Thank you!

Well, 2013 has been a big, ripper, life changing year!  Given that it is the end of the year, it is generally a time to reflect!  And reflect we shall!

This year we had a new baby, Corlè, I left the Police to start studying physiotherapy full time at uni, I started a new job at Nanas Pantry, I got a new wife (ok, not new...Tegs just lost a crazy amount of weight after having the baby and looks AMAZING!)...oh, and I ran about a billion races, including a PB at 50k, 100miles and finishing Coast 2 Kosci...240k!  Good times!

It has been an exciting, challenging, liberating and generally fun time!  In saying that, 2014 I have a feeling is gonna be EPIC!  We have some more BIG plans and ideas in the pipeline and I can not wait to share them with you!  All in good time young punter!

Also, this time of year, people usually set some life goals and resolutions for their next period in life. Whilst there is usually a fair bit of cynicism about New Years Resolutions, can I encourage you to be positive!  Use it as a time to set yourself some goals, make some positive changes and look ahead at what incredible things you are going to do going forward.  Get amongst it!

A couple of goals I have already set....spend more, quality time with my beautiful girls, live each day to the full, run under 4hrs 30min (YIKES) in a trail 50k race, under 20hrs in a 100miler (YIKES again!), aim for 7000km running in the year (not a specific focus but if it happens that would be SWEET), get my weight under 75kg year round (which I have been trying to do for a while) and eat a healthier vegan diet.  There are a few other 'secret' goals that will all be revealed in good time!

I finally want to take this chance to thank YOU!  I have been blessed and amazed beyond belief at the comments, words, thoughts, prayers and general encouragement I have received through this year from every single one of you!  I pray you will continue to follow my journey and be inspired by this little adventure the TattooRunner is on!

God bless you all, I love each one of you and can't wait to share 20-14 with you!

Contentment, Sleep Monsters and Sufferfest - Coast 2 Kosci

Day One – 03/12/13 – What a ripper day!  We started our journey at 5am from my humble abode with dad and Rod.  We headed to Brisbane and picked up Lori for the first leg of the trip.  And what a fun day it was!  The weather was absolutely beautiful and traffic was good!  Sun was shining, the country side was gorgeous and the company was stella!

Kicking back on top of the camper before the cold arrived

 

 

I do however have some reserved judgement about my crew.  I knew Rod was a triathlete with a dirty ultra running secret but it turns out that Lori is an ultra runner with a FILTHY triathlon habit!  HELP ME RHONDA!  I thought heading to Australia’s longest ultra, I would be far away from the triathlon madness, but no!  It follows me and haunts me forever more!  Needless to say, much laughter and taunting was had during the day!

We pushed on through the day, relaxing, talking, listening to some tunes and generally having a top time!  We made it to about 40km from Newcastle before calling it a night and setting up the camper for a nights kip.

I am super, super excited to start running however a bit nervous about the weather.  Snow has been forecast during the run, which may make things very interesting to say the least!  What will be will be!

I got some beautiful cards from Mum, Lori and the Zigdermanns which had some awesome words of encouragement.  I am so blessed to have so many friends and family supporting this adventure!

Day One down…come at me Day Two!

Day Two – 04/12/13 – Well we woke this morning after FREEZING our arses off all night!  Dad and Rod at least got to spoon a little (that may be an exaggeration) but Lori and I were SO COLD!  After stopping only at 10:30pm the night before, we had a quick set up and laid our heads down.  Not preparing was a bad idea!

(Disclaimer – Rod states, ‘What goes on tour stays on tour!)

So, after having a rough, interrupted nights sleep, we woke early, packed whilst still freezing and got on the road.  I swear my feet didn’t get warm till about three hours later. 

The chocy gobler!

Our drive today was again beautiful.  The weather was magic, everyone was cheery (after an early catch up kip), we took our time and had a top day!  There has been something completely soothing about this trip.  My relaxation has been at a level it has not been for a long time and my stress levels have been nearly rock bottom. 

The preparation for this race has been entirely bizarre and nothing like I have ever experienced.  My brain cannot completely comprehend the journey that awaits me.  For this reason I have been nervous but at the same time, 100% at ease about it all! Different, but soothing.

We arrived finally at Eden at about 3pm and set up our top little camp.  It has been such a blessing to be able to use Rods camper trailer.  It has been a super home away from home.  After setting up we went for a little drive to town (Eden is a lovely spot) and a look around before returning back to the park and going out for a little run.  Legs felt like they had been in the car for two days…funny that! 

After a shower and relaxing for a little, we headed to the Pub for dinner and had a gold feed and even met another runner. 

It has been a super day, even though it started raining pretty constant this afternoon.  I have become quite overwhelmed today by the pressure and support I have received for this race.  I have got so many lovely well wishes and kind words from so many people, including from a friend in New Zealand this afternoon.  Further to that, my crew who have taken time away from their lives and families to come and support me.  I am truly blessed to have so many generous kindhearted people in my life.  I just pray and hope I can make them all proud come Friday!

With a joy in my heart and a smile on my face from a super day, I lay my head down to get some rest tonight.  Tomorrow will be another great day of relaxing and preparing before the big dance begins.  BRING IT ON! 

Chillin out before race day

Day 3 – 05/12/2013 – The nerves are mounting!  Today was blessed.  Cruisy, sleep in (never happens!), quick podcast chat with Jeff ( Coach Jeff Podcast) great coffee and tangello at a local gourmet deli, shopping at an awesome little hippy shop and catching up with fellow runners and friends, new and old!  We had a little crew meeting and talk about what was ahead…I am so fortunate to have these guys on my team!

Pre-race briefing

We headed to race briefing and dinner tonight and had a ripper time there chatting, eating and hearing about what was ahead.  I got a chance to meet an exiting new friend and fellow runner Grant, who is a raw food ultra runner ( rawaussieathlete.com ), I am sure I will be throwing a number of emails and questions at him in the coming weeks!  What a champ!

After a great time and many laughs, it was home, have a cuppa and then off to bed.  Life is blessed!  I am ready, lets get this dance on!  Cold, hot, up/down, weak, strong….no matter what, I am ready to rock this party!

Dear Diary….see you in 240km!

08/12/13 – Contentment, Sleep Monsters and Sufferfest

Pre Start

Start crew

Disclaimer – Some of this may not be in the correct order as your brain becomes a little mush after running for so long!

OMGosh, where do you start with a race report for a 240km run?  At the moment I am sitting back with my feet in the air cause of the brutal swelling.  What an adventure it has been though!  Lets start a little before the beginning!

The night before – We slept in the camper trailer again…in cyclonic winds!  Needless to say, we all got about 1-2hrs sleep each in TOTAL!  More on that later!

#shirtsareforsuckers

Race Day – Contentment – After our terrible nights sleep we turned up to the start line in serious anticipation.  We were all super excited and ready to get the show on the road!  The race started on the beach in Eden and after some photos and nervous excitement we got started. 

#again YES!

The start of the race went along swimmingly, chatting to a heap of people and making some new friends.  I got chatting to a guy named Joe Ward who was lovely.  After some general conversation I found out that he was also a vegan!  Must have been why he was so nice!  Ha!  We ran together up until the first Checkpoint, chatting and enjoying each others company.  It surely made the time go quickly!  So stoked I met him and I am sure we will stay in touch and be friends for a long time, gold!

After leaving Joe, I was able to see my crew for the first time at 24k.  It was a quick in and out stop, grabbing some food and saying g’day before heading on. 

Badwater kit!

After leaving the Checkpoint, I met a few more friends and was really honoured to get to share some k’s with running royalty Jane Trumper and Andy Bowen.  They made me feel really welcome and although I already knew Andy who is a top bloke, it was super to get to know Jane a little.  The people I meet through ultra running never cease to amaze me by their friendliness and outreaching of love and kindness.

The opening stages of the race were incredibly beautiful (as the whole race was) and it wasn’t hard to look around and enjoy Gods beautiful country.  For what downfalls our country has we are incredibly blessed to live here!

JUMP Lori

Upon meeting my crew again at Checkpoint 2, I had needed to go to the loo for about an hour and was promised there was a toilet there…well there was, however it was locked!  I ran through disappointed and had to go bush!  After this my belly felt a fair bit better and I carried on.  I got chatting to Micky Arthur who was a top fella and has done some amazing endurance events all round the world.  I didn’t get to spend ages with him but enjoyed the time we got to spend together.     

After this I spent a fair bit of time on my own in the wind!  The plains were open and the wind gusts were pretty brutal.  This didn’t bother me too much, and once on my own, really started ticking of some good km splits.  My whole goal for the first 12hrs was to be consistent, keep moving forward and enjoying myself.  Every now and then I would find myself breaking the race down and thinking too far ahead.  I find this is dangerous and I am better just taking each moment as it presents itself, concentrating on what is going on in the present.

Mother ship

After a short time, I got to a major climb in the race called Big Jack.  I was able to have a crew member join me so Dad jumped out and hiked the hill with me.  It was good to have his company and do it together.  Good times!   

After leaving dad, I continued to click of 5km sections (generally where I would meet the crew) in good time.  My consistency proved valuable as I started working my way up the field.  From this point, for the entirety of the race, I can not remember anyone passing me (although I passed quite a lot).  Pretty stoked with that!

The only real concern through the day was that I only took two pee’s I think, and they were bright yellow.  Any runner knows this is not ideal and I needed to get more fluids into me.  I started to do this but would prove problematic later on….

Metronome k's

The day ticked by and coming up to the 12hr mark, I had clocked up 100km.  That was a mini goal I had and I was really happy to have achieved a first little milestone!  Only 140k to go!  Ha!

The next few hours was on road with some good climbs.  I had a good old chat with some country boys who were intrigued as to what was going on.  Very funny.  I continued to keep my consistency when I was able have a pacer the rest of the race, 8:30pm daylight savings time.

Dad joined me here and we had some good chats and spoke with some friends on the phone.  It was nice to hear some familiar voices however at this point I wasn’t so keen to be chatting too much.  This is where the sleep monsters arrived!

Sleep Monsters – For those who don’t know, sleep monsters occur in ultras when you have been running for a long time and start falling asleep while running!  I have never experienced this before, however, due to my terrible sleep the previous nights, I was about to be introduced to the beast big time!

From about 10pm to about 5am I was in a bad way.  First thing – I was peeing about every 20min…not good as electrolyte balance gets thrown out.  Second thing – I was falling asleep every time I started power hiking.  It was like nothing I had ever experienced before.  The feeling of not being able to control your body to stay awake when you know it can is terrible.  I was staggering all over the road on numerous occasions and at times, when I stopped to pee, it felt like my sandals were about a foot thick and I was sinking into them, about to face plant into the dirt.  Through the night there were some serious climbs.  Dad urged me along the best he could and we spoke a fair bit about me having a power nap.  I was really keen on this idea, as I could not control what my body was doing.  Dad thought it was a bad idea though as it was so cold and he thought I would find it too hard to get out of the car.  I decided to battle on in the hope that sun up would revitalise me.  I have read a number of race reports where this has helped runners in the past so I was keen to see if it was true!  Another thing that encouraged me to keep going , as much as I don’t like relishing in peoples struggles, was seeing another runner taking about three steps (two sideways and one forward) then needing to hang on to her pacer to remain upright!  She was in a bad way.  I though to myself, if she can keep going, so can I!

The sun started to rise just outside Jindabyne, another milestone I had set in my mind.  I was keen to try and get to 180km in 24hours.  I fell just short of my goal, getting to 178km in that time.  Close enough! 

At this point, Rod was keen to join me while dad had a rest.  We started a massive climb out of town and this is where the sufferfest began.

Sufferfest – As day two began the pain kicked into a new gear!  The whole day was nothing like I have ever experienced before!  The pain in the front of my shins and legs in general was devastating.  Walking hurt but had to be done as there were SO many long steep hills.  Running took time to get up to speed as every time I started the pain was so intense it took a number of steps to get to any sort of minimal speed.  From here on in the k’s seemed to take FOREVER!  This was playing with my mind as I was just keen to get there but it was taking so long!  The hills were also mind destroying!  I knew we had to be going up, like the top of Australia up, but every time I seemed to do a massive climb, there was a massive descent following!  Ugh!  Rod did a good job of keeping me moving forward, as frustrating as it must have been for a speedster like him!

From about half way through the night Friday to the end of the race, I really did not want to eat.  I knew I had to, but nothing appealed to me.  Such a bad feeling!

I eventually made it to Perisher, which was the last Check in.  Here, I was pretty much annihilated!  I went to the loo, washed my face and generally felt sorry for myself.  The k’s seemed to go SO slow and my body was SO ruined, life was tough at that point.  I continued to move forward with Rod helping me along the way and Dad and Lori helping along.

Slowly but surely, we kept going and EVENTUALLY arrived at Charlottes Pass.  What a freaking relief!  Dad told me that the organisers had said that I wasn’t able to wear my sandals to the summit.  At that point I was beyond caring.  I had my Altra shoes ready in case and they were to be my footwear for the last 18k.  Sandals for 222km is a pretty darn good effort I reckon!  I didn’t even realise either but Lori pointed out that my hands were swollen…like super swollen!  The race medic checked me over and said that I had some good hypotremia and oedema going on…no more water for me!  These conditions can be fatal so I listened good and proper!  Whilst concerning it was not going to stop me finishing!

Top of Australia!

Vegan wearin my Akubra trophy!  Oxymoron but super proud!

Charlottes Pass to the Summit of Kosciuszko was super special!  We were able to do it with our whole crew so we took our time, enjoyed the views and loved every minute.  There was HEAPS of snow which made things a bit more challenging.  Once we got to the top after about a 9k hike we got some beautiful photos and then started heading down.  The conditions were super icy and at one point there was a bit of an avalanche and I slid about a meter and a half down a VERY steep slope!  Close call!  We continued to work our way down and relished in our amazing day!  Coming up to the finish I was just overwhelmingly happy to finish and stop moving forward!  I reached the finish line in 35hr 14min and 51sec.  So so stoked with my achievement!  The finish was a little bittersweet though as I found out the organizers weren’t letting any one else up to the summit about 15min before I finished due to safety concerns.  Whilst I appreciate this would have been one of the hardest decisions for them to make I completely understand why they did.  Any sort of accident could jeopardise future races.  After a little rest, we headed back to our accommodation after a while, showered and rested up!  Job done!

Crew on top of Kosci!  Lori, Me, Rod and Dad

The wrap up – Sunday morning there was a race breakfast then presentations.. This was SUPER special, hearing stories and receiving our C2K Akubra.  Even though I’m vegan, I will wear this trophy with pride!  We then relaxed in our unit and I got my feet up as they got REALLY swollen!  We headed to a dinner at the pub at night and caught up with all our new friends.  We met so many amazing people and their crews on this journey but most memorable would be Kieron, Paul, Lisa, Jane, Joe, Nat, those along with our existing friends will stay with us for a long time.

Lastly, my crew.  I don’t even know where to start!  To say that this journey wouldn’t have been possible without you is the understatement of the year!  Your encouragement, devotion, commitment, selflessness and love was amazing!  Dad, Lori and Rod, you deserve as much or more recognition for the success of this race as I have received.  For you to all give up your time away from your families and give so much of yourselves blows me away!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  You are all so beautiful and I am forever indebted to you!

It DID just work!

In the aftermath of this pilgrimage I am so very proud of how I performed in my first C2K.  It was more than I could have ever expected and harder than I could have ever imagined.  This race now holds a special place in my heart and I hope to be back next year toeing the start line, ready to do it all again!  GOOD TIMES friends!

We now start our journey home where we can relax, chat and debrief.  What next for the TattooRunner….time will tell!  Love you all, thank you for being there for me, supporting me and saying such nice things about my lunacy!  Love you all and Ill see yall soon!  Run Free…

The madness awaits.

So, it has been with much patients, preparation, excitement, nervousness, anticipation and general 'I'm scared beyond scared'ness that I have been building and waiting for this coming weekend.  For those of you new to my blog, this coming Friday I will be facing my biggest running challenge thus far.  A 240km foot race from the coast at Eden (about six hours south of Sydney) to the top of Australia's tallest peek, Mt Kosciuszko. 

I have what I think is great balance in my crew....consisting of my dad, Lori, Rod and my sister Melinda.  On Tuesday, we are starting the drive (yes we are DRIVING down!) for the nervousness to continue to mount.  This thing is gonna be amazing!

In the lead up to this race, a lot of people have been talking to me about it, getting excited for me, offering encouragement and generally being bewildered by the magnitude of the task ahead.  This has made me take a step back a number of times and think about what is to come.  When reflecting and imagining what is to be, I nearly have a quiet chuckle to myself as I dont really think what I am doing is all that special.  Let me explain...

So often in life we say no to things and dont even attempt them, for a lot of reason, but generally the main one is fear.  Fear of the unknown, personal doubt, what others will say, but more prominently, fear of failure.  Now, to a rational person, this may be a genuine fear, but not one that I want to entertain in my life, or let rule my existence.  Fear is more often than not in our minds.  The best way, I think to confront it, is to commit to something that completely scares the crap out of me!  Don't think, just do (or in my case enter) and then panic when it is too late!  I have said to a few friends in the build up, that 100mile trail races are now are my favorite distance and whilst I have respect for them, the distance no longer 'scares' me.  240km though, with a hell of a lot of climbing does though!  Given, one of the reasons I am going down to give this monster my best shot!

One of my great friends Nix gave me a card yesterday with a quote I had already found and saved.  It was a timely reminder and affirmation that you can do ANYTHING if you really want to.  'Do not follow where the path my lead.  Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.'  Ralph Waldo Emerson.  That takes courage, it takes guts and a certain amount of calculated stupidity...all of which I have some of, and maybe more of some than the other!  I believe that we ALL possess, deep within our spirits, a sence of adventure, creativity, excitement and a longing for the unknown.  Another quote I always remember goes something like, 'Only thoes who risk going to far can possiblly find out how far they can go.'

So, while I continue to prepare and build excitement for the coming week, I want to encourage you.  Do something that you might not be so sure you can complete and give it a red hot go.  If you fail, big deal....learn and try again.  This last year has built within me a spirit of 'I would rather try and fail spectacularly that not try and never know'.  You are better, stronger, smarter, more amazing, beautiful, destined, loved, able, prepared and need to go beyond yourself.  Reach high, push your limits, become better...forks to the stagnate!  You inspire me friends and I hope in a small way, one step at a time, this weekend I can inspire you!  Run free, vegan power! 

PS - If you want to follow my adventure, the race begins at 5:30am on Friday the 6th of December.  There is a live update section on the website which you can find at http://www.coast2kosci.com/live.php

I also want to thank all those who have sponsored me and helped me out in the lead up to this run.  Nanas Pantry for the beautiful snacks and food to keep me and my crew powered up.  At One Food bars for making incredibly beautiful raw food bars which I will be eating whilst running.  Rod for helping out with the use of his camper trailer.  Lori for the crew kit, so so rad!  Dad for the $$ he will be putting into food and the use of his vehicle.  Tegan and my beautiful girls for letting me go down for this mad adventure.  And lastly but most importantly, one monetary donor who wants to stay autonomous....you are incredible!  Thank you for the funds to assist in this journey!  You inspire me more than you know and your generosity is indescribable!  Run Free!

Giving = Recieving

'No one ever became poor by giving' Anne Frank

In the past, giving has been something that I have done a little, but often struggled with.  I don't really know why, but it has been a trait in my life that I have really wanted to change.  As time has past, and I have become increasingly detached from material objects and less involved in myself and more interested in others worlds, it has become easier and easier to give, and give generouslly.

As I have become an ultra runner, peoples amazing-ness continues to boggle me.  Whilst my adventures are in all honesty selfish ambition, friends, and even strangers have been so giving of finance, products, love, support, kind words and blessings beyond my comprehension.  This has again been displayed in the lead up to my next running challenge Coast 2 Kosci.  So so blessed, I cant believe it!  Without naming names (you know who you are) you mean the world to me and I pray your return is 1000 fold! 

I know that the individuals who support me don't do it for recognition or any selfish gain, but to do something beautiful for me out of love.  That kindness touches my heart and helps me aim to be a better and more giving person.  I find it difficult to put my gratitude into words.  Whilst I know I run a long way, and do my best to help others make their lives better, I don't think I am that different from the every day Joe...I think that's why those who support me are even more special!  You inspire me, encourage me and push me to improve the person I am, day by day.  

So, as I move forward, think and challenge myself, I am not saying that I am giving everything away and that I dont like some nice things, but lets face it, we all have stuff we dont need or use, time to spare, money we waste on un-productive things/activities etc.  I want to leave a legacy in this life and for people to remember my kindness when I am gone.  I know I have a long way to go, but I am trying to improve day by day.  When I get a chance (sooner rather than later), I am planning on going through a heap of my stuff and giving it all away.  I'm not doing this for some sort of recognition, just to step forward, let go of material items, bless others and become more simple, humble and free.

As the quote states, give, and you will be rich...not necessarily in finance, but lifes most precious commodities....love, kindness, bliss, forgiveness, integrity...the list goes on.  Some of the worlds richest men have come to giving away vast majorities of their fortunes as they have come to the realisation that money don't mean squat! (ok they may be my words but you get the point!)

Lets be givers friends...aim to be below those around us by lifting them up.  Be generous beyond your own ideas and belief and be blessed in the process.  These are the things that really matter in this world and that will last into eternity!  Love, peace and plants to yall!  Bliss. 

Its all happening!

Heya!  Hope y'all going ripper and lovin the warm weather again!  Got some catching up to do today and let you know about some cool stuff going on with the TattooRunner!  So....here we go!

First up - I have, for the last month or so been backlogging some blogs for my work, Nanas Pantry.  These blogs have now started going live and if ya keen, you should check them out!  Basically, each week I am doing a shortish post about a product from the store and providing a reciepe about the product.  It is something I am really excited about and enjoying a lot!  If you get a chance, please take a look, duck in store, say gday and grab the product blogged about!  For the link, go to https://nanaspantry.com.au/blog

Secondly - I am now a distributor for Froothie Blenders.  They are amazing blenders, which we use every day.  They are commercial level and pulverize anything thrown in them!  A HIGHLY recommended product!  If you are keen for a superior quality blender, please check out http://www.froothie.com.au/ and contact me directly at grills_1@hotmail.com

Thirdly - The TattooRunner has been at the podcasting caper once again!  Coach Jeff has graciouslly had me on for a third time and it was a fun chat and re-cap on the Glasshouse 100miler plus a heap of other random ramblings.  If your keen for a listen, go to http://www.coachjeff.com.au/2013/11/09/coach-jeff-podcast-368-running-podcast-123-tattoo-runner/

Last of all, today is my 31st Birthday!  Last year I set myself some fitness and health goals.  Whilst some of these have been met and exceeded, some of them have been left behind.  I am approaching my 31st year alive with some renewed vision and big goals.  I will be tracking a lot of this in future blogs, but the main thing I am wanting to improve is my diet.  Most of you know I am vegan which has been going great for my running and when I eat right, my health thrives.  I have however been enjoying vegan treats and overeating a bit too much (sometimes it is easy to use the 'Im training a lot' excuse but that is no longer cutting it!)  I know my diet is cleaner than probably 80% of the population however I want to focus my diet on eating for lifelong health which in turn will improve my running performance and physique.  I am completlly convinced that a clean vegan diet is not only the optimal fuel for endurance athletes, its the perfect way to eat for a long, sickness preventing life.  As I said, I will talk about this in future posts, but onward and upward!

Thanks peeps for checking in on the blog again!  Hope it finds you rockin and eatin plenty of plants!  Cant wait to catch up with you soon and hope and pray you have a ripper week!  Run run free, plant strong friends!

I'm back!

Ha yall!  I hope this is finding you fit, rockin and eatin some plants! 

Well it has been an interesting ride since the 100miler, let me tell you!  As most of you would probably know (and I have previously blogged about), I picked up a pretty bad Achilles injury about six-seven weeks ago and have been doing some extensive rehab since!  After seeing my lovely friend and physio Nix at Barolin Physio, Bundaberg regularly (they are amazing so please go there if you have any physio needs!) and following my come-back plan diligently, I can safely say.....I AM BACK!  This is the first injury where I have followed instruction and exercise 100%.  I have kept the focus of REALLY want to compete in Coast 2 Kosci and line up on start day un-injured!

In saying this, my preparation has been COMPLETELY different to what I had planned and I usually do in lead up to a big long race.  As my friends and training buddies know, I am all about bulk mileage.  You wanna do a long race, you better be runnin a long way in training!  So not being able to do this has really taken some determination and innovation to a) keep me fit and b) get me back running as soon and as far as possible before the big day.

During my rehab, apart from running VERY short distances and building VERY slowly, doing my exercises, seeing Nix weekly and a lot of icing, I have been doing a heap of swimming.  I used to hate swimming however this time around I have been finding it very enjoyable and been logging 10-15km a week on top of the running I have been able to complete in my rehab plan.  I want to say a massive thankyou to Ian at Anzac Pool Bundaberg for hooking a brother up and seriously looking after me in my unconventional build up to a little 240km run I have fast approaching!  Thanks mate, you have been a serious blessing!

So, in saying all this, I am now back to doing a 'normal' program.  I am still doing 100% what I am told and will not be logging quite the k's I would like to be doing, but still doing some decent long running.  I am also taking rest days (ok, I am swimming 3k on these days) from running which I dont usualy like to do but I think in the lead up to this event will keep me fresh.

I just want to thank you all for your support and encouragement over the last couple of months.  I am like a lost kid when I can not run and I am sure I have been driving thoes close to me a little crazy.  It is such a blessing to be back out there, getting amongst it and enjoying the wind in my flowing locks.  My fitness has only dropped a little since the 100miler (thanks to the swimming) and I know I am gonna be in good shape come the 6th of December for what will be my most epic running challange yet!   I am aiming to drop a few kg's over the next month to tune up for the big day but, three words my friends...BRING IT ON!

A couple of last things.....thanks to my beautiful wife Tegs and my family for helping me and putting up with me though this injury and supporting me in my quest for C2K.  Also, thanks to my running friends in Bundy and other towns, particularlly my bestie Lori for believing I can come back in time for a little stroll to the top of Australia!  Run Free!

On a last note, I am now also blogging for my work, Nanas Pantry.  I am going to be reviewing a product each week, talking about it and then providing a recipe to try out as well.  I believe the blog should start going live in the next couple of days, so please keep an eye on https://nanaspantry.com.au/ for the TattooRunners side project!  Check it out and let me know what you think!  Good fun!  Have a ripper week friends!  Plant on!

You are what you surround yourself with.

After school I was an exchange student in Finland.  Due to its geography, it is dark for 5-6months of the year straight and light for 5-6months of the year straight.  During the dark months, suicide rates are extremely high due to the oppressiveness of no sunlight.  Our surroundings can have a profound affect on our own well being.  (Note - not the happiest way to start my blog but stick with me people!)

I like to think that I am a pretty positive and motivated person.  I know at times I have my rants and get down and out/lazy like everyone else but for the most part I try and keep things up beat and purposeful. 

In saying this, sometimes it's hard to stay happy, energetic and generally moving forward with a plan.  I also realize that I can do a lot more in my life to go the extra mile to help people.  This is where the people you associate with and the company you keep can have a big impact on how you view the world and the thoughts/actions you pursue.  Our friends nearly always reflect the person we become.

My thoughts for this post were provoked from my new job.  It is amazing!  The people that I work with, including the bosses are incredible.  They truly make the business successful by being them!  They are positive, happy, energetic, can never do enough for a customer, health conscious, organized, and motivating.  Never before have I worked in an environment quite like it.  SO many times at work I have found myself doing something a little extra for a customer or work colleague, not because I want to impress anyone, but because the company and environment I am working in allows and facilitates this kind of thinking and action.  It is always a warm feeling when I find myself in this situation.  I am becoming a more compassionate, helpful, friendly and motivated person.  I am becoming the good that is surrounding me.

Now this can also, as I am sure you know, work in the opposite.  If you surround yourself with negativity, violence, hate, greed etc....your character will slowly and nearly always become those things.  I once read that if you take your five closest friends and averaged their weights, that is probably what you will weigh.  I know this is a little trivial but you get what I mean!     

So....who is around you?  What do you spend your time doing, thinking about, talking about, researching, listening to and exposing your emotions to?  Is it positive or negative?  Who do you want to become?  Let me tell you, if you are a person in the thick of the later environment, it is not too late.  If you are a person DOING the pulling down, gossiping, negative talk etc WAKE UP!  Take a good hard look at where you are at and what you are doing.  As harsh as it sounds you might need to find new friends, leave a club or group, read a different genre of books, take steps to start thinking more positive thoughts....anything to start pulling yourself out of the mire you may be in.

Don't wait friends!  Life is far to short to be miserable!  I have a saying that I aim to live every day better than the one before.  Sure I don't always succeed but you are only a quitter when you stop trying!  Take a subjective view.  We are so incredibly blessed beyond imagination and really have nothing to complain about.  I challenge you, this week, do something, just one thing to try and make your life more positive.  The power is yours and only you can change.  Take some ownership friends and lets help make this world, those we come in contact with and meet, better!  Love to you all.  Peace, plants...TattooRunner 

MOVE

This week I watched a video on Vimeo...then watched it again, and again.  It is simply titled MOVE and completely resonated with my spirit and views on life!  So whats up?!

As humans, we make excuses, we are lazy and we dont do what we know we should!  I am as guilty of it as much as the next Joe (even though my name is Mat!).  However, I strive, even yearn to MOVE.  To put my body in motion, look after myself, try and do things 'crazy' things, and be an example to my family and friends....heck, even strangers.  To LIVE alive!  I want to do all I can to stay away from that drain hole as much and as long as possible. 

One line really stuck with me from the clip.  'We all try to be buzy instead of being alive'.  Will you get 10years down the track, look back on your life and realize you have missed being alive for the sake of keeping yourself buzy?  Have you done something lately that has scared you, that you weren't sure if you could accomplish?  Why not?  Is another Facebook status, last minute sale, extra extra overtime, watching that second, third or tenth hour of TV for the day really making you feel alive?  Why not get up, move, get your heart beating (not from all the junk in your belly!) and FEEL movement.  The more you do it, the more it becomes habit, the more you will WANT to MOVE!  Liberating!

So, MOVE!  The message is simple!  It doesn't have to be running, biking or swimming...just do something!  This world is in a fat crisis!  I know that sounds harsh, but take a look around.  I mean REALLY take a look around!  A LOT of beautiful souls are killing themselves by what they are putting in their bodies and by what they are NOT doing...MOVE!  People are MASSIVE and it is getting worse!  Lets buck the trend, rebel, and create our own group of humans that will make a difference to our world!  One of health, movement and lifestyle!  Don't give up, do something everyday, embrace this beautiful life for the beauty it beholds, not the crap society is creating!  You are amazing, you can do it, you can make a difference....but it is your responsibility!  Lets do it friend, enough excuses....MOVE!  Run on, Plant strong! X 

http://vimeo.com/74389041 

Massive thanks to Will GADD for the inspiration!  Check out http://willgadd.com

WHAT THE HECK?!?!

OMGosh!!!!  So....excitement, eagerness, fear and nervousness is present in the Grills at the moment!  Let me back up a sec and let you know why!

Just before GH100, I applied for Coast to Kosci....a 240km non-stop run from the coast at Sydney to the highest point in the country.  With a 46hour cut off, there is no dilly-dallying to be done in this event!  To be considered for this race, applicants have to submit a running resume and meet certain qualifying standards to even be thought of.  I put in last year however was not successful, which turned out to be a very good thing as mentally I was not ready!  Each year they only select about 50 applicants to take part in this iconic race.  As I would find out, this year there were an unprecedented number of applicants and resumes were studied thoroughly.

Today is the day runners were to find out if they were going to get the chance to attempt this epic journey.  However yesterday, I received an early email saying....I GOT IN!!!!  I can not believe it and am still feeling pretty overwhelmed!  The enormity of the task that is C2K is mind boggling and one that I am honoured to have a bloody good crack at!  Three words friends, BRING IT ON!  I am in the process of rounding up a crew to support me along the way for what will be a super fun road trip and crazy race experience!  I have also contacted a couple of potential sponsors to help with costs however if anyone would like to, or knows anyone who might be interested in throwing a few bucks to help with transport, accommodation, race entry etc costs, please let me know. 

Now....in saying all this, there is still the small issue of my Achilles!  Let me say, it is going AWESOME!  I haven't run this week on physio orders however have taken to swimming!  I have probably swum three times in the last three years however managed to do 6k in the last four days!  I have been going with a mate Alex from Uni who is a swim coach and he has sufficiently been smashin me!  Good times!  I think this forced rest will be a blessing in disguise and have me keen and pumped up for the massive training that is ahead of me! 

I will be commencing my C2K training tomorrow as it is 10weeks until race day (December 6th).  I will be swimming long until I get the all clear from the physio however am pretty confident I am gonna be able to run sooner rather than later as it is feeling good.  It is going to be a fun, exciting, load of k's next 10 weeks and I can not wait!!!  YES!

Lastly friends, this Thursday afternoon I will be finished my first year of Uni!!!  I can not believe how quick the time has gone!  It has been hard, very time consuming and a massive challenge but one that I have enjoyed and applied myself to the best I possibly could have.  I am looking forward to some time off until Term 1 next year, spending time with my girls, friends and family, working some more and putting in a load of training.  Thanks to you all for your support this year and I look forward to being able to actually catching up without having to worry about getting back to the books!  Have a super week peeps!  Love to you all!  

It happens to the best of us!

Well, the start of this year saw my first real running injury in...maybe as long as I have been running.  We all experience niggles that we self manage the best we can but the start of the year was the first running drama that has stopped me in my tracks and forced rest....until now...

So, I had four full days of no activity off after the 100miler and felt GOOD!  I did a few very easy runs and then started rebuilding again this week to commence a block of BIG k's next week in prep for Coast 2 Kosci.  Early in the week my right heel/achilles started to hurt a little.  I self treated and it started to come good.  No real drama.  That is until I ran on Thursday.  This run flared it up and it was hurting pretty bad.

My visibly swollen right achilles

Only runners understand, but I woke up Friday morning in Rocky (was there for Uni) and wanted to run.  I planned a 13k easy run but upon my first step, my achilles was SORE!  I decided to just do 8k but hobbled the whole way.  I should not have done ANYTHING!  Silly stubborn me!  Runners will be runners.  Anyway, my tendon swelled badly and I was in pain.  Luckily I am studying Physio, and got some advise from my lectures.  I did as I was told and managed it the best I could.

Yesterday I had to work a few hours and by last night my achilles was just as bad and the swelling had spread to my ankle.  Ugh.

As I said in my last blog, I have applied for a 240km race in 11weeks.  I still have every intention of running it, providing I can get my leg right.  I know to non-runners it will sound dumb but so much of my identity is wrapped up in my running I just feel completely lost when I cant do it.  I am only on day two of rest and I already feel fat, lazy, useless and un-prepared (even though I just did a 160k trail race!)

Swelling spread to my ankle...

I am planning on taking this hopefully short time of rest to focus on getting my diet in tip top condition (got a few positive changes I want to make) and studying hard before end of year exams Wednesday and Thursday week.  As much as this sucks beyond sucking I am trying to stay positive although I am already over it!  I am possibility able to do some bike riding however am without a bike, so if anyone has one that they are not using that they wouldn't mind loaning me please drop me a line.

I know all things happen for a reason and this forced rest could be a potentially good thing but it is hard to see through the haze of disappointment sometimes.  Thanks to all my friends and family who have already offered advise, words of encouragement and promise.  I look forward to being back running very soon but until then friends, do a few k's for me ay?!  Run free!  x 

UPDATE - So in the last two days I have seen my physio twice (thanks so so much Nix again!), been to the doctors and had an ultrasound.  The end result is that I have peritendinosis....inflammation of the Achilles tendon and the sheath that surrounds it.  This is the best possible news!  Basically I am not running for another week (swimming only) then back to see Nix to reassess and plan from there.  I am praying and hoping it will recover super super quick and I will be back running VERY soon!  I will find out on Sunday if I have been successful with my Coast 2 Kosci entry....come on baby, I am keen!  So, all good things!  Some cross training and non weight baring will do me good and I just have to do my best to enjoy the black line!  Love life brothers and sisters!  Ripper!

Thankyou!

Gidyup!  Well this week has been one of recovery, eating and relaxing!  Life has been good but I tell ya, I cannot wait to get back to training!  The body has been pretty darn good, only having some swelling in my feet and tender ankles.  It has been lovely to kick back, reflect on the journey that was and look forward to what is to come. 

I think in running and in life in general it’s important to continue to set ourselves goals.  Not minimising the ones we are currently striving for, but having something, once the current one is achieved, to look forward to….more on that in a bit.

A couple of things will remain with me from the 100miles of fun I had last weekend.  Firstly, 100miles is not that far!  Ha!!!!  I don’t really mean that literally cause it is a BLOODY long way, but everything is relative.  If you try and think about any big goal in life (business, sport, relationally, whatever) and focus on the end dream it will seem insurmountable.  However, if you break it down, in my case, one aid station, one hour, one km, one step at a time, the rest will take care of its self.  By doing this during the race, I never thought about the hectic distance I was covering, just at the most, about an hour ahead.

Secondly, if you wanna race far, YOU HAVE TO RUN A LOT IN TRAINING!  This stems back to a blog I wrote a while ago about it being trendy at the moment to try and do less and less but still achieve big goals.  A lot of people these days seem to want to take the easy road yet still perform on the big stage.  I don’t really get it but let me tell ya something…if you want to achieve something in life you HAVE to put in the hard work!  With running ultra marathons, that means running… and running A LOT!  Rocket science I know but you would be surprised at the amount of people that think they can run 100miles without doing much physical, mental or emotional preparation.

Thirdly, something that I already knew VERY well, but trail running is beautiful!  To me, it is like being in the ocean…both are the times when I feel closest to God.  When running a beautiful single track, free, un-hindered, liberated, my spirit sores and every burden is lifted and nothing else matters.  I live for these moments and am so so greatful for every second I get to spend in this environment.  I desire more and more of these experiences and hope and pray these experiences will keep coming….and coming frequently!

Lastly, I have been COMPLETLLY overwhelmed by the support I have received through my last blog!  I have so far had over 700views…AMAZING!  I just want to thank you all for your beautiful words, wonderful support and kindness.  I am humbled, blown away and completely stoked that you  all are following my journey.  From the bottom of my heart…THANK YOU! 

So to round things out from the beginning…What next?  Well I have applied for Coast to Kosci!  What’s that I hear you say?  Well it is a 240km race from the coast in Sydney to the highest point in Australia!!!  It is an event that you have to actually apply for, submit a resume and the organisers decide who gets in.  So, I wait with baited breath until the end of September to see if I get in but here’s hoping and praying! 

Thanks again everyone for your love and care you show me!  I want you to know that it means the world to me and I am a blessed man to have you on this crazy journey with me!  Keep smiling friends, love life, rip in, set yourself some big goals and get to achieving them!  Until next time….Run Free, Plant Strong!

A beautiful 100miles!

100miles...it's not that far!  Well so Karl Meltzer says!  The weekend just gone would be the next tester and a head to about the last six months of training.

Tegan, the girls and I went down to the Glasshouse Mountains on Friday and on the way met up with Andrew and his family, the owners of At One Foods (https://www.facebook.com/AtOneFoods).  What a beautiful family!  We spent some time with them and heard their story of the company and how they got where they are.  Such an inspirational story and a quality product!  I suggest you all jump onto Facebook, contact Andrew and order some awesome raw bars!  Yum!  I stocked up for the race and we were on our way.

The calm before the business!

When we arrived it was unpack, relax and hang out with the family before briefing.  My sister and grandma were also up so it was great to see them!  We did our stuff, went to briefing, had a good time catching up with all the crew at Beerburrum School and then head home to get some sleep before the big day.

Smiling all day.

After some broken sleep it was up at 3:40am, got sorted and down to the school again to get goin!  After some last minute instructions by Ian (race director) and some final mental games, it was go time.  With nervous energy and massive excitement we were off!  Andrew (my Wide Bay Fat Ass partner in crime) and I had organised to run a while together and see what happened (he was doing the 100k).  It was awesome to have some company and we completed the first 10k together.  After a quick blow through the school we were up and down Mt Beerburrum and then on our way.

Selfies with some mountain.

Stop eating Andy, we gotta run!

Things started off very cruisy.  Andrew and I had a great time chatting, enjoying the weather and the awesome views along the way...even taking some time for some selflies!  It was great to have his company and someone to chat with starting the day.  We hit a few brutal parts in the track but still maintained a good pace, not stopping long at the aid stations....although when we did, having a good laugh at Andy's crew...a couple of mates who had a different outfit at each stop and provided some great laughs along the way!  We worked through some tough sections and made our way toward to Checkpoint 8.  Andy was feeling good and pulled a little ahead however the Grills caught back up and by Checkpoint 8 we were together again.  I had lost 5kg already and whilst not hot or really suffering couldn't suck back any more fluid even though I was trying!  We made our way through the Western loop together before he headed back toward home and I continued on my miler journey.

Yep, that's my dad!

I ran alone for about 20k and got in a really good routine of power hiking hard any uphills and running the downs and flats.  I went back and forward with a couple of blokes, one of which was goin on about not running cause he wasn't as young as me.  He kept going on about it and I was a bit over it, so I give him a bit of stick about my dad being 58 and doing the miler.  Basically telling him to stop whinging!  This quietened him down a bit and I left him and his complaining behind!

After this time on my own, I ran into Dion, a mate from previous ultras at the Glasshouse Mountains.  He and his mate Lee are always a good laugh and we all seem to run a similar speed (we ended up finishing 7th, 8th and 9th!)  Dion was doing the hard yards and had been spewing a bit along the way.  I stuck with him, told him my plan for the day and we stayed near by for a while.  I must have separated from him for a bit but then met up with him again at Checkpoint 5, just as it was coming on dark.  From there we stuck together and worked hard.  We ran well back to the School and reached that point (108km) by 7:10pm.  We had a quick feed, caught up with our families and then were off again without mucking around too long.

Fun and games!

Gold!

From here, things went pretty un-eventful.  We ran over to Wildhorse Mountain checkpoint and went straight up and down the mountain.  Again we saw our crews before getting going.  I had started to feel pretty sick by this stage and I think it had a fair bit to do with eating too much sweet stuff.  I wanted to spew for about 3-4hours but didn't.  I kept shuffling along, sticking to our power hike/run plan.  I stopped with the sweet food, got on some plain stuff and slowly but surly came good. 

The loops over on the Eastern section of the course are sandy...to say the least.  Overall, the tracks are much flatter and runable but the sand is a killer!  We battled through and Dion started doing it a little touch again.  By the time we did the second loop out the Eastern side though, he got a second wind and I had to haul ass to keep up with him!  We got back to Checkpoint 9 at maybe 1am, were pumped and ready to go. 

One of the ladies at the Checkpoint told me I had to take a shirt with me incase I got tired and cold.  I tucked a thin cotton shirt into my shorts and ran off.  Tegan and the girls drove past us about 500m down the road and the shirt was annoying me so I just threw it in the car!  Gold!  In all the fun though, Dion and I weren't paying attention and missed a turn off into the bush.  We kept running, realised we missed the turn and turned back.  We found where we went wrong but ended up running maybe 2k extra.  Dion was a bit cranky but you gotta roll with the punches so we smashed on.

Buy this stage of the race we were doing some math in our heads and realising we can do a decent time.  We kept with our plan and were going well.

We got back to Wildhorse again, up and down and after a quick feed with our support crews got going.  We took off with the finish line in our sights, kind of!!  We only had 12.5km to go and we were on a flippen mission!  We ran hard, well as hard as I could after about 150km!  We got to the point where there was 5k to go and put the hammer down.  I realised half way along this stretch that we were looking at finishing under 22hrs which spurred me on even more.  We slogged, grunted and got to the finish line together, Dion and I, in 21hrs 52min!!!  AMAZING!!!  I was STOKED!!!  An added little excitement was to find out later that I got 8th overall!  Incredible!  I was hooting and hollering at the finish line and felt amazing!  

Pretty much sums up my
feelings of the day!

In the wash up and in hindsight, I really cant believe my race.  My quads had no pain at all and my calfs only the slightest amount!  I got my new Luna Sandals (Oso's) a few weeks before race day and they were awesome!  My feet had only minor soreness, felt free and loved it!  I HEART Luna Sandals so very much and once again they did the job!  Anyone who is looking at improving their running, having a lot of fun and freeing your feet, check out https://www.lunasandals.com 

I went into the race with a goal of going under 24hrs and a secret goal of 22hrs.  I never thought I would go under 22!  All in all, it was a blessed, fun, ripper day...smiling the whole way!  I wanna thank those who helped me out in this race and always do!...my beautiful wife, daughter and family (Mum, Dad, Melinda, Ma) for supporting me.  Andy and Dion for being great company through the day.  Chris at the Mower Doctor in Bundy for continuing to support my running adventures and helping out a poor Uni Student!  Andrew at At One Foods.  Finally and certainly not the least, all the friends I have made through trail running, the new ones I meet, the ones who know me as the TattooRunner but I have no idea who they are, the smiling faces, the guy spewing on the side of the track, the smiles, the pain, the joy, the heartbreak....I love it all!  Thanks also to you for supporting and following my mad adventures and please know that I love and appreciate you all!  Keep loving life, spread the word and rip in!  Until next time...run free friends!!!

Special mention - Dad - first 100miler...and in under 24hrs.  Lee first 100miler whilst doing it rough, Andrew - first 100k after only doing his first marathon in July this year, Coach Jeff and Lori for doing their best, inspiring others but unfortunately not quite getting the job done this time round.  Jeff for finishing his first 100miler when his ankle looked like a softball at 60k!  My sis for doing another 50k and all the other newbies I met along the way!  Well done all, I love you all...Run Free, eat plants and get running!!!