You Yangs

You Yangs 30km 

Sunday 20th July 2014

http://www.trailsplus.com.au/you-yangs/
"The You Yangs Regional park is located about 55km south-west of Melbourne, just west of the township of Little River. The distinctive granite peaks of the You Yangs rise from the flat volcanic plains between Melbourne and Geelong. The park is popular for its magnificent views, birdlife and for bushwalks and picnics. This race is held in the middle of winter when the park is at its visual best with lush greenery and local birdlife on display. It can be a very different story in the middle of summer when dust and wind can turn the park into a less pleasant and much more harsh environment." http://www.trailsplus.com.au/you-yangs/

Pre-race - 
That's a story within itself! I'd been training well since Canberra and thought I might enter You Yangs 50km. But we had a family holiday booked in June and I wasn't sure how many kilometres I would get out, so I decided to enter the 30km (thinking I could give it a red hot go!) Instead I ran really well in Fiji and was on track to increase my long runs when I got back to Melbourne, until... I got sick. Of course I pushed through which probably made things worse, who knows really, but I genuinely find it difficult to know when to rest and when to suck it up and run! It was only a cold. But it was a bad cold that turned into a sinus infection that turned into coughing and asthma. I'm the worst patient especially when it stops me running. So my lead up for You Yangs wasn't great. I missed the three most important Sunday long runs and my weekly average dropped by 30km instead of increasing.
During the weeks I was unwell, I started obsessing over pace and I was really disappointed knowing that I was underdone. I vented on social media and the lovely mums on the Running Mums Australia page, offered support and encouragement. One mum suggested I take as many photos as possible, to distract myself from whatever pace I was running. That ended up being the best advice. Thank you!
So the night before the event, I drove to Little River B&B (so romantic, but sort of strange considering my lovely sister-in-law stayed with me! haha). I still had stuffy sinuses so I popped some pills to make sure I actually slept and I woke up feeling ok.
I slept in my compressions because I was/am still having right hamstring and left plantar fascia issues, and I'd asked my wonderful husband to Rocktape me from hips to toes. Tip: If you are worried the tape will roll, wear compressions! I'd also packed a running singlet, a thermal top, a second long sleeve top, a jacket, a beanie, gloves, Injinji socks and Inov8 Talons. (Yes I feel the cold! Plus I have Raynaud's syndrome so my fingers and toes go white and hurt!) I decided to run with my Kathmandu pack and bladder, 2 gels, 1 energy bar and 2 amazeballs from Runners Kitchen, first aid and my phone. And my Garmin of course.

Race day -
The morning was pretty funny; Carmen (my sister-in-law) had arrived late the night before, and I didn't have any service on my phone so I'd asked her to check times and carpark details and let me know. Carmen said the race started at 8:30am so I set the alarm for 6:30am. We woke up, got organised and packed and then doubled checked details to discover the race started at 9:30am. So we went back to sleep! I couldn't sleep but I relaxed and listened to Scott Jurek's Eat and Run. At 7:30am the alarm buzzed again and we were dressed and ready to go. We arrived at the start line at 8:30am, plenty of time to get our bibs and maps. The map seemed a little confusing at first but with the help of some fellow runners it became clear.

There were 93 people in the 30km event, as well as many others running 15km, 50km, 80km and the really inspiring crazies who ran the 100miler! It didn't seem overly busy, which can be typical of a trail run because participant numbers are restricted. The countdown started and I felt relaxed. The path was wide and didn't seem too technical so I took it easy for the first few kilometres averaging 5min/km pace. Within the first 5km, the hills started. My averaged dropped to 6:30min/km pace and fluctuated from 4:30min to 6min/km pace until 10km. By this stage I'd decided to walk the steep hills knowing that I had to save something for the last 10 kilometres. I stopped along the way and took a few happy snaps. I had a gel and some water. And I chatted with some fellow runners. I felt good.

From about 10km onwards, the hills just kept coming! I slowed to a walking pace for most of them. Just over half way the endless hill got steeper with hundreds of big steps up to the top of Flinders Peak. Awesome views and a perfect spot to stop and take some photos. Another runner offered to take some photos with me in it (see below). After a few deep breaths, I started to make my way down, down, down back to the start line and continue on with the second 15km loop (a different loop). The first 15km I managed in about 1.5 hours and that's when I set myself a goal of 3 hours.

The second 15km was much flatter but there were lots of corners so I needed to tame my super fast pace so I didn't lose control! (Yes, that was a joke!) My super fast pace was actually about 6min/km pace. I kept willing my legs to go faster but they were tired. My whole body was tired and from about 20km on I struggled due to basic lack of fitness. It was no great shock, so I told myself to keep going. I had a Runners Kitchen energy bar and some water. I didn't walk at all until 27km when I hit another hill. I probably could have run but my mindset was to conserve energy up hills and last the distance. I crossed the finish line 3:03:05. I saw Carmen with a bottle of wine in hand; she finished in 2:51 and placed 3rd female! Awesome runner and even better sister-in-law. A well-deserved podium finish.

Post race -
I did what I could considering the weeks leading up to it and I enjoyed the feeling of pushing myself. The scenery was great and the people were friendly. But I must admit I'm disappointed that I wasn't in better shape, but hey... that's life! I placed 14th female out of 42 females.
The course was pretty smooth and soft. It had been raining so my Inov8 Talons were great. However I have noticed my toes hit the end of the shoe, so I might have to buy a new trail shoe before Two Bays (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!)
After the presentations took place, we made for a quick get away, knowing that I had to relieve the babysitter at home. That night I was feeling a little fragile but a glass of red seemed to take the edge off! The following day I continued walking around to decrease the inevitable DOMS. My quads were a little sore from the hills but not debilitating.

Lessons -
1. Don't get sick!
2. This seems to be a reoccurring theme, but I'm always left with the feeling I could have run harder. In the moment, I doubt whether I'll last the distance if I run harder and end up slowing down. This was only my second trail run over this distance. I'm hoping with experience I will get better at race pacing.

Race feedback and will there be a next time -
As for the course and the event... I loved it! And I'll be back next year. It was relaxed and the trails, although hilly and tough for the first 15km, it wasn't overly technical. I never worried about falling. The RD, Brett Saxon gave a comprehensive briefing and went above and beyond when he reminded runners not to drink too much or take ibuprofen. The course was pretty well marked but I can see how runners might take a wrong turn. As runners, we need to concentrate on signage. And without a team of volunteers we would never be able to run something like You Yangs. So thank you. Overall I rank this run 9.5/10.