Recovery post Snowdonia - Back home in the Blue Mountains

the fittest version of yourself, which is undertaking these races etc, might not align with the best version of yourself in terms of communicating, being present and showing up for others around you.

Jun 11, 2024

Afternoon all! I’m sat down at a local cafe’ called Cassiopeia at home in Katoomba, winter is well and truly here, most of the next week is max 10 or 11c.
Sunshine is beaming through the window and Jezza’s coffee is steaming. Hard to believe about 4.5 weeks have passed since the Snowdonia 100mile journey. Life really doesn’t slow down, today I wanted to reflect on the recovery process and what I’ve learnt this time around. Perhaps for some of you reading, it will be an interesting thing to learn about if you’re tackling your first 100miler this year, like my good friend Jeremy May is this November in the GPT100 miler.

Recovery post Snowdonia:
Immediately after the race, I noticed a large difference to my first time running 100miles in the Grampians. I could walk up and down the stairs (it wasn’t pretty) the next day, and in general, could bend down and do things somewhat normally. I think a good part of this improvement would be attributed to doing two strength sessions a week (weights) after my long runs (which would usually have uphill efforts involved). These days were always large and would push the body, but if I couldn’t do weights after a 3hr or so run with an uphill tempo, how did I expect to feel strong in bringing home the remaining kms of a 20hrs into a race with 10’000m elevation gain? 100mile training is wild, and different for us all, it’s good to be conservative sometimes, but finding that line of where you can prepare the body the best you can without over-doing it, is a fine line (but very important). I got close to overstepping it, getting really tired late in the block, but took an extra rest day or two and bounced back quick.

Muscularly post-race, I was fatigued but knew I hadn’t done any real damage. The worst of my pain was from a destroyed toe-nail, which kept filling up with blood underneath the nail. That took weeks to start feeling comfortable in a shoe, but to my surprise, never fell off. I think that’s testament to having done lots of challenging terrain in the lead-up, the feet were fairly resilient by now. Thank you feet!

My initial recovery phase seemed quicker than Grampians, but I decided that after a big training block it was wise to take almost 2 full weeks off running for both the body and brain. The training block leading in, I maxed out at a 28 hour week (24hrs of that running), with around 11’000m vertical gain. The week before the race I was pretty fatigued and the thought did cross my mind, that I still felt pretty tired and wasn’t sure of my ability to get ready mentally. I had no big doubt in my fitness and body, but my mind was proper tired. In taper, I meditated twice a day, and tried my best to get some sort of presence back into my days. Fatigue and being present, don’t really go hand in hand, and I was lucky to have little to do in the week prior, other than eat and sleep lots. Things came around just in time I feel.

Two weeks after the race, I got back into hiking at the GPT100mile camp, and this brought to my awareness that the body was still very tired. I’ve never had any major issues post-100mile race, but I’ve become very aware that altered sensation of muscles, joints is kind of the norm for me, and to tread carefully for a while. Fast forward to 4.5 weeks down the track now, and I feel as though I’m moving better, but not totally normal yet. The legs feel a tad laboured, and while my heart rate is coming down, it’s still a tad elevated. It took around 6 weeks to fully feel normal after Grampians, so I’ll try build back into some more hours running and riding the next few weeks, but mostly keeping the easy days strictly in zone 1 for now. I’m just happy to be strong enough to be moving around on my favourite trails again, and not afraid to run the steep stuff again (which took about 3 weeks to ease back into). I think post these races, the biggest thing I’m wary of, is downhills. The first few weeks re-introducing running, I know now from past mistakes, to just keep it a tad flatter for the first week or two, or riding a bit more. I’ve got back into doing some heavy weight sessions, which has been helpful, and I introduced my first uphill session last Saturday. I picked a very technical, steep spot called Devil’s Hole, mostly for the fact that I was excited by trying to move up that area quickly. It’s a wild scramble on the top 1/3rd, and for me was just a fun place to climb hard. Also, I’d never done this uphill before as an effort, so I had no gauge of what was quick, or what was slow. I find there’s less resistance to doing things when you have no idea how to analyse it and deem if you’re moving well or not, you just get out there and do it. And when you’re scrambling with your hands and feet, what does a pace per km honestly mean?

Mentally the impact has been bigger, I notice a lot of resistance to doing small tasks that shouldn’t take much effort after these races. It’s not talked about heaps, but I genuinely struggle to be present in the month after these races. I feel a little disconnected at times, and struggle to have the energy to care or listen as well as I usually would. It’s a good thing to notice, and also to know that the fittest version of yourself, which is undertaking these Ultra races etc, might not align with the best version of yourself in terms of communicating, being present, caring for and showing up for others around you. I know for me this is true. I probably felt the turn sometime this week, with more mental clarity and energy. If you’re planning to race 100miles, I think it’s important to have some grace for yourself in the wake of the race; you likely won’t be productive, or the most positive version of yourself, and that’s okay. It’ll swing back around, but expect it to be slow. I had this experience after GPT100, so this time around have been a bit kinder on myself not being the best version of myself post race. Beating yourself up for not being switched on, present or a good vibe for those around you, definitely won’t recharge you mentally or emotionally, take it easy!

Since getting back into exercising, my resting HR and running HR is still elevated, even with easier intensity where I would expect it to have little effect on my resting HR, things still sit a little higher. I was pretty judgemental of this the first time I ran 100miles, but this time I’ve learnt not to stress about it. It’s good to get out, and move easy, for the mind and the body. Most of all, it’s been amazing to just to go run/hike trails again and enjoy the scenery, the fresh air and the day without any goal of gaining fitness or thinking about a race. Just to explore, and to be present. That’s honestly my favourite thing, and brings me lots of content in this life.

What’s next?
For now, nothing. Lots of chats I’ve had with people about the race usually end with ‘what’s next’. Truthfully, my brain is tired, and the idea of racing anytime soon doesn’t excite me. Sure that could change in 4 weeks time, but I’ll let it change later, for now I want to focus on enjoying what’s around me. I know that probably will change, but I feel like I need a period where I’m not even thinking or planning about racing; a proper mental break.

The Hounslow Classic 17km and 42km is on in September, and is on some of my favourite trails in the Blue Mountains, and even in Australia. Last year I was so excited to race it after moving here, and it’s a bit strange as I feel like I should be excited to race, but I’m not right now. The community is incredible, the course is incredible, the competition is set to be incredible, but when I think about at the moment I’m met with a lot of mental resistance to it. The brain operates differently after 100mile races, and often on paper you’re like ‘I should be keen, all the ingredients are there’, but you’re just not keen. If you haven’t raced here but, you should, it’s one of the most beautiful and challenging runs in Australia surrounded by the most supportive crew of legends you could imagine.

It really hits me every time I race, achieve a personal goal, is how much time and effort goes into something that is so fleeting, and that kind of in the wake leaves you feeling lost, sore, tired, and like you need to quickly fill the void with another race or goal. I guess that’s with anything in life, not just running. What’s the point? I guess that’s different for all of us, and perhaps we find our ‘why?’, only to lose it, and rediscover it again over and over. Sorry for getting existential on you there, but that’s kind of what I’m grappling with a little at the moment.

I want to turn a little more focus to living a more balanced life for a while, earning some stable income, releasing some music, creating more, exploring the national park and most importantly being more present each day again.

Getting out for long trail runs with friends in my favourite parts of the Blue Mountains is exciting right now. There’s new trails open, parts I haven’t visited yet because I was pigeon-holing my training to be steep and technical for Snowdonia. Running on a new trail gives the feeling of progression in life for me, and reminds me of how little I’ve actually explored around home. I scrambled down Copeland Pass the other day for example, a steep track to a popular climbing area in the Blue Mountains the other day, and it was one of my favourite experiences here yet. No-one around, and one of the best views I’ve encountered. The feeling that washes over you in these moments, is unlike anything other, like a big hug from the world, where you feel joy, connected and feel at home.
Also one part of the area you stand under a pretty intimidating wall of rock, that makes you feel a little scared, and very much in awe of this place. ‘Shit, I probably should have a helmet on here’ was my initial thought observing the recently fallen rock and two climbers scrambling down to the area with helmets on.
I headed back up shortly after, but I live for that feeling, of feeling insignificant, but part of something so much bigger. It washes away all the small worries and problems, and fills you with gratitude for just being alive today. You feel like the luckiest person on the planet, and you probably are in that moment. You can do that every day for free too, how good. A reminder that training for a big goal is great, but so is going out and just doing something because you love it and it brings you joy, peace and connection to yourself and the world around.