I can’t remember how I discovered that trail running was a “thing”. Despite having competed in a few of the Kathmandu (now Paddy Palin) adventure races, I don’t think I ever realised that what I was doing on the run leg was actually trail running and a sport in its own right. I’m guessing I was looking for my next challenge after running well in the Blackmores Half Marathon and saw what would be my first trail race on www.runningcalendar.com.au (a great resource I continue to use today).
My first official trail run was the Sydney Trail Series Big Coast Run at Botany Bay. I chose the 11km option and roped my wife into running with me. As my partner in crime for adventure racing I thought it’d be a great experience to do together. It was. We finished in 1:10:53, 90th& 91st out of 145 competitors.
Now I’m definitely speaking for myself when I say it was a magical run. I enjoyed every second of it. I stopped frequently to take in my surroundings and take photos. I marvelled at the freedom of the race in comparison to my experience on the crowded road half marathon. There were times when you bottle necked for sure but most of the time you felt very much on your own. But with the knowledge that if anything went wrong someone would be bounding along the trails shortly to help you out. I was instantly enthralled. My wife on the other hand needed further convincing (something I continue to do to this day!) as the downhill and uneven ground took its toll on her knees and ankles. To be fair she’s 6 years older than me and had an ankle reconstruction in her early 20s so we’ll let her away with not feeling the love straight away!
I can honestly say that since then I’ve not considered entering another road running event (apart from with Achilles). Hello, my name is Jen and I am a trail addict!
I immediately signed up for the STS Manly Dam Summer Series. Again the choice of distances vary – which is what makes this series a fantastic entry level to trail running. For the first run in December I chose the 11km distance and had a fantastic time on the trails. The route was challenging and interesting – huge water pipes to crawl under, steps down into valleys, hikes back out and finishing with the dam crossing to the finish line. Awesome! For the January run I upgraded to the 20km run. Again looking back I have no idea what made me push for the 20km. Maybe because I’d found the 10km run pretty easy – though I never pushed it too hard and finished in a relaxed time of 1:08:09 (ranked 74 out of 105). I guess I wondered if my body could do it and I had in my mind that I’d already completed a road half marathon.
The 20km was considerable harder though. I finished in 2:22:51 ranked 86 out of 109. I returned again in February to complete the 20km course again. This time I finished in 2:19:19 ranking 68 out of 114. Knocking the 3 minutes off my finish time saw me move up 18 places (about 10%) in rankings. I had returned and I had bettered my time. But to be honest that didn’t really matter to me.
Weirdly with my love for the trails my competitive nature has hugely diminished. Back in my karate, football and hockey days, losing was not an option! If I didn’t take home a gold medal at a karate competition it’s because I wasn’t good enough or I hadn’t given it my all. On the trails I feel like I always leave it all out there. There are times when you look at your watch or the km marker and think “I just can’t do this. I’ve got nothing left” but then you dig deep and the gel kicks in or the caffeine or whatever you take on the trails to keep you going. And somehow you find yourself at the finish line. That rollercoaster of emotions that I’ve felt on all mid-long trail runs is what leaves me with a sense of accomplishment at the finish line. I know I’ve pushed myself hard and discovered my body and mind’s abilities to keep me moving forward. So at that finish line, as I cross to the cheers of my fellow participants (they’re not really competitors to me) and have my name called out by the race director (they do that in trail running since there’s no bunching on the finish line and it’s the best feeling!), I feel proud. Exhausted but proud!
My first official trail run was the Sydney Trail Series Big Coast Run at Botany Bay. I chose the 11km option and roped my wife into running with me. As my partner in crime for adventure racing I thought it’d be a great experience to do together. It was. We finished in 1:10:53, 90th& 91st out of 145 competitors.
Now I’m definitely speaking for myself when I say it was a magical run. I enjoyed every second of it. I stopped frequently to take in my surroundings and take photos. I marvelled at the freedom of the race in comparison to my experience on the crowded road half marathon. There were times when you bottle necked for sure but most of the time you felt very much on your own. But with the knowledge that if anything went wrong someone would be bounding along the trails shortly to help you out. I was instantly enthralled. My wife on the other hand needed further convincing (something I continue to do to this day!) as the downhill and uneven ground took its toll on her knees and ankles. To be fair she’s 6 years older than me and had an ankle reconstruction in her early 20s so we’ll let her away with not feeling the love straight away!
I can honestly say that since then I’ve not considered entering another road running event (apart from with Achilles). Hello, my name is Jen and I am a trail addict!
I immediately signed up for the STS Manly Dam Summer Series. Again the choice of distances vary – which is what makes this series a fantastic entry level to trail running. For the first run in December I chose the 11km distance and had a fantastic time on the trails. The route was challenging and interesting – huge water pipes to crawl under, steps down into valleys, hikes back out and finishing with the dam crossing to the finish line. Awesome! For the January run I upgraded to the 20km run. Again looking back I have no idea what made me push for the 20km. Maybe because I’d found the 10km run pretty easy – though I never pushed it too hard and finished in a relaxed time of 1:08:09 (ranked 74 out of 105). I guess I wondered if my body could do it and I had in my mind that I’d already completed a road half marathon.
The 20km was considerable harder though. I finished in 2:22:51 ranked 86 out of 109. I returned again in February to complete the 20km course again. This time I finished in 2:19:19 ranking 68 out of 114. Knocking the 3 minutes off my finish time saw me move up 18 places (about 10%) in rankings. I had returned and I had bettered my time. But to be honest that didn’t really matter to me.
Weirdly with my love for the trails my competitive nature has hugely diminished. Back in my karate, football and hockey days, losing was not an option! If I didn’t take home a gold medal at a karate competition it’s because I wasn’t good enough or I hadn’t given it my all. On the trails I feel like I always leave it all out there. There are times when you look at your watch or the km marker and think “I just can’t do this. I’ve got nothing left” but then you dig deep and the gel kicks in or the caffeine or whatever you take on the trails to keep you going. And somehow you find yourself at the finish line. That rollercoaster of emotions that I’ve felt on all mid-long trail runs is what leaves me with a sense of accomplishment at the finish line. I know I’ve pushed myself hard and discovered my body and mind’s abilities to keep me moving forward. So at that finish line, as I cross to the cheers of my fellow participants (they’re not really competitors to me) and have my name called out by the race director (they do that in trail running since there’s no bunching on the finish line and it’s the best feeling!), I feel proud. Exhausted but proud!