If you’re new to Journey to Chamonix, then welcome to my monthly running update! 

Each month I track my progress to my goal of running in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), which I’m hoping to achieve in the next few years. Qualification races, lotteries and a Strava load of training to do first though. For the latest progress read on!

Since last update

It’s all things Surf Coast Century! I’ve just received notification that the event has been postponed from September 11 to October 23. Not ideal but it will give me a little more time to get myself in a better condition and test my gear and nutrition strategies a little more. Plus an extra month will mean a lot more daylight during the run than was expected. Ideal for when I’m getting a little tired, I won’t need to rely on my head torch as much.

You may remember that I started this training block off pretty slow. I was recovering from the Great Ocean Road Marathon and I had been injured and had a chest infection prior to that. I can almost treat those first 4 weeks (getting back up to running a 40 km week) as “base weeks” – building to a comfortable running level. 

I’ve now almost completed my training block and it’s been the best ever! I’ve been able to stay healthy with no injuries, reached my largest training weeks ever and put myself in the best possible position to do well in the Surf Coast Century. I have needed to modify my original plan – no long runs over 2 hours due to restrictions of exercise per day. Regardless, this has been the biggest month of running I have ever done with over 390 km reached! This might not sound like much for some but it’s definitely a milestone for me!

As preparation for the Surf Coast Century, I have also been testing out my food and hydration strategies. I’ve set my watch to beep at 20 min increments and I know for me that I need to take a gel, half a Clif bar or something else at that time to keep my calories up. Below is some of the nutrition options I’ve tried to varying results:

Good – Red bull, blueberry Clif bars, wagon wheels, sour patch kids, peanut butter and jam sandwiches, SiS gels, roasted potatoes in salt, coke, tailwind.

Bad – Cherry flavoured anything & some plant based protein bars  

I’ve also tried salt tablets which went down fine. I have had issues with cramping in the past – hopefully this rectifies things as I do sweat a lot of salt. I need to keep on top of this during the race.

With the Surf Coast Century to be completed shortly, I am continuing to build my 2022 race calendar. I’ve been reviewing events that are scheduled and working out how they may all fit together. Gaining remaining UTMB points, new running goals and race experiences will all contribute to what will form my 2022 Race Schedule.

The week-long UTMB races were also held in August – certainly capping off a big month. This made for a full weekend of TV and streaming last weekend. It was super impressive to watch François D’haene and Courtney Dauwalter win the UTMB. François being the only person to have won the event 4 times and Courtney breaking the women’s record for the full course. The footage was amazing and a little glimpse into the race I am hoping to run in a couple of years time. Now just to get those qualification points.

Thanks for checking in on my progress and all the best with your own workouts and events you’re tackling in September! Check out my Race Schedule for more detail on other events I’m looking to tackle in 2021 and beyond. 

*RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) measures workout intensity (0 easy, 10 max effort)

How have I progressed

• Huge Training block nearing completion for the SCC
• Watched UTMB – tips of course, gear, pacing and inspiration!
• Trialling gear, nutrition and hydration in preparation for the SCC

Stats since last update

• 398.3 km along local paths and tracks