I was reading some race reports on a trail running forum the other day and it got me reminiscing about the ultras and trail races I have done over the years. I really only have positive feelings about the finishes I have managed but when I got to really breaking it down very few of them have gone well speaking strictly from a performance stand point.

I think it is important to note that one of the things I love about trail running is that, unlike say a marathon, success is not totally tied to the numbers on the clock. A lot of the feelings of success and accomplishment in an ultra running race comes from dealing with adversity, problem solving, and finding a way to get to that finish line.

If I was to analyse my races from a performance stand point though by far my best race was the Australian Alpine Ascent trail marathon in 2022.

The Numbers...

Distance: 42.2kms

Elevation: 1500m +/-

Time: 4hr 34min

Overall place: 17/140

Race Recap...

The race was supposed to be a 50km Ultra consisting of two loops from Charlottes pass up to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko (Australia's highest point). Tragically, the day before whilst doing work on the mountain a helicopter had crashed on the route up to the summit. This meant the organisers had to change the race route to avoid the crash site which reduced the distance to a marathon.

I had run the race two years prior as my first ultra marathon and loved it so much I knew I had to come back. With the prior course knowledge my strategy this time was to use poles on the climbs to save my legs so that I could finish strong with the final 10kms being mostly steady downhill fire trail perfectly suited to some fast running.

I stuck to this plan and resisted the temptation when other runners surged past me on the climbs. Locking in with my poles I focussed on steady climbing saving my legs until reaching the summit for the final time and then proceeding to reel those people in one at a time with a big push to the finish.

Looking back on this race there was a number of things I think that contributed to me feeling like I got the best out of myself on the day.

Takeaway Number 1 - Know the course.

I had run the entire course before and knew what to expect. I have previously blogged about how in another race course changes the night before the race had totally thrown my mindset off before the start line. This time even though the new route and distance where not what I had planned for, having good familiarity with the course meant I was easily able to adapt my plan and go in confident to the race.

Takeaway Number 2 - consistency is key.

consistent training. This race wasn't my goal race for the year and as such I didn't see a massive ramp up in my training leading up to the race. Up to that point I had been running steady consistent miles that my body was well adapted to at the time. This inevitably meant coming in to race day I was both fresh and injury free which allowed me to really get the best out of myself.

Takeaway number 3 - Have a plan and stick to it

I had a plan and I stuck to it. On the final push to the finish line another runner commented as I went past "Look at you go with that second wind". I gave him a smile and a cheers and kept pushing by remember thinking to myself this was not a second wind - I had been saving my legs for this push all along!

Takeaway Number 4 - Smart race selection

I picked a distance I was probably more suited to running at the time. As I have progressed in my trail running journey there is inevitably the push and desire to go longer and longer. I think looking back I could probably have done with running a few more 50k races before I did my first hundred, and probably would have been smart to run a few more 100ks before doing my first miler. Dropping back to a 50K race after having run 2 100k races in the 12 months prior definitely made it easier to attack the distance and push myself through the race both physically and mentally. From a mindset perspective it felt more like I was racing and less like I was just trying to get to the finish.

These are the things that worked well for me and will be at the forefront of my mind as I start to plan what the next 12 months of trail running and races look like for me. I must admit it gets me excited thinking back to a day like that race but most importantly - I still feel like my best race day us yet to come!

Do you have a race day that you felt was your very best? Jump on to the Moretrail online trail running forum and let us hear it!

Check out more from Moretrail

I had never DNF'd a race.... Until I Did! (part 1 of 3)

I thought I was made of something different and had the mental toughness to push myself mentally to any finish line. I was wrong...

I had never DNF'd a race.... Until I Did! (part 2 of 3)

The months leading up to the race did not go to plan.

I had never DNF'd a race.... Until I Did! (part 3 of 3)

Reflecting on my first DNF... and plans for the future.

I had never DNF'd a race... Until I did!! (Part 4 - the final)

Back on the start line... 12 months later!