Today was a big day. A long run day. This was also my second trail running day in my Vibrim Five Finger shoes. The plan was to try and run all the way to the top of the notorious Tip Track, not far from where I live.
Proof of Top of the Tip Track
The Tip Track is about 3.7kms of unrelenting uphill slog on a rough 4 wheel drive track. The gain in elevation is about 446 meters over that distance. It doesn’t sound a lot when you say it like that, but believe me it seems a lot when you are running it.
The goal was to just explore the track in preparation for the upcoming ultra marathon that I have my eye on. So my time up to the top was less than fantastic (just on 40 minutes). What amazed me though was that I ran the whole thing from bottom to the top.
This is known as a challenging walking track. The fact that I ran it is just remarkable (to me anyway). I was expecting to be walking pretty quickly after leaving the road end.
To be fair however – I started with a5km trail run as a warm-up from my place to the bottom of the track. In the ultra race I would have already run about 40kms before encountering the Tip Track. So I’m sure my legs will be a bit more tired and jelly-like in the actual event.
The track diverging just behind my head. The way down is to the left. that section is about as flat as it gets.
I was pretty sore when I got home, but no more than a normal 20km run, so that’s all good. I’m liking running in my ‘fives’, even if I do get wet feet (which I hate).
So next weekend I’m planning on running the Tip Track again (knees willing) and then carrying on further along the route of the ultra marathon to see where it goes.
At some point my body will say ‘enough’ and I’ll have to walk the rest of the way home. But I haven’t reached that point yet. Not bad for a 51 year old little old grey haired man.
A nice gentle uphill section just before the top.
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I used to be obsessed with the tip track - groveling up it on my mountain bike, and racing down it.
The track was a lot rougher back then - jeepers we used to smash ourselves up racing down that bloody track!
Here are a couple of pics from 1996:
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It's not a lot better now hehe.
After the rain we've had it is pretty rough.
I'm back out running on it this weekend (hopefully) in granny gear on the way up and in granddad gear on the way down - praying that my knees last long enough to get to the bottom hehehe
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Robyn would be ptoud of you, well done.
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Get in there!
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That sounds like a challenge. I did a gentle run on relatively flat tracks today, although there were a couple of railway bridges and some small hills. I'm trying to get back into running after a break and I've definitely lost some fitness.
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