Ultra Trail Australia...the journey begins Weeks 1-4

My Support Crew

Back on Jacobs Ladder, Perth

Not a bad view

King's Park circa 2017

Its more than two months into the new year , new goals and not so new challenges. I have been slow and tardy in getting my thoughts together and blogging about the start of preparation for the next challenge . The Ultra trail Australia 100km run or NorthFace 100 .

I have had a few easy months off and the weight has come back on . Like me Irondog aka Molly has got lazy . The great challenge is to motivate and move and learn to improve.This race has been a challenge. Despite the best efforts and lots of run training it has thrown up lots of twist...last year the heat and the lack probably of elevation in the run programme made for legs that didn't quite have enough steam to get me through the last 20 kms . I made the cut off but just. This year hopefully with the vertical elevation done , I will get a PB .

The month of January is always the start for the last 3 years at least ,of run training for the ultra trail and with Perth's summer in full swing it is always a shock to the system.

Week 1

Monday 2 January started off with an easy 10.5km run on the flats going slow and taking 95 mins to do it . Tuesday 50 mins cross fit session . Wednesday first hill session at Mount Street with 15 min warm up and then 7 x 2 mins up Mount street and 2  mins recovery followed by 20 mins cool down
Thursday 45 min cross fit session just doing clean and jerks .
Friday Jacob's ladder with 3 x 10 min going up the stairs 2 at a time with 10 min warm up and cool down .Sunday 2 hour session  around Kings Park with trails and not as much vertical elevation.
Total distance 30 plus km .

Week 2

It starts to get harder . Monday an easy 10 km in 80 mins. Wednesday 7 x 3 mins hills with easy recovery and followed by 20 mins cool down . Friday Jacobs ladder with 3 x 12 min up the stairs with a warm up and cool down I managed only  4km . Sunday  2.5 hours with 500m of elevation. Did 8 repeats of Kokoda Trail , 8 repeats of the DNA Tower and One repeat of Mount street with a total of 10kms  In between the runs I rode on Thursday and Saturday and had cross fit on Saturday afternoon.

Week 3
Monday easy run 12.3km done in 100mins
Tuesday had a rest day
Wednesday warmup of 15 mins followed by 7 repeats of Mount street on for 2 mins up and then recovery of 30secs at the bottom and 30 min recovery .Total 65 mins
Thursday rested
Friday 85 mins at Jacobs Ladder with 9 climbs up Jacobs or 12 mins x 3 repeats and 90 secs recovery followed by 30 mins slow jog/recovery.
Saturday Did not ride
Sunday 15km in 3 hours around Kings Park with 5 climbs up Kokoda Trail and 6.5 climbs up Mount Street for an elevation of 685 metres (est)

Week 4

Monday easy run 12.3km done in 100mins again
Tuesday rode 17 km on the wind trainer
Wednesday warm up of 15 mins followed by 8 repeats of Mount street on for 2 mins up and then recovery of 90secs at the bottom and 15 min recovery .Total 65 mins and 7kms
Thursday wind trainer of Zwift with 27kms for 60 minutes.
Friday 90 mins at Jacobs Ladder with 12 climbs up Jacobs or 15 mins x 3 repeats and 90 secs recovery followed by 20 mins slow jog/recovery.
Saturday 70 km ride round the river and got dropped .
Sunday 15km in 3 hours around Kings Park with climbs up Kokoda Trail and climbs up Mount Street for an elevation of over 1000 metres (est)


A start to a 5 month training schedule .It only took me a year to forget how painful this race is.