Stories
Race report: A 100-miler where I dropped out and what I learnedCompleting a 100-miler was the goal; dropping out was not. I entered the 100-mile race at the Black Dog 100 in Tasmania’s Central Highlands and withdrew at…
Building a base phase: why slow miles matter moreA base phase is the training block that makes hard efforts possible later. It develops aerobic capacity, blood volume, tendon resilience, and resistance to…
GPS Watches That Keep You Moving Beyond The TrailheadUltramarathon navigation is a different job from tracking a Saturday morning run. A watch has to keep a useful satellite lock through tree cover, display a…
Read your training log, run betterA training log is most useful when it helps you decide what to do next, not when it merely records kilometres. To use a training log to spot patterns and…
Pacing Strategies for Unexpected Weather ChangesRace-day weather in Australia has a habit of rearranging the plan you spent months building. The Blue Mountains can greet a clear dawn with a cold, driving…
Learning to Embrace the Pain Cave in UltrarunningThe pain cave in ultramarunning is the stretch where discomfort stops being background noise and becomes the centre of attention. Feet throb, muscles tighten,…
Best Socks for Blister-Free Trail RunningSocks rarely receive the same attention as shoes, yet they can decide whether a trail run finishes as a satisfying long outing or a painful shuffle home.…
The Link Between Recovery Days and Long-Term ProgressEndurance training rewards consistency more than heroic individual sessions. A long run, hard interval block or demanding brick workout creates a useful…
Race report: My first ultra on a technical single trackSigning up for my first ultra combined confidence with optimism. I had completed road half marathons and long trail runs around Melbourne, but I had never…
How to Stay Motivated Through a Long Off-SeasonAn off-season can feel strangely difficult when there is no race date pulling you through the next week. During a build, training has a clear shape: long runs,…