Pet hate: Ultra Running shopping

Things are quickly coming together in the planning of my trip to Scotland for the Cape Wrath Ultra and also to South Africa for my 50th birthday and Comrades. It's not too hard - if you have the money to pay for everything! I googled 'Cape Wrath Ultra' and found a podcast by Ian Corless (also the photographer at the event). https://podtail.com/podcast/talk-ultra/episode-113-cape-wrath-ultra-and-northern-tra/. A bit scarry, but good to hear the experiences of various competitors. And to some extent I now have more quetions than answers...

David Elms and Peter Watson agreed to help me out and chat to me about their experiences. Dave did the ANZAC Ultra in April 2015. INSANE! He was the last competitor to make it in before the cut off. 450km over 7 days. Peter Watson transversed New Zealand's North and South Island in December/January 2016-2017. Crazy stuff. I'm also thinking of contacting Samantha Gash to see if she has some advice for me.

I've spent a bit of time this weekend looking for some of the gear I need for the race. One of the most frustrating things I find with this sport is that you spend ages searching, reading, researching, comparing, and when you FINALLY make a descision on what you want - wait for it - yes, it's SOLD OUT or your size is not available. How often does that happen? Like all the time?! I also can't find a race close to home (aka in AUSTRALIA) that I think will be a good training run around March next year.

So far:
(All prices quoted below are in Australian dollars)

I got a quote for the air travel - about $3,000.

I bought the following and I'm waiting for it to arrive:

• Ultimate Direction AK Mountain Vest 3.0 - Canyon [Size: M] $174.34 (from Wild Earth)
• Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z-Pole Trekking Poles - 110cm - Medium $201.94 (from Wild Earth)
• gloves Outdoors Windproof pink gloves M, $14.82 
• 80L dry bag Red Caribee Expedition Wet Roll Bag $59.90 (from Snowys Outdoor) 
• Fixing your Feet: Injury prevention and Treatments for Athletes - book by John Vonhof $32.20 (from booktopia) 
• 2 pairs of socks Icebreaker hike+ light mini $60.15 (from Snowinn)
• Engo blister patches for shoes $74.60 (from Blister Prevention)
• The Blister Prone Athlete's Guide by Rebecca Rushton $26.65 (from Blister Prevention)

I'm still looking for:

• compass 
• coffee plunger
• thongs
• blister kit
• survival bag (not allowed to take a space blanket)
• skins/shorts to run in

I'm yet to decide what I need with regards to:

• GPS - I have a handheld one, and I'm thinking I may take that, and my Garmin Forerunner 920XT
• GPS charger (no mains power available for the 8 days)
• sleeping map/therma rest (I'm holding off on this one until I have my 80L dry bag to see how big it is!)
• sleeping bag - I have one, but as per the sleeping mat, I'll make a descision on this one later
• waterproof jacket - I have one, but I think I'm going to have to get something better!
• trail running shoes. I never use these as I don't need them here in Cairns. Must buy some and then train in them!
• altimeter

I've got the following gear already:

• warm jacket
• clothes in general
• headtorch
• pillow
• dry bags
• waterproof trousers
• beanie
• mug, spoon, fork
• Book: Walking the Cape Wrath Trail by Iain Harper $24.28 (Fishpond) 
• Book: Scotland Eveywitness Travel $24.99 (QBD bookshop in Cairns Central) 
• towel, toiletries
• first aid kit
• water bottles
• antichafe cream
• earplugs
• string to use as clothesline

Gear I have, but that I may leave and get something when over there:

• knife 
• washing powder
• midgee net

. 

200th parkrun

Plenty planning to do, including checking where there are parkruns while I'm overseas. There is one on Oban, 1hr10min drive from Fort William, the start of the Cape Wrath Ultra.

Did my 200th parkrun with Steve Betesta today. Wore shoes (just in case!) and one of the runners helped out and took Jack for a bit of the run. I was worried he may need to stop and then I would loose my momentum to finish my job as 30 minute pacer.

Steve surprised me with a great hand-made, tailor-made coffee cup. I made the flag ready for photos of any future 200th parkrunners in Cairns. I 'decorated' the cake. Not too flash, but it didn't take long to disappear.

Why a journey to 50?

Anyone that knows me, will no doubt be sick of my 'faviourate' story...

My mother died when she was 48 (ovarian cancer, stroke, dead) and my dad died when he was 52 (heart attack in the middle of the night, dead). So my basic maths, gives me an average age of 50. Hence my decision to celebrate my 50th in style - if I can make it that far - and then count each day after that as a bonus...

After a long, anxious 3-week wait, I finally find out today that my application for 7 weeks of unpaid leave has been approved.

My plan for my 50th birthday at this stage is to do the Cape Wrath Ultra in Scotland in May 2018. On the way back home to Australia, I'll stop in at my sister's place in South Africa, and if I'm still alive, and can still walk, I'll do Comrades. Comrades entries are sold out, but I'm hoping to get an entry.

Once home, I'll do the Three Marathons in Three Days and 64km Kuranda to Port Douglas. Because I always do those!

My training started this week, but my watch battery is flat and I can't find my charger. So roughly, my mileage is:

Monday - home - green arrow - short blue arrow - red arrow - home. Yip. Not too flash. Over 2 hours. Not much mileage!
Tuesday - club training, hills, 13km
Wednesday - runners' clinic, 8km
Thursday - club training, 800m intervals, 12km
Friday - rest

Tomorrow: 200th parkrun, 5km.