In running I found me, a beast and a sisterhood. By Jayde Coutts

  Some of us shyly say ‘oh no I don’t run, I jog’. At what point is the transition? Speed? Distance? As far as I’m concerned it’s sweat and tears!!!! So, Hi I’m Jayde and its official…… I am a Running Mum. 3 years ago I was pregnant and about to give birth to my … Read more

Tapering: The final week before the race

Well girls, the time is almost here where we descend on the Gold Coast and give it all we have got. For most of us competing it has been months and months of preparation. Training physically and mentally for this race. Wether its the 10km, the half marathon or the marathon, this week is critical … Read more

Warming Up for Running

  (image credit: thesportinmind.com)  Hey RMA crew, With Gold Coast coming up next week I wanted to talk just a little about warm ups today because I know there’s a bit of confusion out there with so many different options for warming up. There will be some runners out there who talk about warming up … Read more

Glow Worm Trail Marathon Weekend – a review by Amanda Underwood

 Like everyone, I have a list of “special” places – places that are so unique and beautiful that they take your breath away. For me it’s Te Anau in New Zealand (and the Kepler Challenge!), Queenstown, Patagonia and Sydney Harbour (I’m biased). Since 2012, when I first participated in the Glow Worm Trail Marathon Weekend, Newnes has been added to that list.

Newnes is an abandoned oil shale mining site in the Wolgan Valley, New South Wales, and is surrounded by the Wollemi National Park. Newnes is also famous for its glow worm tunnel, which is a disused railway tunnel occupied by resident glow worms, the bioluminescent larvae of Arachnocampa richardsae, a type of fungus gnat. It is a stunning, pristine valley surrounded by towering rock and is lush with green foliage. It’s a popular place for rock climbers and campers or people wanting to do easy day walks.  It’s also seriously cold in winter and has no mobile phone reception. I’m not talking bad reception, I’m talking absent. There is a certain charm to that.

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The Newnes Hotel – sadly no longer operational as a pub

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Newnes is a very popular place for climbers

The Glow Worm Trail Marathon weekend is held in mid-June – generally the week after the Queen’s birthday long weekend. The organisers have clearly given thought to entertaining most of your family, with a half marathon on Saturday morning, followed by a 6(ish)km fun run at lunch time, then the Mystery Mountain dash on Saturday afternoon. There is also a scavenger hunt for the kids throughout the day and a movie night complete with big screen and glow sticks (The Smurfs, in case you are interested. I didn’t rate it but my 6 and 4 year old were very happy!). Sunday is set aside for the big one – the marathon. All of the races start and finish at the same point, right next to the camp ground, and all involve an initial creek/river crossing.

This year, as in all other years, I did the half and the 6km. What I didn’t realise, however, is that this year they were on the same day. Never mind – good for mental toughness!

Half marathon

The half starts at 8am and involves a short dash along the dirt road before crossing the creek (which you can either wade through like I did or cross using stepping stones), then carries on for around 6km up a gentle incline. There are some technical parts in the form of rock scrambles but it is mostly runnable. At the 7km point there is an aid station and you start climbing more steeply and follow a narrow path along the ridge of the mountain before entering the Glow Worm Tunnel. All contestants must carry a torch for this part and everyone must walk, with penalties imposed for anyone caught running. Personally, I don’t see why you would even try to run as the ground is so uneven and you would have no chance of spotting a glow worm! You then emerge from the glow worm tunnel into an area of rainforest – ferns, streams, bliss. There are a few steep inclines and descents in this part and some experience on trails would certainly help. You would be fine without it though. The course then goes steeply downhill and meets up with the aid station again. After that point, the rest of the race is downhill and is just fantastic. You can hurtle down the hill at a cracking pace (apart from the rock scramble parts) and the sense of freedom is exhilarating.

Glow Worm Tunnel Marathon 2014

​​​​Me hurtling down the hill – photo by Aurora Images. I didn’t take any photos while I was running so unfortunately I am in most of my photos – sorry!

The last kilometre sees you cross over the river again and run up the road to the finish line.

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River crossing

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Best race medal ever

I ended up running 2.17.05, which got me 12th in my age group and I think 21st woman overall. To put that time in context, I am probably in about 95/96min half pace at the moment, so you should expect to be a fair bit slower than your road time. I am pretty slow on both the technical up and downhills though so there is plenty of scope for those more confident of foot to make up time. Times overall ranged from 1.33 to 5.28. The lead woman did 1.49 (and is an all-round champion in my books).

Ted English Bolt

I then lined up about 2 hours later for the Ted English Bolt. According to the GWTM website, on Wednesday 3rd April 1907, records show that police at Newnes apprehended a man named Ted English, who was running through the bush stark naked, A 6km fun run through the industrial ruins of Newnes honouring Ted and his pioneering trailrunning spirit. Kids, families and walkers are also welcome. There is the offer to run naked should you wish to do so, but it is a bit chilly.

I love this race – it is stunning scenery, it is low-key but challenging and it is full of little kids running their hearts out. It’s definitely more than 6kms though – more like 6.7km. I did it in 36.56, which scored me 3rd place (women). Times ranged from 26 minutes to 1.13.

We also took the kids for a walk along the course after the race, at a much more sedate pace!

Here are some photos my husband took of the course, including a wombat sighting!

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Mystery Mountain Dash

The next race on the schedule is the Mystery Mountain Dash. Across the Wolgan River is the imposing Mystery Mountain – rising from the river bed straight up. There is a rough trail to the top…. its rocky, tough and challenging. Its 370m elevation gain over just 980m. I haven’t done this one but I understand that it’s a good way to remind yourself that you are alive! Times for this event range from 13 to 30 minutes.

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Mystery Mountain

Saturday night

There is a real party atmosphere at night, with a movie for the kids, a live band, dancing, pasta party, open fires and possibly an imprudent amount of alcohol consumed, given the next day’s events!

Marathon

This year, for the first time, the marathon started in two waves – 6am for the elite and 8am for the rest. The reasoning behind this is that the first half of the course follows a steep and narrow path and the organisers wanted to avoid bottlenecks.

By all accounts, this is a tough, technical course, particularly the first half (the second half simply follows the half marathon course). There are creek crossings, sections of single track, old mine cuttings and some long-forgotten railway easements to run along. You should expect to add at least an hour to your usual marathon time and you will need to carry some compulsory gear (the details of what you will need to carry is partly dependent on the weather on the day).

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Second wave starting

Times for the marathon ranged from 3.32 to 7.19.

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Conclusions

There are a couple of things you need to know about this event:

You should definitely consider doing it. You don’t need to race it, or take it seriously. It’s a very relaxed, low-key kind of event and you can travel at your own speed

 You will need to pack thermals.

There are a few cabins but they are booked out very quickly so you will either need to camp or stay somewhere in Lithgow (around 45 minutes away) or similar. The campers looked like were having a great time.

The catering provided by the race organisers (at an additional cost to the race entry) was also good (complete with a coffee cart!) so it is fairly luxurious and easy camping.

I’m serious about the lack of phone reception.

You should definitely consider doing it ;).

For more information check out http://www.glowwormtrail.com/the-course-42km/ .

Want to Get to the Next Level with Running? : Target Front Chain Muscles

Hey Running Mums, Been a big week getting ready for Gold Coast. I know a lot of you RMA crew are champing at the bit and I can’t wait to see you guys on the day. Most of you are pretty much done with your long runs and are now tapering. We have seen some … Read more

Running from Stroke – One runners story of survival and endurance.

My name is Ida Dempsey, mother to 3 children, wife, runner and a stroke survivor. In September 2011, at the age of 40, I suffered a haemorrhagic stroke due to untreated high blood pressure.

Running was my passion before the debilitating effects of stroke not only stole my ability to run – but to walk, talk and hold my 3 young children.

MY RUNNING HISTORY

I have always been sporty and enjoyed short distance running when I was young, but I have never ran long distances. I got the long distance running bug while living in Auckland for my husbands work. I had wonderful friends who shared my passion for running and they challengedme to run further. So from 4km, to 8km, then eventually my first half marathon in Auckland, 2008. 2 years later when I returned to Australia, I ran the Gold Coast half in preparation for the full Melbourne marathon later in 2010. Unfortunately, I got injured and life got too busy and I never completed the marathon.

I am determined to complete this marathon in 2014 and show stroke that I’m the boss!

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My first half marathon prestroke ~ BANG ON 2 hours.

MY LIFE PRE STROKE

My life was busy. Married with 3 children at 3 different schools, I worked long 4 days each week. In the months before my stroke, I commenced a demanding university course. This added to my stress as I hadn’t been to uni for over 20 years and even then, I hated the work!

As a non-smoker and occasional drinker, I was healthy and fit and ran regularly. My stroke was caused by the dangerous combination of stress and untreated high blood pressure.

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LIFE at 40 WAS GREAT ~ 5 months before my stroke, my 40th birthday party and 40th birthday trip to New York!

THE DAY MY LIFE CHANGED FOREVER

As usual, I had a busy day and was looking forward spending some time with my friends that evening. I was at a semi-final match of the National Rugby League when my stroke occurred. I was at a large stadium and was very lucky that paramedics were at hand and a major hospital was near by. I was also lucky that my friends knew the signs of stroke and promptly raised the attention of paramedics at the ground. I had the 3 most classic signs of Stroke known as F.A.S.T: I had Facial droop, I had right Arm and leg weakness. When asked to stand up, my right leg collapsed from under me. My Speech was slurred and I became confused. Without having had any alcohol that day, I appeared quite drunk! Time was of the essence and the quick actions of my friends saved my life. Had they not noticed these signs, and not implored upon the paramedics that there was something seriously wrong, our story would be quite different. And so my stroke journey begins……

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One of my friends that saved my life by knowing the signs of stroke!

FROM RUNNING TO BE UNABLE TO WALK

I was rushed to hospital and told the devastating news that I had a major stroke. I was unable to walk, talk coherently or eat. I had lost sensation and mobility of the whole right side of me, from head to toe. I was unable to look after myself, including washing myself or go to the toilet on my own. Even more devastating, I couldn’t tie my 11yo daughters hair. Basically, I had to learn everything that I ever took for granted and the basics of self care, let alone look after my 3 children.

I spent a week in intensive care within the hospital’s stroke unit, which was followed by 6 weeks of intensive in-patient rehabilitation. I missed both my sons birthdays, which was devastating for me, I have never missed their birthdays! I actually had my 9yo sons birthday party all planned and prepared (he got to have his party with the help of family and friends).

I had physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and counselling sessions 6 hours a day, 5 days a week followed by out-patient rehabilitation for a further 3 months. The hours spent not with professional help, I continued to rehabilitate and learn what they taught me by myself.

Learning to walk, talk and feed myself suddenly became life’s priorities. I needed to be home and look after my children. I could not drive for a further 3 months and I relied heavily on the enormous support from close, and now life long friends to help out. My 3 children were my inspiration to recover and my always present grit, determination and stubbornness is why I have recovered well.

AFTER AFFECTS OF MY STROKE

Everyday I continue to improve. Some areas I still a struggle. I often still need to concentrate on walking and talking requires energy and perseverance. My speech is still jumbled at times and I find it very difficult to concentrate in large groups. My right side is still compromised with only parts of my feeling and sensation returning nearly 3 years after my stroke. I have no hot or cold sensation on my right side and the most insignificant irritations can feel enormously painful.

RUNNING POST STROKE

Over the last 3 years, I have learnt to do most things on my own, but learning to run well again remains a key milestone. Running the Melbourne marathon in October this year is my dream. I had a major, injured brain glitch this time last year when I decided to run a marathon after my stroke to raise stroke awareness and fundraising…yikes! What was I thinking.

After rehab, I didn’t think I could run again. But with my stubborn nature I taught myself how to run. I started down my 4m hallway, then my back yard, then 20m down my street and then around the block (1km). After my first 1km, I felt like I was hit by a truck, I felt like I already ran a marathon. It took me a whole week to recover, but I’m proud to say, 27th April this year, I ran my first half marathon after my stroke (Run Noosa). I shuffled and I was slow and near the end of the pack, but by golly, I CAN RUN!

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My first half marathon post stroke with some of my emotional and crying support crew!

MY STRUGGLES WITH RUNNING POST STROKE

Due to right side sensation deficits, I often don’t have control of my right foot and when I land, I land hard and jar my body a lot. It feels like I am running only on one leg and I don’t know when/where the right leg lands. My style has improved over time and most people don’t notice anything wrong. BUT boy it’s a struggle, the right leg just feels like lead and feels heavy to run with all the time. I don’t listen to music while running because I need to concentrate non stop….lift that foot! I can run uphill but I struggle going down as I often can’t control my foot. But hey, I’m running which most stroke survivors can’t do!

MY LIFE MISSION

I have been amazed and saddened by the lack of stroke awareness in the community. I was surprised at how many of my friends, family and even strangers could not believe that a fit, young and healthy woman of 40 years could have a stroke. Surely stroke only happens to old people? I am now committed to educating and encouraging stroke awareness, particularly the signs of stroke and the ongoing support for stroke survivors.

I am proudly raising funds to support the good work of the National Stroke Foundation and raising stroke awareness in my own little way. Stroke can hit at any age!

More of my story, my fundraising efforts and my running challenges can be viewed in my facebook page or website: www.facebook.com/dreamrun2014 www.mydreamrun.com