Dave Byrne – First ‘Long Run’

26 January 2014 The Long Run

After a solid month I figured now was as good a time as any to test the legs on a proper long run. Instead of just rolling around Centennial Park for a few hours I made the most of Australia Day and headed to the hills to have a crack at the 3-hour option of the Knapsack Lap Race. I expected it to be a morning of pain, but not quite as tough as it ended up being. For starters, the distance of the run was hard enough (I covered 46km in 3:16hours). But what exacerbated the issue was my inability to stay on my feet.

First fall came at 13km, and it was quickly followed by four of five more within the next 90 minutes. Why did it happen? Well my theory is that firstly, with trail running you need to have a lot more concentration than track or road. You’ve gotta have your eyes on your feet and only look up every now and then to check your bearings. Secondly, my choice of footwear wasn’t ideal. I went for a lightweight road shoe. A bit heavier than your average racing flat, but still pretty fast. They lacked the support I needed and pushed me onto my toes a little too much.

Thirdly, I was buggered! After the first fall I was pretty bloody sore. The second and third trips not only made me feel like an idiot, but added to the fatigue. Subsequently it was getting harder to lift my feet and also to have the leg strength to make corrections on foot strike, hence a couple more stumbles. In the end I was still happy enough with the run. I managed to win the race and came away sore but having continued to learn more about this trail/ultra caper.

8 days of training ending January 26^th