I was down there for any length of time but I remember Dunedin having a high proportion of quality cafes. In saying that I think I would have to give the title to Wellington. I am a bit biased by having lived in Wellington for the last few years but Wellington gets the job done. There are about four roasteries within 10 minutes of the house and the competition means that there is no room to do a bad brew.
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The Ultra Trail Australia (UTA100) is an Ultra running event held in mid May in Katoomba, which is an hour out of Sydney. They have 3 races on offer-22k on Friday and 50k and 100k on the Saturday/Sunday.
This was my 3rd time having a crack at the 100k race, so I thought I'd post some thoughts on it.
Well-I begrudgingly have to admit it- the Aussies have got a really great trail running race here-not talking about difficulty or vertical gain (the thing that draws me to most races I do), but Atmosphere.
It's awesome and something in my experience that is missing in many races here in NZ. It is a mass of people having a great time, in particular the running groups of weekend warriors from all over the world on holiday together-excited and motivated to achieve their individual goals. It reminds me of the vibe at the Great Naseby Water Race, except with 1200 starters (and that's just in the 100k!!), rather than 100.
As for the race. its hot and there are lots of stairs! It is a challenging race but doable by nearly any level of runner who can leave their ego at the door when things don't go right (which is me 3 time's now). They allow plenty of time to finish for 99% of runners and I'm happy to say they give a buckle or medal to every finisher now. Up till last year runners over 20hrs got a sticker and told "well done mate".
As a word of advice (or caution) if you run outside yourself on this course, it will destroy you big time. There were 250ish DNF's this year and I'd bet most were male runners who went out too fast!!!
Belt buckles are given to all finishers under 20hr (silver under 14hr, Bronze under 20hr) and these seem to be the main motivator for most entrants.
UTA race sells out really quickly but that's never an issue as people are allowed to openly sell their entry, usually on the UTA site and if you're brave you'll probably get it cheaper just before the race and after the no refunds date expires. I've never entered until April and its never taken me more than 4-5 days to get a ticket so its a system that I think works really well.
Who won? I don't know and I really care?
I'm more inspired by the Aussie battler next to me at the backpackers, who knocking and hour off his time and being totally stoked with a 22hrs finish. He was also sure thank me afterwards for going through his gear and removing nearly 3kg of stuff!!
Do this race its awesome!
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The Fresh Choice Kepler Challenge Mountain Run is described as "the jewel in NZ's mountain running calendar", while it's sister event the Fresh Choice Luxmore Grunt is justifiably respected. Both events are organized by a voluntary committee with the support, on race day, of approximately 200 Te Anau residents. This gives the event a truly "community" feel.
The Kepler event has been held annually on the first Saturday in December since 1988, and follows the 60km Kepler Track. Starting at the Control Gates of Lake Te Anau the route follows an easy first 6km before it takes a steady climb to the Luxmore Hut. The next 12km offer wonderful views of the South Fiord along the undulating tops before a spectacular descent to the Iris Burn Hut. A gradual 17km journey down the Iris Burn brings competitors to the Moturau Hut on Lake Manapouri and from there a 6km run to the last checkpoint at Rainbow Reach. The home straight follows alongside the Waiau River and back to the Control Gates.
This is the 29th year of this popular event and it remains the premier Mountain Running event in New Zealand. Competitors are drawn from all corners of New Zealand as well as around the globe. The men's race record of 4:33:37 was set by Martin Dent in 2013. Zelah Morrall set the women’s record of 05:23:34 in 2003.
The concurrent Luxmore Grunt event follows the same route as far as the Luxmore Hut, then returns via the same route back to the Control Gates. This is not to be sneezed at as it is 27km of "hard yakka" living up to its name.
With runners required to carry necessary safety clothing and fluids a good running back pack, or “vest”, is as important as your shoes for comfort, functionality and personal fit.
UltrAspire's innovative features and wide range make them a perfect choice for tackling the rigours of the Kepler Challenge
This year race entries open on Saturday, 2nd July at 6.30am. Check the Kepler Facebook next week for this information.
Shop for UltrAspire race Vests HERE
Kepler Challenge Website- keplerchallenge.co.nz
Kepler Challenge Facebook Page- facebook.com/KeplerChallenge
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