Ultra-Trail Australia. Mission Possible?

Posted on by Andy Florint

Ultra-Trail Australia

I can’t believe it. I got an entry for the Ultra-Trail Australia 50 km (~31 miles) race on May 18, 2019. Somehow my wife got notified on Facebook and asked me if this is nothing for me. I checked the event schedule and realized that the time for register is only one day later on September 26, 2018. Not much time left for thinking. Any way we planned to go to Australia around that date and so I stood up in the middle of the night to register for the race. This was good, then a couple of hours later all places were gone.

Mission Possible?

Slowly, after the first excitement, I begin to realize what I have done. 50 km on a “normal” race sounds already crazy, but here it will be in the  Blue Mountains on trails with 2400 m elevation gain. This means it will go 2400 m up and 2400 down. The elevation profile can be found here: The Course. I will also have to climb up and down stairs, jump from rock to rock and after 40 km (~25miles) there will be a 700 m climb to the finish line. But before I get there and my thighs are still in some working condition, there will be the famous Furber Steps. “The steep Furber Steps-Scenic Railway walking track offers scenic views, waterfalls, birdwatching, a visit to Katoomba Falls, and the chance to ride the Scenic Railway in Blue Mountains National Park.” Sounds good, especially the Scenic Railway ride. This will be for sure fun. Have I mentioned that I never did an Ultra-Trail like this before?

Oh I’ve forgotten some things. The weather for example. It could be hot, cold (even snow is possible), wet, you name it and all this in one day. And for sure snakes are quit common in the Blue Mountains. Okay, but with a crowd running on the trails they should disappear in the bushes. Hopefully.

Time is ticking and I will have to train totally different from the running I normally do. Stairs, hills and trails will be my new friends and for sure some strength training as I mention in my last post. Can I do it? Time will tell.

TrainAsOne

Setting TrainAsOne up for this race is the easiest part. On the ride side of the main screen is a little cog.

Selecting “Goals and Races” and then “Add Goal” will bring us to the following screen where the Race can be entered. Important here is to set the type to Trail (hilly). There will be than the statement: “We recommend taking economy runs on terrain similar to your target race where possible, but keeping fast assessments, interval and threshold runs on flat road.”

After saving the goal the plan will be updated. But the race is still a couple of month away, so I don’t see any changes in the actual plan.

Equipment

Running my normal loops is easy. I just need some running shoes, a T-shirt, a short and in winter some longer functional cloth. But for this Ultra run I will need a whole lot of stuff, which is all mandatory gear for the race.

  • Long Sleeve Thermal Top
  • Waterproof and Breathable Jacket with Fully Taped (Not Critically Taped) Waterproof Seams and Hood
  • Beanie, Balaclava or Head Sock (Buff)
  • High-Visibility Safety Vest that complies with Australian Standard AS/NZS 4602:1999 – D/N Class for Day and Night Time Wear
  • Headlamp
  • Mobile Phone in Working Order with Fully Charged Battery
  • Compass
  • Whistle
  • Emergency Space Blanket (or Light Bivvy Sack Equivalent)
  • Compression Bandage
  • Lightweight Dry Sack
  • Water Bottles or Bladders, 2 Litre Capacity
  • Food Bars / Portions
  • Ziplock Bag for Personal Rubbish
  • Waterproof Map Case
  • Course Map & Course Descriptions
  • Participants Emergency Instructions Card
  • Race Number
  • Timing Tag for Backpack

To carry this around I will need a backpack and some extra muscle for the additional weight. Shopping time at least for the equipment.