The 2Bays trail run finishes in Cape Schanck, and, depending on your distance starts either there (56k) or Dromana (28k). It’s one of the most popular and (I think) fun events going around. I’ve participated each year since 2017 in the 56k (2017 – my second ever ultra) and 28k (2018 &19).
I had originally wanted to run the 56k again, but after not doing a marathon in 2019 I was without a qualifier. As the event drew closer I was increasingly happy with this – a good chance for a decent hit out with enough time to recover properly for Tarawera 50k (4 weeks from now).
I also felt like I could have a real crack at 28, given in 2019 my focus was on shorter, road events; a 5k early in the year (a PB after 6 months work) and a HM in August (~2min PB). These months of dedicated speed work had built a solid base; so much so that after 4 weeks holidaying (with some trail running and some altitude) in September-October, I came back and knocked out 5 and 10k PBs. Happy days, and solid indication that the programming was paying off. Look out, 2020.
In the lead in to race day, Nath and I had talked a bit of race strategy, informed, as always, by my goals and numbers. Lots of numbers. I was pretty sure I could go faster than last year, so my goals were more around seeing how close I could go to 3 hours (3.24 in 2019).
As well as clocking faster times, my Functional Threshold Power (FTP) had also increased by 17% since this time last year. I took this to mean I could go 17% faster. This would mean shooting for around 2hr 50min. It seemed wildly ambitious.
We settled on a race strategy based on hitting various power numbers depending on the terrain (threshold on the ups, 90% on the flats and recover on the downs. Try to keep above 80%).
The Stryd Power pod on my foot links with my watch, giving me immediate feedback on how much work I’m doing (measured in Watts). Cyclists have been using power meters for structuring training and for race feedback for a while, and many of the same principles apply.
The power meter accounts for pace as well as terrain, so is perfect for trails but any running really. It’s based on complex modelling of all the running I’ve done in the last 90 days, coming up with an estimate of what ‘power’ I can hold for 45-60 min (read more here). I use it for all my training and racing and can’t imagine going back to HR or pace.
Chatting to my Hunter mate Kat pre race, I’d said I’d be stoked with anything under 3 hours. She was in the same boat so we set out together; at her suggestion we went pretty hard early. The course is well known for its almost immediate steep road climb followed by the trail up Arthurs Seat and there are benefits getting to the single track near Seawinds as quick as possible. Which means pushing hard up hills – not my strong point!
Going hard early is also not my normal race strategy; I’m much more inclined to start conservative and then try to finish strong. The problem with this is that I’ve never really found out what happens if I go hard early and try to hold on, for anything longer than a 10k….
I hit the first 8k bang on my where I thought I needed to be, and feeling pretty good. For the next few aid station splits I wasn’t exactly flying, but was rolling through nicely, coming in a minute or two under the times I’d estimated. The legs, being conditioned to nice flat Beaconsfield Parade/ Albert Park/ Olympic Park weren’t super happy with what was going down (and up), but when I ran through the party that is the Boneo Rd aid station, I knew a) I just had to keep trucking but b) that last 5k is a deceptive killer. But catching views of the ocean and lighthouse means you’re nearly there…
Part of what working with a coach gives me is feeding my desire for logic and rational reasoning. Even though my running has gotten better recently (and I’m running my fastest times ever) I thought going 20 minutes quicker was pretty ambitious. But the numbers don’t lie, and coming up with a strategy to execute gave me the confidence to give it a shot. Without that direction I don’t know if I would have pushed that hard, cause I probably would have thought it wasn’t sustainable.
I also enjoy learning about running and training. I rely on experts in other parts of my life to give me advice about things and running is no different. Having someone who knows far more about training protocols, energy systems, race planning and strategy is less stressful, more structured, and I get to learn stuff. Winning all round.
For example, we’ve agreed that I’m going to do a block of low intensity next, and while I can’t say I’m particularly excited about it, I understand the purpose of it and how it’s going to contribute to my 2020 aspirations (a 3.35 road mara, if you’re curious). This helps keep me motivated cause I know what I’m doing is working towards the thing I’m currently interested in.
We’ve built this trust over the last few years, and combined with my feedback about what I think is working, how I’m feeling (and what I enjoy), I feel I have agency over my training. It’s definitely a conversation, one which has broadened out to explore a bunch of other things: breathing and hypoxic training, strength training for runners, the psychology of high performance, and the best beer for beer-miling with (Molson’s, FYI)
Finally, I think having an external perspective is also important in reflecting on what I’ve been able to achieve. There is always a tendency to want to go faster/ longer/ run more, and having a coach help me reflect on why I want to do all this, and makes me a better and more conscious athlete.
So as I crossed the line in 2hr 50min, to say I was stoked would be an understatement. Trail races are fun not just for the beautiful scenery and all the benefits that come from being out in nature, but cause there’s usually a party at the finish. The sun was out, a fellow Hunter had come 3rd in the 56k, conversations were had and watching mates cross the finish line was an excellent way to kick off 2020 racing.
Getting back to my car in Dromana and noticing I had a flat tyre was a bit of a downer, but if you find yourself the right coach who is handy with a jack and a wrench, it all turns out in the end.
What Liz Learnt 