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ANNA FROST & THE ALTAR OF ATLAS //

KAMI SEMIK ADVENTURES IN CHINA //

TRAIL LUXE // UTMB // VIETNAM MARATHON //JULIAN BEE // DAMOCLES SWORD // ULTRA AMAZON //

TRAIL PORN // GEAR & GUIDES


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4/70

VOLUME 2, EDITION 11, SUMMER 2014

Editorial

Australia Editor: Chris Ord

New Zealand Editor: Vicki Woolley

Asia Editor: Rachel Jacqueline

Minimalist/Barefoot Editor: Garry Dagg

Roving Editor: Mal Law

Sub-Editing: Simon Madden

Design

Jordan Cole

Craft-Store.net

Contributing Writers

Anna Frost, Kami Semik, Tegyn Angel,

Richard Bowles, Lien Choong Luen,

Steve Brydon

Senior photographer

Lyndon Marceau

www.marceauphotography.com

Photography

Vicki Woolley, Tegyn Angel, Richard Bull,

Sanja Jugovic Burns, Shaun Collins /

Cabbage tree Photography, Rapid Ascent,

Kami Semik, Chris Ord, Vicki Woolley,

Spontaneous Combustion Productions, Ultra

Trail du Mont Blanc, Franck Ouddoux, Pascal

Tournaire, Anna Frost, Jeri Chua, Kirill

Talanine / www.my-visual-life.com, Stewart

Aickin / www.mountainrunning.com.au, Eddie

Chiu @ A Photography, Anthony Grote / www.

anthonygrote.com, Koichi Iwasa / www.

dogscaravan.com

Trail Run is published quarterly

Winter / Spring / Summer / Autumn

Editorial & Advertising

Trail Run Magazine

10 Evans Street,

Anglesea, Vic 3230

Email: [email protected]

Telephone

+61 (0) 430376621

Founders

Chris Ord + Stuart Gibson + Mal Law

+ Peter & Heidi Hibberd

Publisher

Adventure Types

10 Evans Street

Anglesea, Victoria,

Australia 3230

Visit us onlinewww.trailrunmag.com

www.facebook.com/trailrunmag

www.twitter.com/trailrunmag

cover photoLyndon Marceau Photography /

www.marceauphotography.com. (And image

below) Dusk running atop the summit of

Mount Buller, Victoria, Australia.

DisclaimerTrail running and other activities described in this magazine can carry significant risk of injury ordeath. Especially if you are unfit. Undertake any trail running or other outdoors activity only with proper instruction,

supervision, equipment and training. The publisher and its servants and agents have taken all reasonable care to ensure

the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the expertise of its writers. Any reader attempting

any of the activities described in this publication does so at their own risk. Neither the publisher nor any of its

servants or agents will be held liable for any loss or injury or damage resulting from any attempt to perform any of the

activities described in this publication, nor be responsible for any person/s becoming lost when following any of the

guides or maps contained herewith. All descriptive and visual directions are a general guide only and not to be used as a

sole source of information for navigation. Happy trails.

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5/70

CONTENTSVOLUME 2, EDITION 11, SUMMER 2014

REGULARS10.Editors Columns:

10. Australia - Chris Ord

12.New Zealand - Vicki Woolley

14. Asia - Rachel Jacqueline

104.Richs RantRich discovers his inner Britney

TRAIL GUIDES130.Mt Buller & Stirling

Victoria, Australia

132.Mt Pirongia

North Island, New Zealand

134.You Yangs

Victoria, Australia

136.Dome Valley Track

North Island, New Zealand

INTERVIEWS36.Julian Bee

Running the nine Great Walks

REVIEWS16. Nows a good time to buy

Be a dirty elf this Xmas

106. Shoe reviewsThree for between the trees

FEATURES32. Damocles Sword- philosophies of bad technique

44. China- the ancient Tea and Horse Trail in Yunnan Province

56. Trail luxe- gourmet running at Lake Crackenback

62. Jungle marathon- a multiday mission in the Amazon

74. UTMB- conquering paradise?88. High Atlas Altar- Anna Frost in Morocco

98. Running the Nam- ultra marathon in Vietnam

TRAIL MIX22.Event Preview

Mountain Raid, Fall Creek,

Victoria, Australia

24.Event PreviewPartners Life DUAL, Hauraki Gulf

islands, New Zealand

27. Event PreviewSydney Trailfest, NSW, Austraila

28.Event PreviewShotover Moonlight Marathon,

Queenstown, New Zealand

31.Event PreviewNorth Shore Coastal Challenge,

Whangaparaoa, New Zealand

116.Trail PornIts dirty, not kinky

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6/70

EDSWORDCHRIS ORD // AUSTRALIAN EDITOR

Our search for understanding will never come to an end,andwe will always have the challenge of new discovery.Without it, we would stagnate. - Stephen Hawking

Our search for understanding will never come to an end,andwe will always have the challenge of new discovery.Without it, we would stagnate. - Stephen Hawking


I REMEMBER READING SOMEWHERETHAT SOME MANY? OF THE WORLDSMOST BRILLIANT MINDS WERE AND ARERUNNERS. NOT ST EPHEN HAWKING,OBVIOUSLY. BUT OTHERS OF HISILK MORE FORTUNATE IN PHYSICALCAPACITY.

Not only that, but when faced with one oftheir mind boggling problems like, how doblack holes work and is the universe expandingor contracting, that kind of thing it was arun that emptied their obviously fruitfully fullminds enough for them to see the light (or thedark in the case of black holes and dark matter)and solve the problem.

Sure, some people sit on the toilet for theirlightbulb moments. Others take LSD. (LSDperhaps scatters the mental decks and a restroom

stink is perhaps not the best olfactory seed forgenius). I reckon its on the run where the brainbest expunges the clutter, readies for clarity andfollows the legs lead to go into overdrive.

It may be in a manner that dreams up your nextcreative vision (talking to all you painters, pottersand rainbow makers). It may b e a mathematicalsolution that you break the back of (talking toall you PhD physicists reading). Or it may justbe cracking that damn Sudoku in last weekendsnewspaper (hi, Mum). But I bet youve had somekind of brainwave hit you on the trail (sometimesa second before the tree branch knocks it outof you, the distraction of your own brilliancemomentarily making you forget to duck).

Theres some science behind why anyscientist worth their weight in Nobel Prizesruns. Partly its about your Chief ExecutiveOfficer. Thats colloquial for the prefrontalcortex of your brain that they reckon steerthe intelligence ship. It is the area just behind

our foreheads that controls the executivefunctioning, which includes cognitiveprocesses like prioritising, planning, initiating,managing working memory, managing timeand resources, and self-regulation.

The results of a study by Hillman andhis fellow boffins1suggest that intensecardiovascular exercise affects neuro-electricprocesses that underpin executive control.Simply, exercise improves your ability tomanage cognitive processeses.

Another report2reckons that aerobic exercisetraining has antidepressant and anxiolytic(something that inhibits anxiety) effects, whichprotect against the harmful consequencesof stress. The findings suggest that exercisetriggers a process that helps not only endureand reverse, but prevent future stress.

And of course we all know and love the

runners high, a euphoria felt after runningdescribed by as the so-called opioid theory.Boeker et al3suggests region-specific effects in thefrontolimbic brain area that translate to improvedmood and an increase in general optimism.

Right, so running means that our brainswork better, we stave off feeling down andindeed we get a little high. How does thattranslate into Eureka moments?

One factor is simply that with better deliveryof oxygen and energy to the brain it worksbetter. Exercise increases cerebral blood flow andprovides for more efficient glucose utilisation.Writes Craig Bennett, a postdoctoral researcher inthe Department of Psychology at the Universityof California, Santa Barbara, (and a runner): Thebrain lives on glucose. Over 25% of the energy youtake in is going to fuel that grey matter in yourskull. When you are really working (thinking) ona tough problem that percentage only goes up asenergy usage increases. If you can more efficiently

get energy where it needs to go that wouldrepresent a major benefit to cognitive processing.

Indeed, make a rat run in a laboratory andit gets smarter. Make it run harder than itotherwise might have of its own volition, andits thinking prowess improves further.

Of course, it is the act of running in the firstplace that some argue (including ChristopherMcDougal of Born to Runfame who mostpopularly leads the charge) led to mankindssudden warp speed increase in intelligence: weran animals to death, ate the meat, our brainsexploded with the protein pill leading to vastlyimproved cognitive functions and outcomes,like agriculture, politics and One Direction.

So where does this leave us? Firstly, thatrunning should be incorporated into oureducation system, primary, secondary andtertiary. Post doctorate in quantum mechanics?

Youll be up for an ultra distance, then.Secondly: running (or some form of physicalactivity that is cardio vascular intensive) shouldbe prescribed by doctors and psychologistsmore often than drugs the science is in, theformer can be just as if not more effective thanthe latter (obviously cautioned by a dose ofcontext here Im not saying a psychopathicprone to bodily harm should simply be told togo for a jog). Finally: it doesnt always work.After all, (Australian Prime Minister) TonyAbbott runs a lot and it doesnt seem to layingthe groundwork for any Eureka moments there.

And so, as Stephen Hawking said oursearch for understanding will never come toan end Better keep on running then. Theanswers whatever the problem are outthere. On the trail.

Chris [email protected]

GREAT MINDSRUN ALIKE

GREAT MINDSRUN ALIKE

1. Charles H. Hillman, Erin M. Snook, and Gerald J. Jerome. (2003) Acute cardiovascular exercise and executive control function. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 48 (3), pp. 307-314.2. Salmon, Peter. (2001) Effects of physical exercise on anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress: A unifying theory. Clinical Psychology Review, 21(1), pp. 3361.3. Henning Boecker, Till Sprenger et al. (2008) The Runners High: Opioidergic Mechanisms in the Human Brain, Cerebral Cortex, 18 (3), pp. 2523-2531.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Lyndon Marceau / www.marceauphotography.com @ Mount Buller

10 11
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7/70

Im injured. Cant run. Im fat, unfit, and need an aid station to get tothe letterbox . And Im shitty... actually, spoiling for a fight: so letstake a long, hard look at one of the ugly sides of running. I call it ARS Addicted Runners Syndrome*, and whether or not you suffer from

ARS can be determined by taking this simple quiz:

EDSWORD NEW ZEALAND // VICKI WOOLLEY

SIX WEEKS INTO MY INJURY I WASMOANING PUBLICLY BUT STILLRUNNING IN SECRET WHEN A FRIENDPOSTED ON FACEBOOK: THINKYOU NEED TO WORK ON MENTALDISCIPLINE.

Flying into a rage, I was poised to throw thelaptop off the balcony when the light cameon. There is no denying people with addictive/compulsive/obsessive predilections are tough:they can survive hell on earth for their fix. Butmental toughness and mental discipline arenot the same thing. It takes tough to push ascreaming body through an off-road ultra. Ittakes discipline to stop when that body really isat breaking point.

Eventually, even the most hardcore runningaddict realises that whatever is broken can onlybe fixed by rest. So how do running addictsdeal with going cold turkey on their drug ofchoice?

Dr Brendan ONeill is a senior sportsphysician at Unisports in Auckland. Hesays: In the old days, injured athletes werecompletely removed from their team-mates.

They didnt attend training; they had rehabat a clinic somewhere else. We noticedthese athletes were impacted on a social andpsychological level as well as physical theyhad lost their family.

These days, so much of our modern-worldcommunication takes place electronically,causing a social isolation. Yet people craveconnection; out on the trail with mates everyweekend, we dont just talk politics and sport.We talk about the issues most perplexingus: my kid is in trouble; I have this problemwith the boss; my wife is sad; my business isstruggling. When running is our connectionwith ourselves, with nature and our peers,injury downtime can mean losing our physical,spiritual AND social fix.

Dr Brendan offers this advice: Try to keepto schedule. Nowadays the injured athleteattends training. He joins in where he can, anddoes his rehab with the physio alongside theteam as they train. He gets the inside jokes, hestays current he remains part of the team.

Shortly after becoming injured I had tohonour a commitment to support friends on anepic run. Railing against the injustice, I showed

up... and had a blast.The following weekend I could have stayed

home with a bar of chocolate and bottle ofwine. Instead I ate a teaspoon of cement andwent out to support a bunch of mates as theyripped up some trail I had never been on. Ihelped at registration, listened to the start-linenervous talk. Saw each competitor as theycrossed the line. Heard their story, attended totheir discomfort. Stayed part of the team andfelt flippin brilliant for it.

Im learning there are options to sitting onthe couch with a tub of ice-cream reminiscingabout the days when I was a runner. Imlearning to muscle doggedly through despairthe same way I would muscle through low-levelpain on a long trail run. Im taking control ofthe Tiger.

*Note: ARS is a completely fictionalcondition concocted by the Editor, with noscientific basis whatsoever.

Your frustrated but ever-wiser editor,Vicki Woolley

SHE WHO RIDESTHE TIGER CAN

NEVER DISMOUNTSHE WHO RIDESTHE TIGER CANNEVER DISMOUNT

Doc says you need to shelve the shoes for a while.Doc says you need to shelve the shoes for a while.

you: or:

b). Nod, smile...then go out and runwhatever the hell

you want?

a). Dutifully followrest/recovery/rehab

instructions tothe letter.

Im injured. Cant run. Im fat, unfit, and need an aid station to get tothe letterbox. And Im shitty... actually, spoiling for a fight: so letstake a long, hard look at one of the ugly sides of running. I call it ARS Addicted Runners Syndrome*, and whether or not you suffer from

ARS can be determined by taking this simple quiz:

12 13


8/70

PHOTOGRAPHY: Sanja Jugovic Burns

EDSWORD ASIA // RACHEL JACQUELINE

SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE

SOMEWHERE THAT ULTRARUNNERS

FEAR THE MOST IS A MIDDLEGROUND OF MONOTONY. THE

PLACE OF BOREDOM. THATS RIGHT:

ULTRARUNNING CAN BE, LETS BE

HONEST, KIND OF BORING AT TIMES.

Now before you running purists take off your

trail running shoes and peg them at my head -get in the moment, man hear me out.

Ive had these boring thoughts before. Butthey were only fleeting, say when struck withan unanticipated bout of concrete on a longrun, or moments mid-race after the high of acheckpoint has worn off, its 15 kilometres tothe next and I know I simply have to grind itout to get through.

But a few weeks ago I had a case of theultrarunning borings, as Id like to coin theterm, at its absolute best. What I really meanis, at its most drearingly, ho-hum painful - andIm not talking about a blister the size of a 50cent coin festering under the ball of your foot.I guess its what mice on a treadmill must feellike, if they had a brain. But I digress.

After a quiet summer (you may recall my postabout bludging for two months to try and getinjuries back on track and rediscovering mypassion), I put together a training regime andlocked focus on some upcoming goals. (Oneof them was the Inaugural Vietnam MountainMarathon, featured on page 96). Now, Im nota fan of running uber-long distances weekin, week out (I believe in quality training and

avoiding burnout), but at the end of the day, inthis sport you need time on feet if youre goingto run some of the long ones. Theres no otherway around it.

So one grizzly, overcast Sunday morningat far-too-early oclock I set off for my longSunday run: four hours of grind on superslow boring speed. I stepped outside mydoor and instantly I wanted to turn back,

but discipline and a stubborn drive towardsimproving my PB drove me forward. I pluggedin the iPod and hoped for the best. After thirtyminutes on slow burn, the rain set in. While itseems totally rational to run in the rain duringa race, a long training run in the rain isntso compelling. I turned up my music louderand tried to comfort myself with the happythought that this was good for me. My brainrefused to cooperate. Boredoutofmybrain.Neverthless, I trudged on.

At the two-hour mark I ran into a friend,none other than famed ultrarunner KamiSemick, and I couldnt help but blurt out: Imso bored.

Her response?I just did a 100 kilometre training run last

weekend.I gulped. In the depths of my ultrarunning-

borings state, I couldnt think of anything worse.But then she regaled me with stories of gettinglost on the myriad of trails around her beautifulhometown of Bend, Oregon. I mean, whowouldnt want to run for 100 kilometres willynilly there? My run, meanwhile was on some greatHong Kong trails, but they were soggy, and with

the pollution and rain the sights werent anythingto write home about. Note to self.

Somewhere and somehow I mustered up thewill to continue and finished my run. I was toobored to even acknowledge my achievementand grunted out a sigh of relief before slowingto a walk. It wasnt until a good hour or solater, after a shower, some warm clothes and agood feed, that I was ready to shake the blues

and go on with the rest of my Sunday.As I steeped out the door, the clouds parted

and the sun tickled my face. I found myselfsmiling and soon forgot about my case ofultrarunning borings. Out of nowhere, thattingly, warm fuzzy feeling of achievementspread through me. I kept going when I wantedto quit today, ran on repeat through my head.

And then it hit me - number 3677 reason whyultra running teaches you everything you needto learn in life. Lets be honest, sometimes lifethrows us an unexpected curveball and wereforce to buckle down and get on with it, eventhough wed much rather be doing somethingelse. Like Scott Jurek says in Eat & Run,Sometimes you just do things. Sometimes youhave to grind through the hard points. If yourein this game long enough, youre bound to havethe failures and the disappointments and howyou deal with them defines your success asmuch as the podium finishes. Refill your waterbottle, plug in the tunes and soldier on: thesummit is yet to come.

Your student of the ultra life editor,Rachel Jacqueline

Running ultras can take you to the highestof highs, both literally and figuratively, asyou journey over high peaks and discover the

depths of what is possible. But it can takeyou to some pretty dark places too.

14 15


9/70

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tested it out on a local stringent RD yet(Andy Hewat - please advise), but ontrail weve given it a hammering in theraucously rainy spring season Victoriahas been belted with: and its a winner.You can get it to scrunch to a cricketballsize, but its Nerf Ball light in weight.Against the elements, it works a treatwith woven ripstop fabric treated withHyVent waterproof breathable coatingand lightweight polyurethane zips offerdecent durability, although it is of coursemore delicate than a heavy raincoat(watch the sharp tree branches). A slightstretch maintains wear comfort. Thehood is stowable but kind of fiddly toadjust on the run and you need to do thezip right up, otherwise the hood givesyou wings. Theres next to no structure- being so lightweight - so get a size thatis fitted. A great option for emergencyrace wear or for when you just want to

run light, but not sure what the weatheris doing.This puppy most definitely doeswhat it name suggests.

THIS IS THE VEST that Jez Braggused to hydrate his way through thelength of New Zealand on his TeAraroa run. Its a nifty bit of kit thathas been designed to a high standardthat most certainly takes the qualityand comfort challenge to the othervenerated run packs on market thelikes offered by Salomon, UltimateDirection and UltrAspire. Lightweight(325gm) its chassis is a super breathableand uber comfortable vest that takesa bib-approach. That is, two shoulder

straps hang down, flaring out into thefront pockets area, while on the backhangs the main bag. The sides arenon-existent bar two straps to adjustthe formation snugly around. The frontof the vest benefits from two lines ofribbing running down the inner chest- giving it structure and weight bearingwhere needed. The rest of the vest issoft, mesh material that conforms topretty much any body shape. There arepockets a-plenty. On the front a velcroenclosed compartment (on each frontstrap), with an open-top stretch pocketbehind it. Further up the shouldersdrawstring compartments can beused for slimline bottles while stretchpockets on their outer are perfect forgels and discarded wrappers. Therereally is a plethora of quick accessstorage up front, perfect for lugginglots of carbs, maps, tech and hydro. On

the rear there are nearly too many morepocket options: two small zip pockets,a larger stretch hold-all for quick grab

wet or warm gear, and yet anotherlarge zip pocket up top. Thats just theexterior cargo bays. Then theres the

main good-sized compartment withfour sections, one zipped. Here is theonly downfall of this bag: while thevelcro tab holds the hydro bag up, thepocket beneath isnt deep enough fora decent bladder. So it ends up sittingin the main compartment and doesget a bit of a wobble on if not held inplace by other stowed gear. It needs aninternal strap to compress the bladderand stop the slosh. The loops on theexterior to hold trail poles are great forultras, too, as is built-in whistle andfront click in straps (easy use). A greatbag for long day runs and ultras whereyou are going lightweight.

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Mund Trail Running &

Cross Mountain socks

HERES A LITLE BIT of genius insimplicity. A belt that is perfect for thoseshorter runs where theres no wateroption en route, but youd be overdoingit by rigging up your full hydro pack. Thissuper comfortable 163gm belt packs two300ml bottles: enough for that 10kmtraining run (or even slightly more on arace run if it has a water station). Theyare comfy in the hand and easy to access,and having two means you are balancedand can split the juice between water andelectro fort variety. Ensure you whack theelastic over the bottle top lest one fallsout on a super jumpy downhill section (ithappened to me), and remember to closeoff the click down nozzle, lest you splashyour rear end (it happened to me). But ifyou get the set up right, this is a perfectlightweight, just the basics run belt.Theres a stretch pocket that will squashin your lightweight rain jacket, maybegloves or hat, and a zip pocket up frontfor the mobile phone, gels, first aid orchange for the Piccolo en route. This hasbecome the go to for the midday tennerwhirl on local trails.

SOCKS ARE JUST SOCKS, right? Nup.I can tell you from experience thatsome give you welter blisters. Othersrun you hot. Of course, peoples feet areas individual as childhood memories,and not one sock will suit all. Somesocks that others swear black andblue by, Ive sworn black and blue atfor giving me blisters. Or rather, thecombination of the sock and shoehas - you never really know whos toblame. Mund are socks that are mostlikely to do the job, however, thebrand born and still residing in BurgosPradoluengo, a place tucked betweenmountains and surrounded by deepforests in northern Spain. These socks

take the thinner is better approach,and combine Coolmax technologywith Lycra and, in the case of the Cross

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Mountain, Cordura for extra durability.The Coolmax is the heart of both socks(if socks have hearts): a high-tech fabricthat uses four channels fibre with awide surface area: wicks away the sweatapparently. Whatever the combinationof fabrics, weave and shape on theMunds, I reckon they are crackers.Christmas, Fathers Day, Mothers Day:lets face it, socks these days are nolonger the little cheap present on theside: they are both a serious investmentdollars-wise, but for the runner, worthevery cent from about kilometre tenonward. Good news is, Munds arentthe most expensive on the block. Butthey are up there with the best.

SATURDAY 22 MARCH 2014MOTUTAPU & RANGITOTO ISLANDS

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

Seven EVENT OPTIONS42.2KM MARATHON 21.1KM HALF MARATHON

10KM RUN / WALK 6KM RUN / WALK45KM MOUNTAIN BIKE 30KM MOUNTAIN BIKE

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Ay Up HeadTorch Kit HT13Ay Up HeadTorch Kit HT13AY UPS LOOK like serious bits ofkit because they are. Anyone on trail(running or riding) knows that theseare the lamps lighting the way in more

ways than one. Where most head lampssold to the running crowd are offshoottangents of the camping scene (and so bydefault often too heavy, to cumbersomeor forward weighted), Ay Ups have beenexpressly designed for intensive, fastpaced activity, where users are movingat speed through the dark in wildernesssituations and where comfort on headwhile bobbing around, ducking branches,is paramount. Ergo, no wonder Ay Upsare regarded as the best flame for yourtrail running noggin. They have been onmarket for a while in the form of RunSpecific and Ultra Lite Kits, however herewe have a new set up that has improvedonce again in terms of comfort, longevityand flare value. One of the problems forultra runners in the early models was abarely 3hr light life - but this has been

well and truly beefed up! Ultra runnerswill now take note of the incredible8+hrs of light power flooding from thedual LEDs. The light pattern is broadand even, reaching out into the night toshow up contours and define those rootsand branches and undulations lookingto knock you off your running stride.There is a new Multi Mode Battery with3 light levels (100%, 50% and 25%), a flashoption and a fuel gauge. Comfort - whichI reckon was already top end has beenimproved by a specific light harness withcomfortable padded, air mesh vented rearbattery holder. There are also two largerear reflective panels for extra safety. Theunit is still lightweight - only 260 Grams- and once on the head and adjusted,you tend to fogey about it (and indeed,

sometimes you forget its night time suchis the brilliance of the light the poorroos). For the techies, the dual beamlight offers up 700+ Lumen Light. Thatsenough for one user, up on a mountain,to accidentally flag down a passingairliner flying above, the pilot wonderingif the light was a distress signal, andsending in the local troopers. Yep, thesethings are bright alright.

VITALS

$231ayup-lights.com

V-Fuelgood fat - important they argue forthat 71st mile (VFuel is the only gel tocontain fat). The MTC is interesting: itactually gets metabolised more as energythan as fat, it goes straight to the liverand used immediately as a quick energysource. It also does not require energyfor absorption, utilisation, or storage,while, at the same time, being a densesource of calories. A perfect marriagefor the endurance athlete. Each of theother components listed have their ownbenefits, the unique concoction makingthis a gel very different to anything Ivetried prior. The natural ingredientapproach gels with my sensibilities, too.But to the important factor: how easy

is it to get down? Actually pretty easy.Ever had a chocolate Yogo (kids custardlike snack)? The chocolate is like a richer

READ THE ingredients list and youcant decide if youre in the chemists, thenaturopaths or Breaking Badslab scene:MCT Oil, taurine, Glucuronolactone,OKG (go on, we dare you to try to sayit: L-ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate),Citrulline Malate, Magnesium andPotassium Aspartate (now were back infamiliar territory), sodium citrate andcaffeine. Nothing is complete withoutcaffeine. Most of you will have skippedover that list of ingredients, but lets justsay that a lot of study has gone into it,likely a few PhDs, and a fair whack ofarguing at sport dieticians conferences.Its worth reading up on a few of themthough as the logic behind them seems

sound and I like the fact that MCT Oilis simply coconut oil with all the badstuff removed. Left behind is still the

version, same consistency. Its prettygood. And for someone who shies fromvanilla, even that flavour went a treat ona long run. Peach Cobbler? Well, that onewas my least favourite, but then I dontlike peach. V is for victory, in the longrun, we say.

VITALS

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backcountryrunner.co.nzvfuel.com

20


Fundraising for the Born to Run Foundationsupporting Type 1 Diabetes Research

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PHOTOGRAPHY: courtesy Rapid Ascent

EVENT PREVIEW

RAIDING THE CREEK FALLS CREEKvictoria, AU

TWO COURSES FORM PARTOF THE INAUGURAL FALLSCREEK MOUNTAIN RAID

ON AND FEBRUARY ,AT FALLS CREEK, VICTORIA.THE FULL EVENT IS A FULLON ADVENTURE RACE, BUTFOR THOSE NOT WANTINGTO PARTAKE IN MOUNTAINBIKING, PADDLING ANDNAVIGATION, THERE ARE TWOSTRAIGHT TRAIL RUNS ONOFFER.

The 8km and 14km courses make

best use of the spectacular alpinetrails and lofty mountain summitsof Falls Creek. Both courses featurea flowing mix of single and doubletrack, with short sections of 2WDdirt road; past old snow gums andwild flowers, and beside bubblingstreams. The terrain of Falls Creekand the Bogong High Plainsincludes plenty of rock with thetrails deemed moderately technicalwhere youll need to watch whereyou put your feet.

A couple of decent hills are alsothrow in to keep thighs and lungspumping hard. Equally so, thereare a handful of steep descents thatwill require concentration to avoidgetting up-close and personal witha snow gum.

A beautiful place to run: nowonder some of Australias top

runners including Steve Moneghettiand Craig Mottram are often seenblazing the trails here.

EVENTMountain Raid Trail Runs

Date16 February, 2014

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EVENT PREVIEW


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PHOTOGRAPHY: courtesy ActiveQT

SHOTOVER MOONLIGHT QUEENSTOWN,STH ISLAND, NZ

Ask anyone why the ShotoverMoonlight Marathon is quicklybecoming an iconic NZ off-

road event, and they will most likelyanswer: unbelievably stunningOMG scenery, and greatsouthern hospitality. Just a shortdrive from Queenstown, the racethat has been described as a wholelot of magic is held entirely onprivate land that is only accessibleon race day, when participantsare given a warm welcome fromevent director Adrian Bailey, andlandowners John and Ginny Foster.Despite gobsmacking views totake your mind off the pain, thisrace is not for the faintheartedwith approximately 2,000 metresof elevation over the marathon

distance (21.1km, 10km and 5kmoptions are also available). This is averitable trail running smorgasbord:expect to encounter beech forest,river crossings, overgrown waterraces (a hangover from goldminingdays), farm roads, rutted stocktracks, tussock, valley floors, rockyridges, mountainous climbs andtreacherous descents as you traverseBen Lomond High Country Stationfrom the Shotover River to MokeLake. And if you fall/you die ridgerunning isnt enough adrenalin foryou, then add some style of yourown: stay at Ben Lomond lodge andhelicopter to the start line!

EVENTShotover Moonlight

Marathon

DATE22 February 2014

ONLINE

28 29

EVENT PREVIEWKING
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PHOTOGRAPHY: courtesy Total Sport

COASTAL CHALLENGE Whangaparaoa,new zealand

THERE ARE LONGRACES. GNARLY RACES.MASOCHISTIC RACES.

BUT AS FAR AS CRAZY RACESGO THE NORTH SHORECOASTAL CHALLENGE TAKESTHE CAKE. STANDING ONTHE SAND AT ARKLES BAY,WHANGAPARAOA, THE RACEBRIEFING SIMPLY INSTRUCTS:KEEP THE SEA ON YOUR LEFTAT ALL TIMES... UNTIL YOUREACH DEVONPORT SOMEKM LATER.

Now in its 12th year, urban legendhas it that the event was startedby a bunch of friends who decidedto run to a barbeque, carryingtheir sausages. These days, food isavailable at the finish line for thosebrave enough to take on either theFull Monty, or one of the shorterdistance options 6k, 11k, 17k or22km. The longer distance optionsinclude two estuary-mouth swimswhich vary in length according tothe tide on the day it is wise totrain and prepare for these!

One wonders whether theCoastal Challenge can actuallybe called a trail run, since muchof the journey involves creepingalong ledges, clinging to clifffaces, hopping nimbly over pinebranches and monkey-walking

around submerged boulders. Andjust when you think you cant takeany more of that kind of crazy, you

round a headland and spill out ontoanother picture-postcard beach.With luck you will find the hardseam of sand, and with even moreluck this particular bay may containan aid station, buoying you up forthe next scramble. You will laugh,curse, cry, and in all probability,injure yourself. But trust me - asthe tide roars and thunders aroundyou, and rogue pebbles bounce fromthe sea cliffs towering overhead...this is the MOST FUN you will havein an off-road event!

EVENT North Shore Coastal

Challenge

DATE1 March 2014

ONLINE

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30


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story: gary Dagg

illustration: Jordan cole

Sword ofSword of DamoclesDamoclesNOT

THAT IM AN OLDMAN, BUT I ENVY THELIGHTNESS OF YOUTH.WATCHING A YOUNG

RUNNER, LIGHT IN BODY AND BURDENDRIFTING OVER OBSTACLES, AGILELYDIVING INTO SWITCHBACKS ANDFLOATING OVER THE GROUND YOU AREREMINDED OF THE MAXIM; THERE ARETWO TYPES OF RUNNERS, THOSE WHOHAVE BEEN INJURED, AND THOSE SOONTO BE INJURED.

Youth who have not tasted the angst ofan overuse injury pace without concern,unknowing of the pangs of pain andwithdrawal that can spring from one step

too many. Once you have been through thestages of grieving of dealing with an injury;from denial to disbelief, through anger andeventually acceptance and recovery, every runand footstep is forever marked. Can you reallyrun freely again? Minimalists argue that youcan, but really there is more to it than simplycasting aside your shoes.

The Ancients, as is custom, had a far betterway of explaining this. The Sword of Damoclesis told by the Roman philosopher Cicero aboutthe desires of Damocles to have the lappings of

luxury that his tyrannical leader has. So he isgiven such comforts and is housed on an ornatethrone with a bevy of waiters and all the foodand goods he requires. His needs are beyondsated and every want he could possibly imagineis catered for, a nirvana for the non-meditator.

As a catch though, in a message thathappiness always hangs on tenterhooks, asharpened sword hangs at the mans neck, heldup only by a horses hair. Any hint of excess,joyous movement or carelessness could plungethe sword onto his throat, belying the storysmessage of the transitory nature of life, thefragility of existence, and the dangers of excess.

The Sword of Damocles reminds us that thehigher our pleasures and there can be fewhigher than flitting through wilderness al ongsingletrack the more there is to lose. Theprice, according to Cicero, of having sought outpleasure is living with fear and anxiety.

While the Greeks and Romans threw upmany a worthy tale, perhaps none servethe wounded trail runner better. Onceplantar fasciitis, ITB syndrome, runnersknee, tendonitis or any of the litany of overindulgence complaints of the long distancerunner flare up, seeds of doubt germinateand ferment in the running mind. Nigglescan cast clouds over the lightest of outingswhile the fatigue of a long run throws up alitany of complaints long enough to senda hypochondriac to the doctors chair. Orshould it be the psychiatrists? The prevalenceof psychosomatic overuse injuries is a littleexplored area of medicine, but no doubt

prevalent. Perhaps Damocles sword is not aphysical one but a metaphysical one, as thehigh numbers of A-type personalities that tendto run long distances on trails are also the ones

who suffer from undiagnosable maladies thatphysicians and wizened Chinese practitionersprescribe to the mind.

But back to the matter of marrow andligament.

Once having gone through that painfulhobble home, many runners move next tothe stage of denial, the running addictiontoo strong to lay aside for any recovery. Thatprocess of just running through it can snap thehorses hair in two, bringing the sword downinto the stage of anger and sel f-retribution. Ordoes it? Many running doctors believe mostrunning injuries can only be cured by keepingon running and in Tim Noakes legendary book,The Lore of Running, he states that, barringstress fractures and injuries that physicallyprevent you from running any suggestion tostop running should be met with doubt.

Perhaps you should, perhaps you shouldnt,but any long process of recovery leaves mentalscars normally deeper than any physical ones.

>>

32 33

SWORD OF DAMOCLESFEATURE
http://marmotaustralia.com.au/


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Once that part of the body flares up a gain, evenin later years, the mind starts to wander furtherdown that road towards the Damoclean swordplunging towards you.

Minimalist running has been perceived bysome as a panacea, a way of ridding yourselfof the sword above you. It is not. Minimalrunning is a way of running better, with bettertechnique and in a more mindful way, but itis not a guarantee against injury. It will notward off overuse any more than it will ward offirate dogs or chafing. But used well, minimalrunning will offer you a far gentler way ofrunning and will certainly offer you a form ofearly warning against injury.

The appeal of barefoot and minimal runningis that Damocles sword hangs above your headnot by a thread but by a rope. Running with badtechnique cannot be supported. Any frailtiesin your technique will lead to pain that shouldbe a warning signal to either stop running orchange your technique.

At the heart of most overuse injurieslies overstriding, poor core stability and anunbalanced stride pattern, and just a mile

without shoes will let you know all about that.If running barefoot on a hard surface for tenminutes hurts, then you have not only lost thejoy of being human, you have lost the ability totrack your own body. If you ignore these signs,are addicted to running or see pain in the bodyas a weakness, minimal running wont stop thesword dropping down somewhere on those legsof yours. But if you listen right, treat your bodyfirmly but fairly, then running light and easywill keep the Sword of Damocles up above you,where it belongs.

Garry Dagg is Trail Run Mags residentbarefoot/minimalist sage, writing on issues,opinions, styles and techniques of barefoot/minimalist running and pretty much whateverhe damn well pleases. We love his work so we lethim and his words roam f ree, as is his want andright. Any queries for Garry, fling them throughon [email protected] Facebook them atwww.facebook.com/trailrunmag.


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NEW ZEALANDER

JULIAN BEESCHALLENGE TO RUNALL NINE OF HISNATIONS GREATWALKS HAS SETHIM ON A JOURNEYOF UNEXPECTEDPERSONAL GROWTH.36 37

INNERVIEW

JULI AN BEE


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WHAT

HAPPENED?HE RECOUNTS A HORRIFIC TALE OFAVALANCHES, TRAILS LOST AT HIGHALTITUDE AND NECKDEEP SNOW.

But Im getting ahead of myself.It all started on a flight from Wellington to

Auckland in March 2013. 35 ye ar-old JulianBee husband, father of two, IT Managerand ordinary man glanced idly through theinflight magazine. It had a feature on NewZealands nine Great Walks for which Julianhad developed a vague interest.

It had just occurred to Julian to attemptrunning the nine Great Walks when: Mybrain smashed me on about fifteen differentfronts: make it a fundraiser; do it for CureKids; do it to inspire others; youve al wayswanted to run ultras! Make it a mission, makeit massive...OMG!

Back in his hotel room that night a planwas conceived: to raise funds and awarenessfor Cure Kids by running New Zeala nds nineGreat Walks: Rakiura, Routeburn, Tongariro,Waikaremoana, Whanganui, Milford, Kepler,Abel Tasman and Heaphy.

Julian excitedly messaged a friend. Minuteslater a message came back: Julian. You do

realise one of the nine Great Walks is a river?The entire challenge hung in the balance for

a few agonising moments as Julian desperately

brought up the Whanganui map. He foundwhat he was looking for a section of trailrunning alongside the river - and messagedhis friend back: I WILL find a way to do it.Game On.

From the outset Julian realised he wouldbe pushing himself and his family beyond thecomfort zone on many levels.

Ive long been inspired by tales of ordinaryfolks doing extraordinary things, but therewas always something about their exploitsthat I didnt connect with. In almost everycase, their crazy goals became full-timecommitments, which to an ordinary blokewith a job I couldnt leave, made me think Icould never set such lofty goals. So in settingmyself this goal, Im hoping to de monstratethat you can still set, and achieve, big gnarlygoals even though youve got the job/house/wife/kids-box-set.

Wife Fiona agrees.I never had doubts a bout his running

abilities, but I had concerns about hisadministration and marketing skills. Not onlyis he a bit of an introvert, but with a full-time job, young family, and a property whichdemands regular maintenance, the time factor

was massive.So why Cure Kids? Although Julian thanks

his lucky stars that he has no personal

experience to link him to the child healthresearch foundation, he is quietly passionateabout the relationship he has built withthem over the last two years. Cure Kidscover a broad range of research topicswith wide ranging benefits, and as theirresearch focuses on finding cures rather thanpalliative care, they fit my more pragmaticapproach to the world.

They work with you to fundraise, theydont just turn up at the end a nd take thecheque, so you feel part of the Cure Kidsfamily - not just someone that fills somecollection buckets and goes home.

Fast forward six months and after awhirlwind of publicising, fundraising,organising and training, Julian is one-and-a-half challenges down when I check in withhim. How is it going?

He shakes his head, then nods... the learningcurve is steep and, at times, scary. The firstGreat Run was the 32km Rakiura Trail onStewart Island. It went well, Julian thinks, butgetting separated from his running buddytaught him a lot about the responsibility ofengaging others in his challenge, particularlyrunning partners. He muses: This is more

than just me and a few mates going for a run.If something were to go badly wrong, it could>>

WHAT

HAPPENED?

38 39

INNERVIEW

JULI AN BEE


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THE GREAT NINEJULIANISRUNNINGTHEGREAT

WALKSIN ORDEROFSHORTESTTO

LONGEST,TOENABLEHIMTO WORK

UPTHROUGHTHEDISTANCESINA SAFE

ANDSENSIBLEWAY.

HERESTHEROUGHDATES

ASATCURRENTPLAN:

October 2013 Rakiura (32km) and

Routeburn (32km)

November 2013 Tongariro Northern

Circuit (43km) and Waikaremoana

(46km)

December 22nd 2013[longest day of

the year] Whanganui River (145km,

40km run)

January 2014 Milford Track (53km)

February 2014 Kepler Track (60km)

March 2014 Abel Tasman (54km)

April 2014 Heaphy Track (78km)

CHECK OUT THE RUNS

When he is here he is ableto spend quality time as

a focussed, fit, joyfuldad and husband. He has

definitely found his mojo.

40 41

INNERVIEW

JULI AN BEE
http://greatruns.co.nz/http://greatruns.co.nz/


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seriously damage Cure Kids public image.Routeburn was aborted halfway through

in atrocious weather conditions, but taughthim a lot about honouring the environmentand the challenge, and listening to gut feel.

It turns out the part about neck-deep snowand getting horribly lost actually happened toanother guy, an Australian solo tra mper Julianmet near Earland Falls.

Julian recounts: I looked into his eyesand saw real fear, and utter exhaustion. Ittook the guy six hours just to cross HarrisSaddle after losing the trail in a whiteout.He kept falling in pockets of snow at onetime he was neck-deep and had nothing todig himself out with. He was so desperate toreach shelter that when he saw the hut wason the other side of the lake, he seriouslyconsidered swimming across, a sure-firehypothermia recipe.

By the time Julian reached McKenzie Hutthe snow had settled enough to obscure theground surface, compromising his footing and he had plenty of time to consider theconditions he would most certainly encounterhigher up the mountain. After a brief moment

of introspection in one of the most bea utifulplaces I have ever seen, Julian wisely butruefully turned back.

Does that mean Routeburn is scratched?The reply is emphatic: NO. The Great RunsChallenge IS the Great Runs. Its not overuntil they have all been completed.

Talk inevitably strays to family, and work,and how HOW does he get the work/family/training balance right?

Ha! Impossible. On a given week I get twoout of three about right, and its anyonesguess on a given week which one wontmake the cut. I try and make the most of mylunchbreaks or early mornings for training,and trade a great many breakfasts in bed for

my wife for weekend training runs for me.I ask Fiona about the impact Great Runs is

having on family life.Julian had a wife and two kids, nice house,

good job... but was treading water for sometime. Something was missing.

She continues: So while the kids and Isee him a little less [during the Great Runschallenge], when he is here he is able to spendquality time as a focussed, fit, joyful dad andhusband. He has definitely found his mojo.

Fiona and the children, Lara (5) and Oscar(3), will have to be patient a little longer: sixmonths of enduring a part-time husbandand father await them as the Great RunsChallenge takes on a life of its own. Alre adyJulian has to find time for radio interviews,photo shoots and speaking engagements such as addressing guests at the infamousStewart Island Quiz Night. Completestrangers Bruce and Sue Ford mobilised

almost the entire island for the Rakiura leg ofthe challenge. Far from being daunted, Julianenthuses: Its one thing having a crazy ideathat energises you and drives you forward,but the feeling you get when you explainyour idea to someone and it energises themenough to want to help and move the thingforward on their own - its electrifying!.

He encourages other runners to engage thewider community in their adventures: Get a

sense of how incredibly rewarding it is to adda charity-flavour to your running projects. Weas runners are a really close-knit and givingcommunity of people, regularly doing thingsfor others in the community (crewing, pacing,encouraging, etc), but when you bolt on some

charity endeavour to your running activities,it just turns everything up to eleven itgives you one more reason to get out for thattraining run, or push that little bit harder on atough race leg.

Julian and I share a quiet moment in thecar between photo shoot and training runs,and I ask if he feels he has changed as aresult of taking on this feat. He thinks for amoment, then refers me to a quote that hecarries around in his heart, and that, probablymore than anything else, is the inspirationbehind this challenge: Set a goal so big thatyou cant achieve it until you grow into theperson who can.

He may be surprised: having recentlycelebrated the couples tenth weddinganniversary, Fiona has this to say: I guessthe one unanticipated occurrence is that Ihave found someone who inspires me. It isso unexpected to see this typical Kiwi bloke;

this quiet, unassuming IT Manager, someoneyou thought you knew so well challengethemselves to the edge of their ability. SureI have seen a few flickers of doubt, but healways comes out fighting. He is relentless,stubborn and brilliant.

At time of writi ng, Julian had raised o ver$2,000 towards his goal of $20,000 for CureKids, and was about to embark on his thirdGreat Run, Tongariro.


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High Tea on the

WESTERN FRONTIV drips, pack dogs, stomach bugs and lost team

members on big mountains: The ancient Tea and Horse

Trail in Yunnan Province, China, delivered adventure in spadesfor The North Face trail expedition athlete, Kami Semick.

WORDS: KAMI SEMICK IMAGES : Courtesy Kami Semick

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CHINA ADVENTURE RUNFEATURE FEATURECHINA ADVENTURE RUN


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MODERN CHINA IS A TALE OFTWO OPPOSITES. WITH . BILLIONOF THE BILLIONPLUS GLOBALPOPULATION, CHINA HOLDS FOUROF THE LARGEST TOP TEN CITIES INTHE WORLD. ALTHOUGH SIMILAR INGEOGRAPHIC SIZE TO THE UNITEDSTATES, FOR EVERY ONE PERSON INTHE UNITED STATES, THERE AREFOUR AND ONE THIRD PEOPLEIN CHINA. THE POPULATIONDISTRIBUTION, HOWEVER, ISSKEWED. NINETYFIVE PERCENTOF THE CHINESE POPULATION LIVESIN THE NORTHEAST, CENTRAL ANDSOUTH EASTERN AREA OF CHINA.LEAVING THE WESTERN FRONTIERREMARKABLY OPEN.

The Western Frontier of China, specificallythe north-western region of Yunnan province,

has piqued my curiosity and captured myheart. Sparsely populated and geographicallyisolated because of the demanding terrain,this Eastern Tibetan region is rich in culturalheritage and ethnic minorities. It is also wherewe, as a team of The North Face athletes, startour journey of the Tea and Horse Trail.

For more than 1000 years, this trading routeconnected west and southwest China withIndia via Tibet and Burma. Goods, people andideas flowed both ways, starting in the TangDynasty (AD 618-907) and reaching a climaxduring the Second World War, just a fewyears before the trails demise in the 1950s. Itrivaled the Silk Road in terms of its historicalimportance to Chinas communications withthe outside world.

Guided only by GPS waypoints, in sevendays we are stringing together bits and piecesof footpaths, herding trails and painfully cross country travel, covering 300kmfrom Dali to Zhongdian. Our route takes usover high mountain passes, through valleys,skirting deep gorges, only to then climb thenext mountain pass.

Trail running?

Unfortunately at this very moment, we arecaught in thorn bushes. Our GPS annoyinglystates that we are on the trail, and the nextwaypoint is directing us 1600 meters up a thickmesh of thorn bushes. This is not the first orthe last time we will pick our way throughthorn bushes, forest draped in thick spiderwebs, scrambling up and down steep mountainsides, where seemingly no trail exists. The onlypositive reinforcement being our GPS statingwe are dead on the trail. Even now, many dayson, the small thorns embedded in my palm area constant reminder of days on the trail andrepresentative of the unfolding journey. Thecuts on my legs are healed, the scratches on myarms no longer visible. But its the small thornsembedded in my palm that itch and itch.

Trail running in China is a rude awakeningfor an ultra running American. Lulled into an

almost comatose state when it comes to routefinding, Westerners are generally accustomedto a lavish amount of information regardingtrails. Maps, books, and websites are full ofroute descriptions. Trails are signed. Exceptfor Hong Kong, this kind of information is notavailable in China. Maps showing terrain andtrails are illegal and having so much as a handdrawn map, especially in the sensitive Tibetanregion, is reason for imprisonment.

Local knowledge of how to move fromone village to the next, the best route over amountain pass, the most efficient way througha valley, is handed down from generation togeneration. This tacit knowledge has neverbeen documented or mapped. Even with GPSwaypoints the route changes on a seasonalbasis. Although some parts of the old trailare well preserved, we find some sections tobe particularly challenging. The footpathsshift based upon rain and snow run-off, thedirection a pack of mules or a herd of goats hasascended or descended over a pass.

Our source of knowledge of this region>>

M

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sprung from a chance relationship forgedwith one of the foremost experts on the Teaand Horse route. Over a year ago when Istarted researching this exploration run, Icame across Ed Jocelyn, an Australian-bornEnglishman who has lived in China since 1997.The stars had somehow aligned to facilitate

our introduction. Me, an exploration runnerlooking to map a course through the ruggedterrain of the mountainous region of westernYunnan/ Eastern Tibet; Ed, a well-respectedChina historian looking to preserve thisancient route. Ed is somewhat of an endurancelegend himself, having retraced the steps ofMao Zedongs Red Army in what is historicallyknown as The Long March, a 4000-mile (6500km) journey, which was the material source forhis book The Long March.

Tea for war horses

South-western Yunnan, with its fertile andlush low altitude mountains, is the birthplaceof tea in China. Somewhere around the seventhcentury, Tibetans started developing a tastefor tea. The Tibetan plateau, with an ave rageelevation exceeding 5000meters is unsuitablefor growing much at all, tea included.

Chinese tea seemed to fill a gap in theTibetan diet, especially with the addition ofyak butter and salt. This concoction provided

stimulation and medicinal properties to helpcounter the effects of high altitude living.Around the same time, the Chinese had a needfor war horses to protect their northern borderfrom Mongol invasion. Thus a trade began,Chinese tea for Tibetan war horses. From theseventh century continuing into the twentiethcentury, the Tea and Horse route became amajor trade route between the two regions.

We start our journey due north of the teagrowing region in Yunnan. Because of timeconstraints and a desire to tackle the mostdemanding terrain, our team is focusing ona 300km route from Dali, an ancient tradinghub, to Zhongdian, recently renamed ShangriLa by the Chinese government in an effortto promote tourism in reference to the 1933James Hilton novel, Lost Horizon. The isolatedvillages that dot the valleys and hug the sides ofthe gorges represent high altitude agriculturalzones. To the south is the tea growing region,tobacco in the Dali region, corn through Shaxiand Lijiang, hemp plots thriving at 3000 metersnear White Water Terraces, and medicinalherbs in the plateaus around Zhongdian.

Each of these villages represents a differentethnic minority. Because of the roughnessof the terrain, traditionally the tribes in eachvillage rarely mixed, and have remained

isolated for centuries. Many of theseminorities maintain their own traditional

>

Knowledge of how to move from onevillage to the next, the best route overa mountain pass, the most efficient way

through a valley, is handed down fromgeneration to generation.

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The North Face

Tea and Horse

Expedition Team:

Kami Semick:Team Leader,

American runner living in Hong

Kong. 2009 World Champion 100km;

2009 World Trophy Champion 50km;

2010 Vermont 100 mile Champion;

2011 Western States 100 Runner

Up; 2012 Beijing 100km Champion.

2013 Round the Island Champion and

record holder; Winner of numerous

USA National Championship and

Awards.

Nikki Kimball:American Runner

living in Montana. One of the top

100 mile runners in the world; 3

time winner of Western States 100

mile; UTMB Champion; Leadville 100

mile Champion. Winner of numerous

USA National Championship and

Awards.

Xing Ruling:Chinese runner

living in Beijing. 2009 TNF 100

Beijing female Champion; 2010 2nd

Woman TNF 100 Beijing; 2011 2nd

Woman TNF 100 Beijing.

Stone Tsang:Chinese runner

living in Hong Kong. 4 x Overall

Series Champion HKs King Of The

Hills mountain running series ;

1st place Trailwalker 100Km - Hong

Kong; 1st place x 2 and record

holder 65km Round the Island trail

run Hong Kong; 1st place x 4

times and record holder Raleigh

Challenge Wilson Trail 78Km -

Hong Kong; Runner-up Racing the

Planets International Gobi March

250Km China.

Yun Yanqiao:Chinese runner

living in Beijing. 2009, 2010,

2011 Runner up Champion TNF

Beijing 100km; 2009 Singapore TNF

100km Champion.

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dress, customs and food. And, we learn, theirown intestinal bacteria.

Early into our adventure, we landed in a veryisolated village, sweetly named Pear Orchard.This village is primarily reached by boat acrossa lake. Our run took us approximately 70km toa boat launch. Boarding the boat at sunset, theteam was looking forward to the basics of foodand sleep. Our route out the next morning wasover the high mountains that kept this smallvillage in almost perpetual darkness in thewintertime.

Upon reaching the village the generous guesthouse proprietor had laid out a feast. Tired andhungry, we dug in and enjoyed a delicious andvery typical Chinese selection of salted duckeggs, chicken and fish soup complete withheads, claws and fins, a huge array of vegetablesprepared many ways, rice and tea. Thoroughlysatisfied we headed to bed. And then thebacteria multiplied in our gut.

Some were hit by the trots, others by severevomiting. One by one, the soldiers fell. Soearly in the adventure, I wondered if we were

going to be sidelined completely. Fortunately,we had a secret weapon: one of our runners,Stone Tsang, is a trained paramedic. For those

who could go on, we ran to the next villagewhere we were able to buy an IV kit and severalbags of saline. Unfortunately, for our patients,the IV needle itself was more like a toothpick,something from the 1950s.Through screams ofanguish, not from the gut but from the largeneedle, Stone patiently rehydrated those whowere worst off, and got them back on their feetin 24 hours.

Mans best friend?

Dogs are a rare companion in China. As onemoves easterly across China toward the PacificOcean, dog is more likely to be on the menuthan viewed as a companion. But in EasternTibet dogs are used to guard precious herds ofyak, sheep, and a bison/yak hybrid that dot thismountainous area. To the invading ultrarunnerpassing through these high altitude pastures,they signify a true threat. Their instinct is tokill, and differentiating between the once in alifetime runner versus a wolf or a thief, is not adistinction these dogs stop to ponder.

We heard her screams before we heard the

barks. One of my team mates had slowed herpace to eat as the team moved across a highpasture. The dogs seemingly came out of

nowhere. Three had her surrounded. Workingas a pack, they systematically each went in, jawssnapping closer and closer as she screamed andswung with her hydration pack. When attackedlike this the only response is to fight back.

Armed with sticks and rocks the teamsprinted back to fight off the dogs. Fortunately,the herder was also alerted by the commotionand sprinted across the pasture to call off thepack. Through this far too close of a call, wewere reminded to run together. These wouldntbe the last dogs we had to fend off, but weadapted. Heading across any high pasture withsigns of herding, or through any village, weformed ourselves into a well armed gang. Stickswere gathered, measured and tested, rocksweighted to balance runability with heft. Theteam would group together, someone faced ineach direction ready to defend as we descendedinto enemy territory.

Finding Shangri-la

Our final challenge presented itself in thelast miles over a 4500 foot pass that would

drop us into our Shangri-la. Skies in theearly days of the journey had been blue andbright. Ominously the weather forecast had


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Two trail runs in a spectacular alpine landscape

8km and 14km on mountain trails Open to runners of all abilities

2-day, 2-stage, navigational adventure race

Teams of 4 racing together

Kayaking, Trail Running, Mountain Biking(Kayaks and support available for interstate teams)

15-16 FEBRUARY 2014 FALLS CREEK, VICTORIA

www.MountainRaid.com.auBrought to you by the same folks who organise The Salomon Trail Running Series and The Surf Coast Century. We love trails too!

predicted a change in weather, bringing coldtemperatures and rain at 2500 meters. Witha 4500-meter pass to navigate in the middleof the wilderness with no real outs, we had tomake a call.

Go up or wait it out. Being the team leader,I decided we would have to go up and at leasthave a look. Although a 5-6 hour run/climbto the start of the pass, the thinking was wewould see how it looked, and retrace our stepsif necessary. The ascent up the south side waspleasant enough, despite being a bit dampand cold. Majestically, autumn had swung hermagic wand, changing the foliage from greento gold, rust and red. With everyone in goodspirits, we decided to complete the full lengthof the pass, and drop down onto the north side.

Instantaneously, once at the high point ofapproximately 4500 meters, the pass conditionschanged dramatically. Wind, freezing rain/hailat times and a complete white out greeted us onthe north side. Navigating the ridgeline on slicksnow with running shoes and a no fall zone, theteam worked together for two plus hours to move

to a safe point. Our objective was to navigate tothe top of a scree slope where we would dropsteeply out of the wind and fog into a valley, and

then eventually to our road out. Except we didnthave everyone with us. At the key point wherewe started running down the steep scree slopeto catch a barely visible trail to the west, one ofthe team members bent down to tie his shoe. Atthat exact moment, the fog moved in droppingvisibility to zero. Once the fog lifted, he foundhimself alone, not a trace of the team in sight.

The safety whistles on the hydration packswork and are highly recommended in this typeof situation. As two of us stayed in place, twowent back to find the lost runner. Forty-fivecold and terrifying minutes later, three runnersemerged from the fog.

Running into the new Shangri-la - theold Zhongdian - 300 km from our start,approximately 15,000 meters of ascent later,our bodies displayed a collective story tellingof our journey: all with hundreds of smallcuts on arms and legs, some modifying theirstride to compensate for overused muscles,others forced to pause because of the intestinaltravelers we carried with us, and anothercatching a sleep at GPS waypoint checks.Enriched by the journey, but glad to be done,

we made our way to the town center, and thenoff to the three constants along the trail: a coldshower, warm food, and a hard bed.


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painpain

afterafter

Is trail running inextricably linked to deprivation? Can dirt,sweat (and potentially blood) mix with whitewashed linen

and massage oil? We assign our intrepid correspondentTegyn Angelto find out on a trail running mission based

from a resort. Yes.A resort.

WORDS + IMAGES: Tegyn Angel / www.wildplans.comPleasurePleasure56 57

FEATURETRAIL LUXE


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...THE AUTHORITIES TELL US, IS ADIRTY SPORT. SO MUCH SO THATWHEN WE RAVE TO OUR FRIENDS ANDFAMILY ABOUT A RACE, HOW FILTHYAND ROUGH IT WAS RANKS UP THEREWITH DISTANCE, ELEVATION, TIMEAND ATTRITION RATE AS ONE OF THEMORE IMPORTANT DETAILS. A GOODYEAR IN AUSTRALIAS CULT RACE, THE

GOW GREAT OCEAN WALK , ISDETERMINED BY HOW MUDDY IT IS.

Sure, the soft focus on Salomons Knights inWhite try pretty hard to make the sport seemshiny and glamorous, but videos and postsof the pros getting pummeled and lookingbedraggled attract more than their fair share ofattention. Footage of Kilian getting slammedby Mount Kinabalu or a half-frozen EmilieForsberg dragging her way up a mountain inthe sleet makes us smile. Part of it is a sensethat their suffering makes it more human.Bigger than that though, we want to be there.On the off chance running epic distancesthrough rugged mountains or intense heatwasnt enough, a drenching rain, blizzard orsand storm is sure to make the punters happy.

Personally, I feel most alive when Imbombing a loose technical trail, throwing uprocks and trying to avoid breaking my neckon a stray stick, racing the weather and my

lung capacity. Going for a run in the rain orfreezing cold always feels a little more edgy.I hate the heat and humidity, but swimming

through my own body-shaped pool of sweaton a tropical run makes me feel that little bittougher than I do on a bellbird 25-degree day.This appreciation of extremes and challengingconditions is part of what defines trail runningand distinguishes it from road running.

But heres the glossed over postscript: no onesaid anything about staying out in the ice andslush once the run is over. Yes, its actually okay

to go and warm up, take a hot shower, meltinto the safety of a comfortable loungeroom,treat yourself with some fine food and wine.Reward is part of the balance equation, isnt it?

There is an apparent dichotomy: smashingyourself on the trails and relaxing in luxurious,pampered comfort. They almost seemantagonistic, as if from different worlds. Surelytheres nothing stopping us from replacingthe kilograms we lost to dehydration with afine shiraz? Whats to stop us working on ourcramped muscles passively, while lying on aheated massage bed? I s there some unwrittenlaw decreeing that words like pamperand luxury should be expunged from thevocabulary of trail runners, except wherewriting-off road runners?

There isnt. Get over it.In Ayn Rands epicAtlas Shrugged, the

characters Hank Rearden and Dagny Taggartare portrayed as champions of the highestideals of humanity. I n one scene Rearden

and Taggart attend an extravagant salnparty and are juxtaposed with the rest of theguests, portrayed as aimless and incongruent

moochers. The two are discussing whythey so often loathe the parties they attend.Parties Taggart suggests, are intended to becelebrations, and celebrations should be onlyfor those who have something to celebrate.She closes by musing that Perhaps were theonly ones who were meant to enjoy them.Condemning the senselessness of throwing aparty for its own sake.

While itd be ridiculous of me to be as hard-line as Rand and suggest that celebrations andindulgence should be reserved only for thosewhove slogged out a hard session or earnedit, theres no doubt in my mind whatsoeverthat as trail- and ultra-runners we bloody welldeserve an occasional bit of luxury. Far fromfeeling guilty or ill-at-ease for enjoying the finerthings in life, Id argue that we should dismissthis sense of conflict as ridiculous.

Trail running continues to experiencemassive growth, not only in Australia butinternational ly. While its still nowherenear the popularity of road running, a studypublished by the American Trail RunningAssociation reported that between 2000 and2012, the number of US trail races rose from450 to 2667 and race participation jumped from90,105 to 326,098. As the race calendar getsmore crowded, both with the more traditionalultra distance events and a newer breed ofshort, sharp, fast events, brands like The North

Face, Brooks, Salomon and New Balancehelp to bring the sport to a wider audience>>

TRAIL RUNNING...

smashing

yourself on thetrails and relaxingin luxurious,

pampered comfort.

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TRAIL LUXEFEATURE FEATURETRAIL LUXE


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by sponsoring events, media campaigns andcharismatic champions.

With an increase in participation comesa widening of the participant demographic.No longer a cult of eccentricity and a subtleanti-social outlook, the new breed of socially-networked trail runner spends almost as

much time praising their warm and inspiringcommunities as they do discussing shoes andtraining strategies. People from all walks oflife, from hand-to-mouth running-bums towhite-collar professionals in Mercedes areflocking to races around the world.

In what may be one of the only benefitsof climate change, ski seasons seem to beshortening almost as rapidly as trail runningis growing. As mountain resorts lose winterrevenue their focus shifts to increasing theprofitability of their green seasons. Alpineresorts like Novotels Lake CrackenbackResort and Spa are perfectly positioned totake advantage of trail runnings growth. Byleveraging their existing accommodation,catering, transport and marketinginfrastructure, mountain resorts are beginningto apply the lessons learnt from mountainbiking to trail running. Multi-use trails,

running-specific signage and maps, organisedevents and even training workshops by thepros are starting to pop up around the countryand cater to the needs (and wants) of the fullspectrum of trail runners.

In October, I spent a few nights a LakeCrackenback, in the NSW High Country, andtook part in the first of Hanny Alston (Find

Your Feet Coaching) and Brendan Davies (UPCoaching) Trail Running Camps to be held atthe resort.

Hidden from the Alpine Way, driving downthe private road felt like passing into anotherworld. The steep Alps stare up at you from thelakes surface and beg an opportunity to beat youinto submission. The Thredbo river winds itsway through the property and offers some fast,flowing riverside single track. It will soon reachall the way to Thredbo, offering some awesomeopportunities for long runs into the high country.

The Resorts spa beckons weary legs whilethe fine dining restaurant and caf bothserve a great feed, perfect for recovery andrehydration after a hard day on the hoof. Theaccommodation is well appointed and mostapartments would easily fit a family group.What Crackenback is doing here is in keepingwith what other alpine resorts around the

world are doing in leveraging their offeringfor the growing green season market. Thisbeautifully pairs the rawness of trail runningwith a bit of sophistication and luxury. To topit off, the resort manager is a long-time runnercurrently training for 2014 The North Face 100and his passion is clearly seen in the programhe is curating and the support he has thrown

behind Hanny and Brendan.As an outdoor guide and instructor, people

often tell me how much they hate cities andurban spaces. I n a former suit-and-office-bound life I regularly had people look at medumbfounded when I told them I went into thewilderness voluntarily. I think true value liessomewhere in the middle. While the chaos,claustrophobia and crush of humanity foundin cities fosters in us an appreciation of thesimplicity and stillness of our wild places, thehardships, brutality and base indifference ofthe wilderness tends to do the same for ourappreciation of the convenience, comfort andsecurity of modern society.

Trail running is no different. We put inthe hard yards, tolerate adversity and denygratification so we can binge-eat, share a roundwith mates and have a good yarn. If we dontdeserve a party then who the hell does?


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LORDS

OFTH

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JUNG

LELORDS

OFTHE

JUNGLEWORDS:LienChoo

ngLuen

IMAGES:Alexa

nderBeer/www.alexanderbeerphotography.com

62 63

JUNGL E MARATHO NFEATURE FEATUREJUNGL E MARATHO N


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GROUP OF RUNNERS MOTOR ALONG ATA COMFORTABLE PACE WHEN ALL OF ASUDDEN THE TALL BRAZILIAN AHEADHOLDS UP HIS HAND SIGNALING FOR USTO STOP. HE URGENTLY POINTS TO THEGROUND. SLITHERING IN THE GRASSACROSS THE TRAIL IS A MOVING PARADEOF RED, YELLOW AND BLACK: THEMARKINGS OF A HIGHLY VENOMOUSCORAL SNAKE. HAD WE TRODDEN ON I T,IT WOULD LIKELY HAVE SUBJECTED USTO AN INTENSE BITE OF POTENTIALLYFATAL NEUROTOXINS: YET ANOTHERREMINDER OF THE BEAUTY AND

DANGER INHERENT IN THE LUSH SEA OFGREEN SWIMMING WITH LIFE THAT WEHAVE CHOSEN TO RUN THROUGH.

Death threats, elusive jungle trails, malaria-carrying mosquitoes, stingrays, caimans,tarantulas, jaguars, venomous snakes, legionsof stinging and biting insects, debilitating heatand humidity, razor-sharp plants, multipleswamp crossings and endless hills all theseand more give credit to CNN billing the250km UVU Jungle Marathon as The WorldsToughest Race.

Its not like the event hides the fact thatit will be a tough week at the adventureoffice, either. On the official website (www.junglemarathon.com), organisers ask potentialentrants:

Can you cope with temperatures of 40Degrees Celsius? Humidity of 99%?

Primary Jungle with a dense canopy coveringand not a chink of daylight?

Swamp crossings where anacondas lurk?River crossings with caiman and piranhasas companions? Insane elevation, often on

slippery, muddy slopes?Sleeping in deep jungle to the sounds of

jaguar and howler monkeys?Despite it obviously being no luxury cruise,

the event had always been high on my bucketlist. In 2005, after completing the 250km Gobidesert ultra-marathon, I was inspired to see theopposite extreme. Id done the very dry. It wastime to run the very, very wet. As it happened,work and life conspired to keep me from theseething Amazon wilderness for another eightyears.

Set deep in the Amazon forest of north-westBrazil, the format of the event is simple. Shirley

Thompson (a lovely petite lady, but also anincredibly formidable race director who hasbeen doing this for almost 10 years) and herteam are responsible only for marking a trail,providing drinking water at check-points,offering medical coverage and clearing a camp-site every night. Everything else competitorsmust bring along to survive the 6-stage, 7-dayrace: food, clothes (racing and sleeping),medical kit, hammock, jungle knife and otheremergency items.

Ensuring an optimal trade-off meant endlessrounds of packing before we set off withplenty of agonising over the number of powergels and salt tablets to bring along, whetherto jettisoned unimportant and importantequipment and ma

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