You read this website on this shoe & you would go like... yea this shoe looks pretty good, from the pictures it looks well-cushioned, should be a comfy ride..
You buy the shoe & then try it out... and you go like.. wow, everything on the website is true, except maybe the shoe needs more cushioning man..
Perhaps its me. And my old bones needing some cushioning love..
But damn that 23mm heel sure feel bit thinner than that.. I'm fairly sure it's a combination of me & my chunky self & my running style but perhaps I've been a bit pampered by the likes of HOKAs & maximalist cushioning ..
Yea so be warned if you're a bit like my case.. all the reviews online are stating the cushioning is great etc etc but guess what I did - I replaced the thin Topo shoe insert with a gel insert (bought from shoe shop) + an Ortholite insert (from one of my old Salomon shoes) - just to make it work for myself.
Yea so be warned..
WOULD LOVE FOR TOPO TO LOOK INTO MAXIMALIST SHOES - GIVE THE LIKES OF ALTRA OLYMPUS A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY...
What I do love? The shoe does fit LIKE A GLOVE - absolutely a joy to wear & I'm thrilled to find this, I would say, the PERFECT fit? Roomy toe box + snug secured middle.. very very nice. It is also not 'swimmy' as one review stated (as compared to an Altra - can't testify against that but I do agree wrt the one Altra Lone Peak v1.0 I own)
The profile is simple & straightforward with some comfy lacing going on at the top - fits very well even if I don't wear socks. It is LIGHT as hell. I definitely feel the 3mm drop aiding my gait & to be honest quite a revelation to me, I mean I finally understand all the rage surrounding low drop shoes. (Also shows how much I know about running!)
The outsole has not given me any issues on light trails or road so far. Feels & look moderately grippy but I have not brought it for the super technical trails just yet because of the missing rockplate but I will.. eventually.
So far if that cushioning was perhaps closer to the 26-29mm range I'm sure my feet would absolutely be in heaven. And if it pushed to 30-36mm range I'm sure I would gladly surrender my credit card.
There's another model in the 25mm range actually = Terraventure. More rugged & suited for technical trails. Don't think that extra 3mm & rockplate would suffice for what I'm looking for though - certainly would be an improvement. (Vain note: looks less appealing too colour wise)
Sizing wise - I've bought a US size 9 - fits right for my measurements.
I'm keeping the MT2 as my training shoes for the shorter local neighbourhood runs & park-runs - a shame because I would love to bring them on my longer runs but the missing cushioning that my legs need is holding me back.
What can I say... except that I hope my legs do get stronger and that this review has helped provide further insight into this lesser known Topo which I'm sure will be making a big splash in the coming years.
Tested them in a more technical run recently - held up well, you will feel the missing rockplate on the sharper edges - but overall not too bad.
Essentially you adopt a different running approach when wearing different shoes, ie. probably can't bomb the downhills as you would with maximalist shoes, instead just go with smaller faster gait etc. and you would perhaps avoid sharp edge rocks and hunt for soft grounds more often. And hence once you do that, it ain't too bad.
Another plus with trails, the thinner cushioning you don't feel as much coz you're on soft grounds most of the time. You would feel the impact more once you're back on roads.
Yup. Did the 21k 2 years ago & just getting a bit nostalgic tonight of my fitter days & felt like writing something :)
Overall recollection of the 21k event is... I shat myself, I remember panting a lot .. I recall running this event knowing I would suffer due to lack of training, so yea... make sure you train your elevations! It is a mountain event afterall.
Overall route impression was.. challenging undulations & mixed bag wrt terrain, runnables + single trails + semi-technical to technical.. one would want to ready running through certain sections that have undergrowth covering one's view of the single-trails that are laden with roots & rocks.. going fast along these sections (esp downhill) would require nimble feet, strong ankles (& decent flexible shoes - stiff shoes will likely result in rolling one's ankles)..
Or one could go slow :)
Expectedly this wasn't my best run in my best form. I ran simply to satisfy my trail-running-in-mountain itch :)
Would I recommend the event - absolutely. If you're pretty seasoned trail runner.. this event would make a decent challenge. I heard from friends the marathon distance is sweetly brutal as well. If you've just started to love trail-running, then take it easy on yourself for this one & just soak in the beautiful Baw Baw when you're out there..
Happy running folks! Need to get back on my feet soon.
What can I say... I'm glad I signed up for just 30k because I would've perished if it was any further! While Maroondah Dam is a beautiful location, this event is absolutely brutal of a course with all the uphill & downhill cramped into one big ascent & descent. If you're searching for hurt, this is the one!
Anyway I've been taking it easier with events for the past months as I come full-circle in a way in terms of realising that my body can't keep getting hammered without sufficient time to recover!.. and I feel fortunate to have realise this now before any irreversible injury might have occurred, a few twisted ankles & niggling knee pains are enough reminders..
I will actually be taking a looong vacation soon from running (and that's for another higher reason altogether).. I nominated Maroondah to be the 'last' event and I feel it has been a good choice not just because I've always wanted to do this course, but I felt it would be challenging enough to allow me to push & leave it all out there on the trails.. as such it would be nice to pick up from there again once its time to do so.... :)
This year's course is in fact a brand new one, and having run the old course before as part of my preparation my preference is actually this new course.. straight up & down with all the best bits!
Check out beard-guy's huaraches! Courtesy of Piffles Inc
It's all about hill-training if you're thinking of doing this event, for me what I lacked in preparation was knowing how well my legs would hold up after more than 5k of steep downhill.. and how fast/slow I should be going to enable a more consistent 15k finishing. The race-mentality I brought with me was 'the first 15k is the one you need to worry about, after that it should be easier!'
I was clearly wrong about the last part.
I definitely had insufficient sustained downhill training & whilst I had a great time going fast on the steep downhill from Mt St Leonards, it left my legs with very little once I was back on the flatter sections.. sips of gel + heed kept me going but my legs felt absolutely wrecked. I know better now! Needless to say the last 3 hills near the finishing, small as they are, felt like 3 mountains..
Here are some fun insight notes I have put together regarding the course!
The small creek crossing in the last 5k was god-sent. The battered legs needed some refreshing & it couldn't have come at a better time. It did give me blisters but that was mainly because I got lazy with taping my toes properly. It would've been nice to have a few more creek-crossings along the way!
Here's how my last 5k went:
Last 5k.. in a world of hurt! Courtesy of Trailsplus
I did do a more inspiring jumping shot across the finish! Courtesy of Trailsplus
All in all, I would highly recommend this event to anyone searching for a challenging course.. we were fortunate to have beautiful weather this year, the course would be a different beast if there was rain! Should think about poles if it ever does rain..
Hey its a brief entry but thanks for reading folks, its been a blast! happy running! See you on the trails soon.
The wife first asked me back in April whether we're gonna run the You Yangs & I remember saying I'd run it coz the name sounded funny! ha.. we weren't sure whether we would be ready to tackle our first 50k - I did want us to have our Ultra Initiation together, but the run was just a few days after the wife's scheduled arrival in Melb & it would be in the dead of winter as well. I had doubts, so did she. Maybe 30k then.. that was the unspoken decision we seem to have left it at.. :)
But of course we secretly wanted to start running ultras, few of the fancy trail runs I had lined up for the rest of the year are trail ultras - we def needed to get started (just to qualify!). After having the opportunity to check out the You Yang trails with Gary & friends - the decision was finally made to stop waffling & just do it.. bring on the 50k! (Gary did say he would unfriend us if we didn't so we really had little choice :D)
To be honest - not much thought went into how we were gonna run the 50k.. I was more concerned that I haven't prepared enough thermal sports wear for the wife. If the weather forecast came true, she would've been jumping straight into lashing winter rain & winds during the run, I really did not think any target was necessary - as long as we gave it our best shot?.. (but I know she had secret target of her own!) so my race strategy was pretty simple:
Race objective: Complete within cut-off!
Target pace: Slow & steady!
The day starts with a frozen smile! 730 @ You Yangs
Ran with confidence too with my new UD PB Vest (not bad looking huh? reviews coming!)
felt funny at first (not used to carrying two jugs on my chest heh.. )
Brett Saxon the RD: Are you taking a pic of me?
Everyone was fidgeting to keep warm during race briefing
50k flag off!
0-20k
With the unexpected blue skies, we were off to a slow start - the 50k runners were all forging ahead steadily & we were definitely part of the last few slow-pokes - it was still cold, & we were convinced we'd be keeping our jackets on throughout the run (rookie mistake) that we pinned our bibs on the jacket itself (also we were following the race brief stating that bibs must not be pinned on shorts - such newbies)
And of course I ended up stripping off the jacket (had to repin the bib on my shorts) around 8-10k into the run.. all was good first 20k.
20-30k
Leaving Flinder's peak & leading towards 30k, the poor wife started to have signs of cramps on the quads - she certainly felt frustrated & naturally soldiered on as she always does. I didn't want her to push herself too hard & told her if it was hurting v bad we could always stop. But of course she wouldn't hear of even contemplating a 'DNF' - (it was actually my secret tactic to fire her up kakaka..)
We made it up Flinder's peak the 2nd time with vonsy hobbling & stretching & I was proud of her trying so hard. But with 20k to go - I really did not expect her muscles to hold up all the way & kept asking her to sip on the electrolytes...
Conquering Flinder's the 2nd time but there was much pain behind them smiles!
30-50k
Leaving the aid station at the foothill of Flinders, we had another half-marathon to conquer. If we could sustain a slow but steady pace - we'd still be able to make the cut-off for sure. It was now purely keeping the flow of electrolytes & sugar & carbs into her system going & letting her mental do the rest :)
Along Branding yard going into Saddleback..
It didn't cross our minds at that point there was still the steep climb up Saddleback that was waiting for us.. until we were faced with it:
Saddleback in all its glory
Much to our relief - vonsy seemed to have found a mini 2nd-wind as we left Saddleback & entered gum tree territory.. she was able to stay running & we were slowly picking up pace!
45k mark thereabouts.. breaking new barriers at this point!
she could still smile which was a good sign!
So close now..
Never mind the party's gone home, we're ultra-marathoners now! :D yay
SO WHAT A DAY IT HAS BEEN.
We've literally spent the whole of Sunday just running - how many crazy folks do that except the lovers of ultra-running.. and on that note we've been in the company of such strong runners & it's great to have achieved our first ultra together in their presence.
It excites us as newbies to the ultra-scene but really I'm just happy we've finally done it, we've talked about it for ages & it's just added bonus we're making new friends along the way in a sport we both love, it's a blessing. No other way of putting it :)
Certainly we've got a score to settle improving our 50k time so onward to the next run!!
Thanks for reading folks!
Elevation profile for ye perusal..
ps. Oh yea.. we did anticipate that our poor lil garmin watches would struggle with battery life & so we took turn to record the run - 25k each! But i think if we're gonna get serious bout running ultras, we'll need newwwwwwwwwwww watches.. it's most unfortunate.
Today - the Monday after this run - must be one of the worst Mondays ever.. sore legs, tired & having absolutely zero mood to do work because clearly the heart is still out there in the trails.. :)
I just have to remind myself I have had a fab trail run weekend & if anything the sore legs ARE the reminder! and this blog entry too of course.. a chance to relive it mentally. Having said that the event felt like it went by & ended all too soon - it must've been the weather I suppose, there was hardly any fanfare as runners came back, embraced their supporters, ate sausages & lingered for a bit before leaving, the rain & cold didn't seem to be easing one bit even as we approached high noon..
Which makes this entry all the more important I suppose - I had so many thoughts as I went through the trails - but before I dive into that I should mention a highlight to Macedon was I finally met with Gary! I stumbled upon Gary's blog many months ago when I was researching the local trail events.. fact is not many trail runners keep blogs with sufficient details etc on local events & Gary happen to enjoy documenting them as he does - which is great for newbies to the scene like me. And with him having migrated from S'pore couple of years back it's also great to meet someone with a similar journey :)
Weather - first thing to note is of course Accuweather lied - it was suppose to be cloudy with Sun 9am onwards but of course as I pulled into Macedon National Park it was just foggy & rainy. As the car climbed higher it was windy & misty & it was just pure misery. I was going 'oh boy' every 5 seconds, just relieved that I did bring the Kathmandu jacket & my NB shoes (quick drainage) as option to the Salomon. I would've been thoroughly drenched if I had only the UniQlo jacket (per pic above).
730am Macedon. Wasn't exactly inviting to be honest..
As I stepped out of the car I followed a lady (Beck) whom I thought was heading towards the starting line - she stopped after a while & asked me whether I knew the way to the starting line! :D In the mist it's hard to tell really.. anyway we turned back & followed a few other runners who seem to know where they were going. Me & Beck exchanged our laments on the weather.. (it would be the topic of the day with many other runners!).
Everyone was generally freezing as we lined up for registration & bib collection, the wind was gusty at times but with hardcore trail runners in the mix I had a suspicion everyone was secretly looking forward to the challenge despite shivering in their tights during race briefing :)
As the group approached the starting line, we were actually accompanied by a trumpet playing a memorial war tune - something like this ... No idea where it was coming from but I really loved it, with the misty surroundings & solemn quietness the tune really captured the atmosphere & I told Gary it's like we were marching onto a battlefield!
Here's a great shot by Dandyrunner of the 50k folks setting off.. (Guy in yellow: hey wait I'm still adjusting me straps!! (pic courtesy of dandyrunner)
So off we went.. my target was simple - 1:10 for 10k, 1:20 for next 10k, and 1:30 for the final 10k (having looked at the elevation map) - decided to stay light since aid stations were aplenty - but first time running Macedon & first time trying out new nutrition tabs & electrolytes I really had no idea what was installed for me physically. Was just gonna do my best & have fun regardless - always a good plan not to take races too seriously I suppose!
Elevation for the day..
0-10k
First 5k was gentle trail descend & a steep climb up & down Camel's Hump at 5k point.. generally just checking myself on pace & made sure I didn't push too early. I remember seeing the front runners descending Camel's Hump as I was approaching it - always inspiring to see these guys in action.
50k podium finisher galloping down camel's hump.. (pic courtesy of fstop5)
(pic courtesy of fstop5)
7k - I remember this crazy tough mud hill climb - it must've exhausted many runners. My shoes had very little grip & I had to bash through mini bushes on the side in order to make some progress. A slip on this hill would send us sliding back down (dangerously too) so it was important to have good traction for every step.. and generally we had to take care on every muddy descend.
Out of the muddy hill of 7k..(pic courtesy of Aaron Pyne)
10k - I was on target with few mins buffer, 1:06 - the body had long warmed up & I was loving the rain. It was invigorating. The scenery was mystical & I remember thinking was my mood actually caused by reading Bear Grylls's autobio the night before? heh.. I was reading through chapters on Bear's SAS selection where he dug deep marching through the bogs of Brecon Beacons in lashing rain etc. Descriptions were all too similar (but significantly less extreme I'm sure).
11-20k
13k- several undulating steeps as we approached 13k mark & entering pine trails - I was happy I was relatively sure-footed on the descends - the NB's traction was wearing thin but was still good enough to take on the pine trail conditions.. I went as fast as the shoes could bring me & was happy I caught up with a few runners by then.
huffin & puffin in the pine trails..! (pic courtesy of dandyrunner)
15k - I can't remember clearly but around 15k must've been the start of the ascend up Mount Towrong - the trail was beautiful (check out 1:20 onwards from this video taken by a fellow runner - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151663370879743 )
Descending Mount Towrong was very technical & slippery rocks abound - I had to constantly remind myself not to be over-confident... if any accidents were to happen (touchwood) it'd be here. I tucked the waterbottle once again into my jacket (which reminds me I should've wore my Salomon belt instead) to free up my hands to have max balance & in case I were to slip... it was vital to keep my steps short & nimble.. managed to catch up with few more runners at this point (happy!) - finally at the end of the descend from Mt Towrong was the 19k aid station... I knew the final 10k was mainly uphill all the way so spent bit more time refilling bottle, glugged down water & wolfed downed cakes before setting off again..
Time check... 1:21 for 11-20k.. still on target!
20-30k
20k onwards & towards Zig Zag track it was just mud slopes all the way. The new nutrition I was taking clearly helped (unless the cakes at the aid station had special stuff in them!) - because at some point I decided to stop walking up the mud-hill & just run slowly instead - & it turned out to be easier! strange sounding I know. But it felt great that I was able to call upon my reserves to tackle this mud-hill & my reserves responded... I spent some time with a fellow runner who said "pretty crazy huh?" I replied "thats why we signed up I guess, I'm loving it" :) the 2nd wind was here..
23k - so I capitalised on this 2nd wind & overtook few more runners (secretly very pleased now), I was finally on the trail back to the starting line.. chomped a few more cakes at the aid station with a fellow runner & as I set off I turned & said to him I've got cake stuck in my throat! Takes skill to eat on the run too! The legs were slowly feeling pinched now & I knew I had to take care not to push on too fast.. or the cramps would come. I glugged more electrolyte drink & reminded myself to ration it. I will need them for the final few km..
24k - Garmin beeped.. low batt. "Not again" I thought to myself - just like Rollercoaster it beeped on the 40k mark - it must've been working extra hard detecting satellites with such thick mist the entire run...I told Garmin to "hang in there buddy - I know you can make it" ... I then wondered whether its strange that I'm talking to my watch!
Final 5k - what a slog. I was pushing hard at this point. Kept two runners in front of me in sight & popped in whatever I have left nutrition wise & kept glancing at the watch.. how long is this gonna take? 40mins? 50mins? I knew I could stay under 4hours if I don't stop & stay with the runners. But with every few steps they seem to be going faster & faster. They finally went too fast for me at around the 28k mark..
I bumped into Brett at the final 1.2k junction (I think it was him) & he directed me accordingly. It was more uphill. I swung the arms & pumped the fists to keep going & it was here I felt the calves starting to cramp....... ooooo.. must take it easy. If the calves cramped it would've been game over all too soon.. but don't stop. keep pushing I told myself.
30k - as I slowly jogged out of the woods & into the car-park clearing & back into a short stretch of wood - the end was so near I could smell it (the sausages!) & finally towards the arch - the calves were now pulsating & ready to cramp any moment.. I kept them stretched as I ran towards the finishing & 3:49 mins later.. I was finally done. 1:22 for the final 10k... very happy I have executed to plan.
Drank water, drank coffee, couldn't feel my fingers as I tried to undo my jacket. I was miserable yet happy :D Congratulated the few other runners that came before & after me.. we were soaked to the bone, rain lashing on our faces & we were all smiles. It's the special moment all trail runners share.. and in those moments lives the reason why we do what we do :)
I had to stretch my calves repeatedly & I couldn't really linger too long... the body was starting to freeze now that I've stopped moving, but as I hobbled to the car to get changed I still had a big beam on the face. I knew this feeling was rarity..
It wasn't so much the run result I think - but the fact that I had a strong run feeling good throughout, thanks to both the nutrition & the abysmal weather which invigorated me - thinking about it now I simply enjoyed every moment of the run! :)
Short clip of the conditions towards the end..
Anyway - a great race by Trails+ highly recommended if you're looking for a good trail challenge. Definitely revisiting Macedon with the wife in the future too.. :) onwards to the next run!
yay wasn't heel striking! :D (pic courtesy of fstop5)
I mean - I expected nice beaches & waters... but not pristine white sand & really blue waters! this wasn't even a remote island in the middle of the pacific. This was not even secluded bay, this was in fact just a local national park.. granted it'd be a bit of hike to get to this particular spot but still ~ point being, the sight was quite unexpected for a popular NP.. I guess that explains why my colleagues all said they loved Wilsons Prom.
Missing the wife as I type this entry up! Anyway behind us you can see the shorter route from Telegraph Saddle towards Sealers Cove was closed due to flood damage in 2011.
In fact the Prom 100 organized by RunningWild is taking place this weekend - it was my intention for us to do our first ultra together during this event but due to planned burning at the park (to minimize bush fire risk) it was subsequently postponed to this 18 May weekend. In fact most of the tracks were closed except for the one we intended to run... lucky us.
THe plan was to run from Telegraph Saddle car park to Telegraph Junction, head east towards Little Waterloo Bay & Refuge Cove until it's time to turn back.
It was mainly this kinda open vehicle track all the way towards Telegraph Junction. Wasn't exactly stimulating but we could at least move fast, plus good hill training on the return route.
Vonsy models the entrance into the sandy tracks towards Little Waterloo Bay from Telegraph Junction.
A beautiful stretch..
Panaroma version.. doesn't quite capture the beauty!
Medical time-out.. both of us had existing blisters that needed some TLC
The Sea! from this point it was another 20mins or so before reaching Little Waterloo Bay
Board walk over watery lands.. we were very close now
The beautiful single-track that finally led us to the blue waters & white sands
Well impressed by the sight... but we didn't linger that long
Leaving the bay, we made way towards Refuge Cove. Some jumping over rocks needed!
Well, we didn't last long after leaving the bay - decided to stop when this huge rock overlooking the bay (in bg) presented itself. We stretched, had a quick bite & took photos before finally U-turning....
The doings of my litter bug wife..
Evidence of big foot!
Captured some videos of the missus in action on the return leg... and the winds were picking up too
SNAKE! my first sighting. gave me a bladdy fright too, coz with tired legs & blurry vision.. I didn't quite see it until I was almost right next to it...
Spent more time doing modelling shots for imaginary trail magazine covers..
Vonsy teo has potential to be trail mag photographer huh?
This particular woodland just needed a few leprechauns
Chocolate break as we sought refuge in the Leprechaun Forest...
watching the eerie branches sway to the high winds.. a bit boliao video this :D
Finallllllllly. Back. Exhausted. Happy.
The girl had plenty left!
I was totally knackered after the run - was doing my best at the final trudge uphill at a decent pace.. the wife was also going strong.
I hope we will be back one day to run as far as Sealers Cove - our adventure brought us as far as Little Waterloo Bay which I think is a good first stab into our appreciation of Wilsons Prom & what it has to offer in terms of trail running.
