A Run Fest & An Ironwood 24 hour

BEVE WITH BENN - EP25 - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Yjnn3MG1rogSeIFEZSbsv?si=0cc57584d0464cb4

Another actioned packed weekend of races !! Ironwood 24 hour Endurance Run & Run Fest Foster !! More great performances. Lets start up in Foster.

Danielle Fleming, her first 10km road run and smashed it. Sticking to her plan and and pushing those negative thoughts aside to run all the way to that finish line all smiles !! great to see how much you have progressed Dani.

Colin back out there doing the double! Half Marathon and 5km to get in another event building towards the marathon in Sydney, just 4 weeks away. Must have been moving well as this feet were burning up and setting the course alight, good to hear you had water at hand to cool your feet down, smoking, lucky they didn't have to call the Fire Brigade :) Great work Colin, Mr. consistent and congratulations again.

Linda Minter doing all three races - The Treble Buster !! 21.1+10+5km !! Great work again with another Treble under the belt, your second Treble in Foster !!. Taking off too fast as Linda commented :) Learning Linda haha, pace yourself. But another Treble busted up and just a little over 4 hours - which was 2 mins faster than Port Macquaire earlier in the year, so well done !! Good to see you enjoy a treat following, with a Magnum ice Cream. Loved the mind games of drinking coke and telling yourself it was crampfix. Glad it worked :) Well done Linda a great event under the belt before the Marathon.

Back down to Newcastle with the Ironwood 24 hour endurance run. Congratulations to Gary Brown for taking the win!

Tan Bailey was in a team event, smashing the first lap out in 52mins !! and to then run another 3 laps with the team, to help those that weren't comfortable running alone and or at night, great team player, totally with 28km for the run. Good to hear you enjoyed a couple of Corona's to pass the time away, its a hard long day with an event like that. Hope you had a good sleep on Sunday.

Tom Barton finishing 3rd Place, hitting it up Solo for the 24 hour !! Laps in total 16! 112km and over 6500m of elevation. 300m of elevation per lap, a difficult course to manage, running on paddocks, uneven surfaces making the tracking of the body tough, having to run on a slight angle repeatedly. Good to hear you push through the event, lon g day and night. Hope you have rested on Sunday. Massive achievement on a unique style of an event. Looking forward to hearing more of your recap of the race in your interview this week.

While everyone had fun races, the others were head down training hard. A few in the final block before the Sydney Marathon, some really good session from Adam Moore and Dillon Rinn.

UTMB 2 weeks away. so, it's time to taper, yes, it's hard to not let the mind games get the best of your. The body has been through a lot in the block, so its time to start refreshing the system and not get carried away. Pushing the extra now is not going to do you any Favours comes the race day. I know you may want to see a climb and or some of the course or go extra hikes or runs because your in a new location and push the body a little further. No need to push out anything extra before of travel either. You aren't going to get fitter, the fatigue is in the legs, so need to recharge and refresh, the body knows what to do. Come Race Day the mind will take over and you will do everything in your power to get to that finish line. Sticking to that nutrition and race strategy to get through the race! So me smart now and listen to the advice, before it's too late. We don't want to push the body beyond what is need now :)

RACE RESULTS

Foster Running Festival

Linda Minter - 21.1km - 2:10:55 / 10km - 1:15:56 / 5km - 41:37 !! - Total - 4:09:31
Colin Minter - 21.1km - 2:54:42 & 5km - 43.55
Danielle Fleming 10km - 1:15:59

Ironwood 24hr Endurance Run

Tanya Bailey (TEAM) 52 min fastest laps - team event did 4 laps total 28km
Tom Barton 24 hr Solo - 16 laps / 112km !! 4,666m of elevation !!! 3rd Place

RACING CALENDAR

Forster Running Festival
Lake Macquarie Running Festival
UTMB
Coastal Classic
Sydney Marathon
Great North Walk Ultras
Lonly Mountain Ultra
Bouddi Coastal Run
Central Coast Running Festival
Ultra Trail Kosci

ATHLETE INTERVIEW

City 2 Surf - Erica Pendonese

What shoes did you wear? I wore asics cumulus.

What went well? I survived haha

What didn't work or went bad? Started off too slow and took a few km in to get my rhythm .

How did you overcome the challenge? Tried to get a more constant pace and pushed hard at the end.

What was the best part of the event? It’s always the atmosphere, bloody love it!!

Did you celebrate? Ummm yes maybe a little bit too hard !! I am going to say it was Tanya Bailey who lend us astray

What’s next? Not sure will reassess after my holiday in September/October. Taking a look at my stats from Sunday, pretty happy with some of the achievements!! Fastest 5km / 10km

Tanya Bailey IRONWOOD 24 hr Team

What shoes did you wear? Hoka speedgoats.

What went well? A fresh change of running gear for each loop.

What didn't work or went bad? We were on our feet for most of the 24hrs, either running or standing around, my feet got so sore. Maybe I’m too soft lol!

How did you overcome the challenge? Lucky I had taken a spare pair of shoes. Even though they were an old pair of shoes, it felt so good to put a different pair.

What was the best part of the event? The camaraderie, loved the team event with friends and met some new people too! Was so much fun!

Did you celebrate? Yes, had a few Corona’s while waiting for runners.

What’s next? Coastal Classic 30km

COLIN MINTER RUN FEST FOSTER 21.1km + 5km

What shoes did you wear? Sauconey Endorphin Shift 3

What went well? I stuck to my race plan pace. Using Maurten Gels for my nutrition

What didn't work or went bad? I’m having problems with my feet overheating and after 2 hours they were very uncomfortable

How did you overcome the challenge? Tipped water over my shoes to help cool my feet. Not a great strategy but that’s all I had

What was the best part of the event? It is a spectacular course with so many beautiful moments to take in

Did you celebrate? Nah, my feet just wouldn’t party

What’s next? Sydney Marathon with Lindy… if I ever get over this

LINDA MINTER RUN FEST FOSTER TREBLE 21.1KM+10KM+5KM

What shoes did you wear? Saucony Shift - Speedroll series

What went well? My nutrition was good. I used gels I carried with me & drank water & electrolytes from aid stations.

What didn't work or went bad? I started to get cramps in quads around 32km mark.

How did you overcome the challenge? I told myself I was drinking pickle juice (It was actually coke I was carrying with me on last lap) & even pulled a face as though it was crampfix to fool my brain & told my brain to relax! It worked so I was happy.

What was the best part of the event? Finishing!!

Did you celebrate? I had a dip in the beach afterwards which was really refreshing!

What’s next? Sydney Marathon with Col

DANIELLE FLEMING 10km Run Fest Foster

What shoes did you wear? Hoka Bondi, the right choice

What went well? My head, positive thoughts the whole way!

What didn't work or went bad? Nothing went bad,

How did you overcome the challenge? my goal was to just keep moving smile and have fun.

Knee ached a bit towards the end but I didn’t let it grab me down.

What was the best part of the event? A beautiful course but there’s no way I’d like to do it 3 times like Linda ! And everyone was so friendly

What’s next? Drinking a ginger beer as I type GNW 30

SOCIALS

Sunday Runs - All welcome (Merewether - Carrington)

ATHLETES QUESTIONS - What are the key runs for the week, or most important?

Intervals

Speed work - increase your pace, allow your legs to move faster
Helps increase cadence / get the tendons and muscles firing more efficient
Creates better zones, increases your threshold, helps stamina
Build Muscular Strength
Time efficient and can be fun, creating more enjoyment
Improves - Cardiovascular Fitness, Vo2Max, Anaerobic System, Mental Strength,

Cardiovascular Fitness: Interval training challenges your cardiovascular system by pushing your heart rate to higher levels during the intense intervals. Over time, this improves your heart's ability to pump blood efficiently, which enhances overall cardiovascular fitness.
VO2 Max: Interval training can lead to an increase in your VO2 max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. A higher VO2 max indicates better oxygen transport to muscles, allowing you to sustain higher intensities for longer periods.
Speed and Pace Improvement: By incorporating high-intensity intervals, runners can improve their speed and pace. Short bursts of fast running followed by recovery periods help train your body to run at faster speeds without fatiguing as quickly.
Anaerobic Capacity: Intervals work the anaerobic energy system, which provides energy for short bursts of intense effort without relying on oxygen. This improves your ability to handle and recover from short bursts of high-intensity running.
Muscular Strength and Power: High-intensity intervals engage fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for explosive power. This helps improve your overall muscular strength and power, enabling you to generate more force with each stride.
Calorie Burn and Fat Loss: Intense intervals elevate your heart rate and increase post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), leading to continued calorie burn even after the workout. This can contribute to fat loss and improved body composition.
Mental Toughness: Interval training can be mentally challenging due to its intense nature. Successfully completing interval workouts builds mental toughness, helping runners overcome discomfort and push through fatigue during races.
Time Efficiency: Interval training allows you to achieve significant fitness gains in a shorter amount of time compared to longer, steady-state runs. This is especially beneficial for runners with busy schedules.
Variety and Fun: Incorporating intervals adds variety to your training routine, preventing boredom and making workouts more engaging and fun.
Race Performance Improvement: Interval training simulates the demands of races by incorporating changes in pace and intensity. As a result, it improves your ability to handle surges and changes in terrain that often occur during races.

When incorporating interval training into your routine, it's important to tailor the workouts to your fitness level and goals. Beginners may start with shorter intervals and longer recovery periods, while more advanced runners can increase the intensity and decrease recovery time. Always warm up properly before starting interval sessions and listen to your body to prevent overtraining and injury.

Long Runs

Improves Endurance
Aerobic System
Fat Burning and utilisation
Mental toughness
Running form and technique
Energy Growth - stimulate your cells to improve energy production
Musculoskeltal Adaptions - Strengthen muscles / tendons, ligaments
Caloric Expenditure - Burn more calories
Race Specific Preparation - Stimulate race conditions and phyical and mental demands
Confidence building - boots your confidence on the progress and process of building up milage
Time on Feet - building strength and the demands of ultra running
Practicing Recovery - learning how to recovery after longs runs,

Endurance Building: Long runs are essential for building endurance. They gradually increase your body's ability to sustain physical effort over extended periods of time. This is crucial for success in longer races like half marathons, marathons, and ultramarathons.
Aerobic Capacity: Long runs primarily target the aerobic energy system, which relies on oxygen to produce energy. Regular long runs improve your body's capacity to use oxygen efficiently, enhancing your cardiovascular fitness and allowing you to run at a comfortable pace for longer distances.
Fat Utilization: During long runs, your body starts relying more on fat as a fuel source. This is especially important for longer races, as it helps spare glycogen stores and delays the onset of fatigue.
Mental Toughness: Running for an extended period of time challenges your mental resilience. Long runs teach you to manage discomfort, overcome mental barriers, and stay focused during challenging moments, which is beneficial for race day.
Improved Running Form: Long runs allow you to focus on maintaining proper running form over an extended distance. This promotes efficient movement and reduces the risk of injuries caused by poor biomechanics.
Mitochondrial Growth: Mitochondria are the "powerhouses" of your cells responsible for producing energy. Long runs stimulate the growth of mitochondria, enhancing your body's energy production capabilities.
Musculoskeletal Adaptations: Long runs help strengthen the muscles, tendons, and ligaments involved in running. Gradual adaptation to longer distances reduces the risk of overuse injuries.
Caloric Expenditure: Long runs burn a significant number of calories, contributing to weight management and fat loss goals.
Race-Specific Preparation: Long runs simulate the physical and mental demands of race day. They help you practice race-day nutrition, pacing strategies, and dealing with potential challenges.
Confidence Building: Successfully completing progressively longer long runs boosts your confidence, reminding you of your progress and capability as a runner.
Time on Feet: Spending extended periods of time on your feet helps acclimate your body to the demands of running for hours, which is essential for ultramarathon or trail running.
Recovery Practice: Recovery practices after long runs, such as proper nutrition, hydration, and active stretching, help improve post-workout recovery strategies.

When incorporating long runs into your training plan, it's important to gradually increase the distance and duration to avoid overtraining and injury.

Listen to your body, adjust your pace as needed, and ensure you're well-fueled and hydrated. Plan recovery days following long runs to allow your body to repair and adapt.

Recovery Runs

Promotes Active Recovery: Recovery runs help flush out metabolic waste products and promote circulation, aiding in the repair and healing of muscle tissues after strenuous workouts.
Reduces Muscle Stiffness: Engaging in low-intensity running increases blood flow to your muscles, helping to reduce muscle stiffness and soreness following intense training.
Improves Blood Flow: Recovery runs enhance blood flow to the muscles, which carries nutrients and oxygen needed for repair and recovery.
Enhances Lactate Clearance: Active recovery helps clear lactate, a byproduct of anaerobic exercise, from your muscles. This helps reduce muscle fatigue and soreness.
Maintains Consistency: Recovery runs keep you in the habit of regular training without overtaxing your body. Consistency is key to long-term improvement and injury prevention.
Active Mobility: Running at an easy pace promotes joint mobility and flexibility, helping to counteract stiffness and improve range of motion.
Mental Refreshment: Recovery runs provide a mental break from more demanding workouts. The relaxed pace can be refreshing and enjoyable.
Helps Avoid Overtraining: Recovery runs prevent the common mistake of running hard on consecutive days, which can lead to overtraining, fatigue, and increased risk of injury.
Prepares for Future Workouts: Recovery runs ensure you're physically and mentally ready for upcoming quality workouts by aiding in recovery from previous sessions.
Builds Base Mileage: While recovery runs are shorter and slower, they contribute to your weekly mileage, helping you build a solid base of aerobic fitness.
Burns Calories: Even though recovery runs are done at a slower pace, they still contribute to calorie burn, supporting weight management goals.
Improves Running Economy: Easy runs can help you refine your running form and develop a smooth and efficient stride.

When incorporating recovery runs into your training plan, keep these tips in mind:

Keep the pace truly easy—conversational pace where you can comfortably talk.
Listen to your body; if you're feeling excessively fatigued or sore, consider opting for rest or cross-training instead.
Pay attention to your breathing and effort level; if you're straining or breathing heavily, slow down.
Recovery runs are about time on your feet, so focus on duration rather than distance or pace.
Customize the frequency of recovery runs based on your training volume and experience.