runforclarity: June 2014 : Wingello Trail Classic

June 29, 2014

Wingello Trail Classic 25km

This was the second year that this race was put on and after enjoying the course so much last year, I decided to enter again and spread the word amongst the NRG community to come along and have a go. It is organised by young running gun and current Commonwealth games athlete in Harry Summers and supported by NSW Athletics and members of the Jim Owens Running Group based in Oatley. All profits go to Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

Last year there were over 120 runners in the 25km event and this year the numbers were much lower perhaps due to the extreme cold or the Woodford to Glenbrook race that had been scheduled the same weekend. Like last year, there was a 6km race mainly contested by more elite NSW Athletics runners (over 40 in total) and the designated trail race, the Wingello Trail Classic.

The aim for this race was to beat last years’ time and prepare for the sharper faster local fun run / road runs coming up in the next 2-3 months. My interval times were probably lagging just a touch from 12 moths ago so I was not sure how it would pan out and apparently Ian Lochrin, Gillian Russell and I were testing a new ‘night before or pre-race experiment’ (that Ian had found on the web) with red wine and how it may improve running performance (readers, this is not medical advice and experiment at your own risk and enjoyment and risk of feeling crap the immediate next morning). Suddenly the one bottle of red between the three of us during our nice pizza or pasta meal that was going to be politely consumed turned into a lot more with added supplies required before the local Bundanoon ‘bottle-o’ closed for the night on a freezing and gusty winter evening in the Southern Highlands.

A local stay meant the luxury of a 7am-ish wake up, unheard of on a race day really. Most of the other NRG crew (except for Luke and Mel, who were scouring the course on mountain bikes on the Saturday), were braving the chilly Sunday morning and driving the near 2 hours down early from Sydney. All up, we had a strong NRG presence (results are below in the link).

The temperature at the Wingello Forest clearing and camping site was 4-5 degrees, but according to the Bureau of Met site for Moss Vale (further north!), the apparent temp with wind-chill was actually -6.2 degrees. Now picture that in combination with Ian only in running singlet and shorts – hence the need for Lucinda and Kristian’s lovely dog Ruby, keeping Ian warm as can be seen below, or was that the other way around. Poor Ruby…Poor Ian!

Runners quickly assembled and before we knew it (as the wind made it hard to hear anything said over the microphone), the starting gun had been fired and people were still setting their Garmin’s!

Perhaps the quick start caught some runners by surprise as after only 50m, there are red flags bending around to the right signalling the way to take, yet the leading 8-10 people veered left towards yellow and green markers (that signalled the 6km course). Perhaps it was the wine but for a split second I began following the said group before remembering from last year that ‘right’ was right and managed to keep on track. Mark (the yoga/stretch guru that many of you know after Steve B’s Monday night interval sessions) commented that he was sticking close to me as I probably was the only one who knew the way around. Well, unfortunately I am not as quick as Mark and that spelt trouble for him and Ian as you read on! Ian and Mark forged ahead with Tim and Luke sitting a few metres behind me (I think!!).

A quick 800m of gentle up and down fire trail before the course takes you left into the forest with pure single track and it required you to make sure you had a good race position as the trail has lots of switchbacks and undulations. I wrote about this feature in last year’s NRG newsletter report and it always remains vivid as a good selling point for this course. Sensational part of trail running on these sections, letting go and focusing purely on the brilliant trail ahead of you. The single track goes on for a few kms before re-joining the fire trail.

Tim as expected went past during one of the fire trail climbs at this point – the mountain goat that he is and then the big Diesel of Luke flew past in hot pursuit. I then tried to catch up to Luke on one of the hill climbs but realised I would be burning all energy rockets early if I continued and also remembering that dehydration may be a later issue later given my overindulgence the night before.

At about the 5km mark, the fire trail reached an intersection where a marshall was standing with a table and a large water container. The race has a no cup policy and rightly so in the forest, so it was mandatory to carry a water bottle or pack in order to carry at least 500ml of water. I chose the Nathan hand held wrap around bottle as per last year. No time to stop for any water here and I don’t think anyone really did but already the leading pack (including Ian and Mark) were well ahead of my sight and the course turned left onto another fire trail for about 200m before quickly turning right onto single track. This is where some confusion began. I saw Luke and Tim up ahead by about 80m and noticed that Luke was signalling Tim to go right which was the correct way. Lucky for Tim that Luke had ridden the course, the true navigator that he is. If you didn’t go right here, you were continuing to head down a gentle slope on the open fire trail. I did see one person a good 200m+ on this fire trail and I stopped for a few moments, trying to yell back at the marshal some 100m behind. He must have eventually heard me as he pointed to the single track. I then yelled out in vain to the runner down the fire trail but he simply could not hear me. The wind direction probably wasn’t favourable either in hearing my shouts. So that’s where I am assuming some of the leading runners (including Ian and Mark) were…..on the wrong course now.

I guess part of trail running involves navigating, but not to the extent of adventure racing or orienteering, so there was not much more I could do but to turn right into the single track and continue on the correct course and I think I was following the third placed female at the time so I continued on the switchback sections of this ferny forest – enjoying the course, just like last year.

From about 8km point the course all came flooding back to me and the memory was working, as I knew the rest of the way. The drink stop was around 10km but strangely this year, there was no one aiding the stop. It was a table and large water container. I still had enough water, so I forged passed the table and down into a valley briefly on fire trail before some sapping climbs back up. Determined not to walk any (and luckily worked out that way during the entire course) I climbed back up before we entered “The Great Wall” signs which is a lovely forest area of single track with modest climbs interrupted by turns then more climbs. Again, a wonderful trail. I managed to pass a couple of runners here and once back on the open fire trail, I saw the second placed girl (Sarah Carpenter – who happens to podium in many trail races) about 200m ahead.

The race position for me stayed that way for some time, running solo, for a good 5km, as we went past two water points at 14km and 17km. Sadly there was a table set up at each station, but no water containers. The 14km I could cop as I still had some rations left and one gel to take in a few more kms time. The lack of water however at 17km annoyed me, as I had no water left, I had just consumed a gel some 100m before (expecting water to be there). So at this point the course turned back into single trail switch backs and I had to get through the last 8km on no water. Now I was sort of regretting the night before! But perhaps the gel worked as energy levels picked up and I kept forging ahead.

It was solo running again for some 3km before I spotted Sarah in pain and she had rolled her ankle and was sitting down on the trail. I stopped to assist and gave her a hand lifting her up. She asked for painkillers but I didn’t have any and she said she would try to walk it off and insisted that I keep going, so off I did.

About another 1km further on, the single track continued upward climbing switchbacks and I spotted the bright top of Mark up ahead, but he seemed to be coming my way. I was thinking, “I don’t remember an out and back on this last year”. He was with two other runners and it turned out they had taken the wrong course and so were heading back. He gave good encouragement though saying I was in 5^th position and Tim and Luke were ahead. I wasn’t sure if he meant 5^th overall or 5^th male, but I decided to up the ante with some 3km-4km to go trying to push my limits.

The single track finally finished with a decent climb and I moved into 4^th. Having knowledge of what was to remain on the last section I pushed even harder on the open forest fire trail now. The wind was at our backs on the first straight but uphill section. I managed to move into 3^rd by passing the leading female as we turned left with the wind now a strong cold cross chill. Then I saw Chantelle up ahead and she looked back and said she must have missed out on a couple of kms so she was heading back via the final section. (Turns out it was about 2km short but she had run a good time regardless).

So the last section I was burning all the fuel in hope of seeing Tim or Luke in the distance, but was not to be. I crossed the line in 3^rd (first ever podium finish and beat last years time by 21 seconds) but I was still not completely sure what had happened, but the lads confirmed it that NRG had gotten 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd via Luke, Tim and I. Awesome work team! Ian was there at the finish, a little disappointed having taken the wrong course and he was in such good form that a podium finish was on the cards for him. Mark too, would have given a good account of himself.

Robyn continues to rack up the silverware and scored 3^rd position in the ladies. Great result again.

Thanks for everyone who turned up from NRG battling the absolutely freezing conditions. I hope you enjoyed the course (well some of us anyway). Don’t think I have experienced a colder race than that (pre, during and post race).

Thanks to Lucinda and Ruby too for supporting. Photos courtesy of Lu, Chantelle, Robyn and Mark.

FULL RESULTS here:

http://www.wingellotrailclassic.com.au/document_uploads/Wingello Trail Classic 2014 25km Results.pdf