The Quadruple Bypass

“Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. There it is before you, smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute with an air of whispering, "Come and find out".”
― Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness


Conrad was a seafarer, but if he was born in a different era, he may have written those words about the trails that beckon runners like me to see what we can find. 

Me, and I don't know how many others arrive at the Basin Theatre to run the Quadruple Bypass, a 26km route encompassing four ascents of Mount Dandenong. For argument's sake, let's say there's 20 of us. That's 20 people who apparently ignored the fact that this is a course that Peter Mitchell has not wanted to attempt since he last ran it 15 years ago. I get extra "crazy" points, because I'm doing it on a morning when my kids are at my parents and I have elected to go running instead of sleep in.

I arrive a few minutes before we're due to depart and learn that we'll be splitting into two groups - one led by Peter and one by miler-in-training Vanessa. I'm in Peter's group, which includes, among others:*

• Peter. Australian marathon representative, winner Gold Coast marathon, 2x winner Bogong to Hotham (B2H), winner Oxfam Trailwalker Melbourne
• Kevin. Winner Maroondah Dam 50, multiple podiums including Maroondah Dam, B2H
• Ray. Multiple podiums including Maroondah Dam 50, B2H
• Rohan. Course record holder Oxfam Trailwalker Melbourne
• Kirra. Winner You Yangs 50, winner Lake Manchester 22km trail
• Cheryl. Winner Salomon Plenty Gorge long course.

In other words, I'm looking around, thinking to myself "I hope these guys can keep up."

[* These achievements are based on trail running chats and a very quick Google search. It would not surprise me in the least if I have dramatically understated the wins and podiums of these men and women. In fact, I'm sure I have.]

Ascent 1. Dodds Track and Caterpillar Track (3.02km, 370m elevation gain, 12.3% average gradient)

If you've ever run the Roller Coaster course, you'll know Dodds Track - it's the nastiest climb on the course. On today's course, Dodds is a warm up, the early ground work of a sick joke whose punchline won't come for another three hours. After cresting Dodds, we continue on to a climb I've never been up before - Caterpillar Track, a little gem of a hill (420m @ 22%). I think I remember smiling as I went up that one. Oh, the hilarity.

Ascent 2. Ridge Track and Range Road (2.84km, 360m elevation gain, 12.7% average gradient) 

After heading down School and Banksia Tracks, we begin the next ascent to the top of Range Road. After run-walking up Ridge Track, you know what sounded like a good idea? Running side-by-side with Ray all the way to the top of Range Road. I haven't since asked the guys behind me if they could see the vapour of fuel tickets being burned, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did. Now that I think of it, I also didn't check to see if Ray was wearing a t-shirt with an "I'm with Stupid" arrow pointed at me.

Well, I got to the top of Range Road without stopping to walk and felt secure in the knowledge that I'd at least have a bloody good time for the Strava segment that someone, I was sure, had already created. Imagine my disappointment when I later discovered that the segment, for some inexplicable reason, ends about 100m AFTER the summit, which I reach after about five minutes of rest. If it's not on Strava.....

Ascent 3. Birthday Hill (1.39km, 372m elevation gain, 26.8% average gradient) 

You know when you're running with Peter and it's meant to be "all downhill from here"? Of course, the descent to the start of Birthday Hill included a couple of bonus inclines on Dandenong Creek Track. But those "hills" are forgotten as soon as we start the toughest test so far - Birthday Hill. Three single track segments linking Edgar Track to the top of Zig Zag Track. Ray runs off on us all, followed by Kevin and Rohan. I remember running up this first segment once. Ba hahahahahaha. 

And what's this? We get to the end of the first segment and those guys at the front aren't stopping. We ALWAYS stop here. Do I keep going? Do I wait for everyone else? Oh, ok, I guess I'll keep going. Somehow I manage to get to the top only 40 seconds slower than I had the previous week, when I had 'only' gone up Glasgow Track once before tackling Birthday Hill. In hindsight, I wish I had left just a bit more in the tank, because we had just a little 'pinch' to tackle before we could call it a day: Glasgow Track.

Birthday Hill

(Photo credit: Luke Johnston)

Ascent 4. Glasgow Track (1.33km, 389m elevation gain, 29.2% average gradient) 

Trust Peter to leave Glasgow to last. Known variously as "The Scar", "The Firebreak", "The Overcrowded Hiking Tour Group Mecca", it's a rutted, rocky track that goes straight up the west face of Mount Dandenong and has a kick like a mule, even before the point where it reaches 50% gradient. We meet up with Peter's wife Jenny at the foot of the climb, who has brought fresh, cold water, and a positive attitude. I vaguely recall having one of these, once. But not now.

The climb starts and I'm reduced to a walk before I even get off the bitumen lead-up to the main track. This is not going to be pleasant. I know what's coming, having gone up it (fresh) the week before, in 20:38. I know I have at least 25 minutes, maybe 30, before I get to the top of this bastard. Ray, Kevin and Rohan disappear like phantoms, with Cheryl in hot pursuit. Jenny, having probably decided that grunted, single word responses didn't exactly constitute great conversation, powers ahead too.

One. Foot. In. Front. Of. The. Other.

Stupid. Range. Road. Schoolboy. Error.

Stupid. Peter. Mitchell.

Wait a minute... I'm almost there. I'm almost there! I reach the top after nearly 26 minutes and it's not Stupid Peter Mitchell any more. He's the Peter Mitchell who, over the course of countless trail runs, has helped prepared me for runs like this. Peter Mitchell, who shares his time, knowledge of the trails, and words of wisdom with hacks like me who could never even dream of achieving what he has in this running caper. The Peter Mitchell I'm glad to call my friend.

At the top of Glasgow Track

(Photo credit: Cheryl Martin)

Once we're all at the top, we remember that we're not actually at the top. There's just one little climb to go - there always is. 

Extra Credit: Summit of Mount Dandenong

We partake in a wobbly-legged shuffle along Kyeema Track and just after the lookout, there it is - the track that leads to the highest point on Mount Dandenong (at least I think it is). We clamber up it and, like little kids, stand on a mound of gravel to make sure we're as high as possible. That's when Kevin reminds us that we're standing on the wrong mound, the official one is over there. And, again like kids, we run over and stand on that mound. 

Standing on the (wrong) summit

(Photo credit: Cheryl Martin)

For once, it is all downhill from here. We arrive back at the Basin Theatre car park and my watch tells me we've covered 26.3km and climbed 1,728m in 4 hours and 5 minutes. The pain is forgotten, the ... No, actually, the pain is still there. Big style. But it's worth it. Or at least it will be. When I can think of something other than the pain. 

Quadruple Bypass Profile

***

So, will it take me 15 years to run this course again? Well, after signing up for the 75km Buffalo Stampede next April, I dare say that it won't even be another 15 weeks before I give it another try. If you've read this far and you're thinking you might want to join me, all I can say is, "Come and find out".

Race report: Salomon Trail Series, Plenty Gorge, 11.7km

It's been pretty quiet on the Into the White front since my last post. And that's because there's not been much to report. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I sustained a slight tear to my hamstring in the closing stages of the Studley Park Salomon trail race and since then I've spent four weeks getting back to race fitness (or so I thought).

Week one was zero running and plenty of compression and ice. Week two was easy, short, flat running. Week three was getting back to normal, adding in a little bit of speed (e.g. 5x500m intervals) and week four (this week) was normal training.

As this was my first week back to normal, pain-free running, I tried to replicate my normal weekly schedule, dropping just the one 9km moderate lunchtime run. That meant 5x1000m intervals Tuesday, 9km tempo Wednesday and a 26km long run into work on Friday morning, plus today's race.

Somewhat of a concern was the long run on Friday, the second half of which was a real battle. Maybe I should have taken this week a bit easier, but what's done is done. In any event, the bigger concern was what had been missing over the past month: hills of almost any description (Anderson Street on the Tan doesn't count). Not really knowing how hilly the course was today left me slightly nervous at the start line.

After getting to the race with about 20 minutes to spare, I dropped off my bag, had a small warm up jog and got to the start area where I bumped into a couple of Dandy Trail Runners, Lachie and Cameron. Soon, we were away, and as usual, I had gone out pretty hard, trying to make sure I had a good position before the track narrowed and made passing difficult.

The first 4km went past pretty quickly, in 18:30 which included a couple of big downhills. The hills actually weren't hurting me going up but I quickly realised I didn't have much to give on the downhills once I got up them. Just before 5k, a new experience: a river crossing. In we plunged, up to our knees and then with waterlogged shoes there was a steep embankment to navigate which slowed me to a walk for a few meters before pushing on (squelch, squelch).

At 6km there was the longest hill on the course, 500m at an average 10% gradient. Until now I'd been having a bit of a battle with a girl in a yellow singlet, her running partner/coach and another guy in a red top. I'd had the better of them on the uphills and they'd had the better of me on the downhills. I saw them up ahead and told myself I could reel them in if I ran to the top at a good pace. I managed to do this, but shortly after, yep, there they went, past me on the descent.

I managed to catch back up to them on some tricky single track and we were all struggling a bit to find places to pass the slower long course runners. Moreover, I knew I was Into the Red (very different to The White), and coming up to the 8km mark, I was thinking "just another 4km to go, a lap of the Tan, you can.........." TRIP, FALL, <Superman pose>, CRASH, ROLL, STOP (just short of a big rock). The guys immediately behind me asked if I was ok, one of who was Lachie who looked really strong. I told them to keep going, got back up and continued on.

But that fall was my Waterloo. I had a sense of resignation as I watched yellow singlet, red top, Lachie and a few of the other strong medium course runners slowly (and then not so slowly) gapping me. It wasn't the fall per se. I think my legs, which to be truthful had already found a chink in my mind's armour, finally had an opportunity to ram home their message that it would be them setting the pace. If it didn't happen at there at the 8km mark, I'm pretty sure it would have happened somewhere soon thereafter - I simply wasn't running as well as the others and there was no way I was catching up to them.

There was a fairly undulating section between the 8km mark and the second river crossing at 10km and I was pushing as hard as I could but the only people I was passing were the slower long coursers (although I wasn't getting passed by anyone, either). Through the river again, and I had to navigate a steep, slippery embankment which I found really difficult and had to use my hands to drag myself up. I was forced into walking the steepest bit of the bank again and at this point, to be honest, I was counting down the meters, but remembering that the finish was at the end of a steep hill (yay).

The last Salomon race measured short (I had 10.66km v. an advertised distance of 10.8), of course this one measured long. At 11.7k, when the race really should have been ending, that last steep hill began. I caught sight of yellow singlet but she was much further up the hill than me and what's more, it was again steep enough to slow me to a walk for a few meters (it was 350m at 12%) and yellow singlet was gone.

I battled my way up the hill and across the line and I've got to say, I was absolutely spent. The course was much harder than I had anticipated and it had cleaned me up. My hand was also hurting from my fall and later when I washed off the mud, I had the beginnings of a pretty nasty bruise on the base of my palm. I finished in 1:03:32 (I measured 12.1km) which I later found out was good enough for 15th of 397 runners, and 13th of 184 male runners. My first top 20! And jeez, it felt like I'd earned it.

It was nice to catch up with a few of the Dandy Trail Runners afterwards (including Lachie who finished about a minute ahead of me for 13th, Andrea [8th overall in the long course women's classification!), Peter [who only warmed up with 5km to go on the long course], Travis and Cameron). The general consensus was it was a tough, though enjoyable course.

As bad as I felt, I had to agree with the second part - it was an enjoyable course. Very demanding, but there was a little bit of everything - steep hills, long hills, single track, grass, technical rocky descents, river crossings, the works. I was quite surprised to see later on my Garmin that there was only 257m of elevation gain - it felt like a lot more.

And I guess that means it's time to get my arse back into the Dandenongs and smash some hills in training!

Race report: Salomon Trail Series, Studley Park, 10.8km

On Sunday 30 June I lined up with 430-odd other people for the medium distance (10.8km) course in Race 1 of the Salomon Trail Series in Studley Park, Kew. This is the first of a four race series, of which I plan to do three (Studley Park, Plenty Gorge and Silvan Reservoir, leaving Anglesea as the last leg which I probably won't travel to).

My good friend Liggo had already reconnoitered the course for me over the past couple of weeks and via a series of detailed calculations had forecast a time of 48:17 for me. Having never seen the course before, I guess that was my only yardstick!

Based on Liggo's warning of lots of singletrack in the second half of the race, I decided to go out hard at the start where it was easier to pass. The first 3km, which was mostly on road, footpath or crushed rock, was over in about 12:25.

Knowing I had banked a bit of time, from here I settled into a pretty good rhythm. The kms ticked over pretty quickly, usually averaging ~4:35 pace, despite the increasingly crowded singletrack. However, the runners that I were passing were very aware, and happy to make room to my calls of 'passing'. Some even slowed down and moved over before I even got to them. A lot of respect out there on the trail, it must be said.

I was having a bit of a quasi-battle with a few runners around my pace, finding that I was faster going up the hills, but usually not as good on the downhills and about even on the flat. Then with ~3.5km to go, I managed to edge them up one of the 'big' hills on the course (once you've been running with the Dandy Trail Runners, 'big hill' takes on a whole new meaning - comparatively these we're nothing but little pinches). Then I pulled off a passing maneuver on the singletrack which I think earned me a 'huge chunk of time' because we subsequently entered a section that was very difficult to pass on, but I was in the clear. In hindsight, however, it was a pretty suicidal move and I'm just glad I didn't end up in the Yarra with a broken leg.

I was feeling pretty good with a couple of km to go, pushing very hard but able to maintain my pace. However, there was still one last chance to stuff things up. With just over a km to go, having re-joined the trail from the road, my left foot landed on a rock and slid way forward, then bit into the ground. My torso snapped so far forward with my momentum that my chest hit my left knee. I must have groaned out pretty loudly because three people in front I me turned around to ask if I was ok. Thankfully I was - my hamstring was a little sore but I was just happy it hadn't snapped in half. The true test re: injury would come the next day.

After the customary sprint finish to the line, I saw I crossed in 47:38, averaging 4:28/km (take that, Liggo!). I don't remember being overtaken by anyone in the second half of the race that I didn't subsequently pass back. I later found out my time was good enough for 25th out of 463 runners, and 20th out of 201 males. Top 10%, very happy!

On a final note, it was good to catch up with a few of the Dandy Trail Runners (DTR) after the race who had competed in either the mid distance or long course (15k) option. Those training runs in the hills certainly seem to be paying off. I later heard some of the DTR group had won or placed in their category. Great work.

On a final, final, note, being asked to fork over more than $30 for a few photos taken on the course by the 'official' photographers really reinforces the great work done by people like Erwin from dandyrunner.com.au and Steve from fstop5.com at other trail events, taking terrific pictures and providing them free of charge. Anyway, the below is a (grainy) screen shot of me somewhere out on course.

Copyright: supersportimages.com.au

------

Update: unfortunately the hamstring wasn't ok at all. As I suspected, it started to hurt a little more once it cooled down and the diagnosis is a Grade '1+' tear. The road to recovery will take 2-3 weeks, so should be ok for the next Salomon race.

Gear review: Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab Belt

June is bonus season at my workplace. And this year, I've worked damn hard and I'm going to spend a little of it on me instead of the boring 'mortgage' option.

And it just so happens that I was looking around for a hydration belt, because my 2 litre Camelbak Rogue is a bit over the top for some of the shorter trail runs I'm doing, and even my 26km Friday run to work now that winter's here, and carrying more than ~500ml of water isn't really necessary. 

Whilst there are plenty of good options out there (check out thisfishcanrun's review of one of UltrAspire's models), a non-negotiable for me was the ability to carry my Ay Up head torch for when my run will cross over from dark to light conditions. (The Ay Up was another 'bonus month' purchase. I'd review it but I don't know what else I'd say except that it's really frickin' bright and if you can afford one, get one.)

'Headtorch compatible' somewhat limited my options. Enter the Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab Belt. Like the Ay Up, though, it's pricey. I got mine at Footpro in Malvern and it was $80 including one 237ml bottle, with another bottle costing $25. Subtract my 10% repeat customer discount and all up it cost $95.

The belt itself is made from the same lightweight material as the Advanced Skin packs everyone is raving about. It comes with six pockets in total: two larger ones at the 'back' (although the 'back' could easily be worn at the front), and two smaller zipped pockets plus two more pockets in front of them, at the front.

The 'back'

The 'front'

The inside

The back pockets are designed to take the 237ml bottles, which are the new 'soft flask' models made for Salomon by Hydrapack. The beauty of these bottles is they collapse as you drink from them making them (a) quite light and (b) small enough after a couple of sips to fit in the smaller front pockets, meaning my head torch can fit into the larger rear pocket when dawn breaks and I don't need it anymore.

With the first Salomon Trail Series race at Studley Park this Sunday, I switched my long run to this morning and tried out the belt. 

I loved it.

First, this is what it carried, with room to spare:

The feel was terrific. Once on, it settles into a tight fit, with no bounce. I didn't even register it being there, really. In fact, at one point, I reached behind me to make sure my head torch and bottle were still there because I couldn't feel them! Getting items in and out of pockets took a couple of tries, but I figured it out pretty quickly and after that it was a breeze accessing the water bottles. When it came time to take off my head torch I was able to quickly rotate the back to the front, stuff it in a pocket and rotate it back again, without breaking stride.

The only fault I can identify is the way the front and back attach to each other. There are these two loops and two clips which are a bit fiddly, especially with cold fingers. If you were in a race and needed to take it off and put it back on at a checkpoint, you could lose a bit of time.

The two clips (bottom) and two loops (top).

But really, that's a small complaint, because you wear a hydration belt to have it on, not to have it on, take it off, put it back on, etc.

Overall, I'm a big fan and I'm pleased I got it. Like the Ay Ups, if you can stand the price tag, I'd definitely recommend getting one.

Pros:

Light, 'don't know it's there' feel
Versatile front and back fit, and easy to switch between those two options on the run

Plenty of storage

Soft flasks

Cons:

Price tag

Clumsy attachment clips

Tan Time Trial

Yesterday's intervals result was staring me in the face. I averaged 3:52/km over the 5x1000, albeit with 250m recovery jogs between intervals.

But still, that kind of pace could see me tick off one of my running goals - a sub 15 min Tan time trial.

My PB to date was an agonisingly close 15:00.66, in May last year before my hip started playing up and I lost the best part of six months. Was I in that sort of form again? There was only one way to find out, but I knew what it meant: pain.

This. Was. Going. To. Hurt.

I looked up my splits from last year:
3:45
3:59 (through halfway in 7:25)
4:03
3:14 (for 0.86k)

Even though the official distance is 3.827km, last year my Garmin showed 3.86k, although I stupidly didn’t take the best racing line. Over 3.86k, I worked out I need to be averaging 3:53. Pretty much 'interval pace', with no recovery jogs in between kms!

I toe the line. Go.

First km down, 3:46. 1 second slower than last year. Already on the limit, but 7 seconds up against the average 3:53 pace required.

But now my watch is telling me I'm doing ~4:30 pace up Anderson Street. Doubts are starting to creep in. I'm losing too much time. 

I recover and I'm through half way in 7:26, again, one second slower than last year.

The 2^nd km is 4:00. My buffer over the goal pace is gone.

For a fleeting moment I actually consider stopping. "I can't do this. I'm already slower than last year and I feel like crap. I'll try another day." "No, you won't!" comes back the response, and I keep going.

The one positive is I know it’s almost all downhill from here, but last year’s 3^rd km was a shocker – a 4:03 despite the gradient.

No such problems this year. I pull out a 3:53 and I know I just need to beat that pace with the biggest downhill section ahead of me. Knowing I ran yesterday's fifth 1000m over pretty much the same section of the Tan, in 3:48, is a big boost.

I stick as tight as possible to the inside, any on-comers have to move over for me, I’m not moving for them. Meters could matter.

My watch is showing sub 3:50 pace with 500 to go, then sub 3:45 with 250 to go. I’ve got this. It’s weird but throughout the whole time trial, I don’t remember looking at the race time apart from halfway, it was all about the pace.

I cross, this time 3.84km showing, and more importantly, 14:42.16. I averaged 3:38 pace over the last 840m.

A sub 15 lap. Finally.

Tick.

[I'm not sure I could have done it without the strength I've built up as a result of the numerous training runs in the hills with the Dandy Trail Runners, so a big thanks to everyone from that group!]

Intervals

Intervals.

I hate you. 

I love you.

No other training session results in a war between Present Me and Future Me quite like intervals do.

Present Me is sitting at my desk, thinking "Am I really going to put my running gear on for the express purpose of inflicting pain on myself? Forget it."

Future Me is countering: "But I'll feel goooood after it's finished. I'll be proud and I'll be buzzing all afternoon. It's the most rewarding training run of the week."

And on it goes, until (usually, hopefully) Future Me prevails.

It happened this afternoon, of course. I didn't want to go out. I did want to go out. And I'm pleased to say, Future Me won the day. 

One of my goals is to run a sub 40 minute 10km. So my intervals are purposely hard (relatively speaking, of course): 5x1000m, aiming for less than 3:50 in the first and last, and less than 4:00 in the middle three, with a 250m jog recovery between intervals, at around 5:30 pace. My aim is therefore to have the session over (a total of 6km), in less than 25 minutes.

Today was a good day. I managed:

3:43 (my fastest ever 1000m)

3:53

3:57

3:57

3:48

And finished in 24:47 (a personal record).

And I was buzzing all afternoon.

Thanks, Future Me (who I suppose is now Historic Me).

Snapping out of it

I had a bad training week last week. One run - a solid 9k lunchtime run with a friend in 42 minutes something. 9k, when I aim to average at least 50 over the year.

I don't really know what happened. My ideal week at the moment looks something like this:

Mon or Tues: 5x1000m with 250 jog recovery between intervals. Aim to have the session over in 25 mins or less. If it's Monday, rest on Tuesday, and vice-versa

Wed: 7.5k tempo run. Aim for 4:15-4:20 pace

Thurs: 9k moderate pace, hopefully with a friend of mine if our diaries line up

Fri: 26km run in to work along the Gardiners Creek and Capital City Trails

Sat: rest

Sun: 1.5-2hr trail run. Lets say 17k, but could be more or less. 

That's about 65k. Sometimes I'll miss one or two of those runs for whatever reason, but last week I missed four out of five. Public holiday Monday, too busy at work Tuesday, blah blah blah. Not good enough, particularly with the first race of the Salomon Trail Series coming up in two weeks. (I'm doing the three Melbourne-based races in the mid-distance category.)

It's also not good enough if I want to achieve my list of running goals I have pinned up at my work:

1. Sub 15 min lap of the Tan

2. Sub 40 min 10k

3. Sub 55 min Puffing Billy

4. Sub 90 min half marathon

5. Sub 3:30 marathon

6. Sub 6:30 Two Bays 56km

7. Complete a 100km ultra.

Here's to getting back on track...

(Today ended up being a 'no run' day, so it's intervals tomorrow)