Ultrarunner fighting Atrial Fibrilation (AF)

This blog has pretty much always been about running ultras, mostly Hardrock. It still is but now it is also about running after AFib. I was forced to miss Hardrock in 2011 due to the onset of AF but my long term goal was to get back to running milers. And hopefully help any other runners with AF who stumble upon this site. I never made it into Hardrock in 2012, or 2013, or 2014. I didn't have a qualifier for 2015. I ran Fatdog in Canada instead. That was tough. I finished my 4th Hardrock in 2016 and now I'm back to try for the magical number 5.

If you want the history of my AF the heart problems all started back on May 25 2011: http://howmanysleeps.blogspot.com/2011/05/out-of-hardrock.html

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Getting nervous

I have had a pretty average week. Coming off a 4 day weekend that allowed some extra mileage I have been run down all week. I skipped my planned run on Wednesday opting for a steady 5km walk instead. No stairs. Struggled on the few runs I did have and took a couple of kilos out of my training pack. Woke up yesterday with a really sore lower calf. Damn. Not sure what caused it but my 3:45hr run at the You Yangs yesterday was really painful. Coupled with the low energy I was getting worried. After a really painful massage yesterday ( I think there are teeth marks in Bengt's table) the leg felt fine this morning. Went for a very easy 10km this morning with W and L. Then backed up for an hour in the Ironbark Basin with T. I felt great. I was flying down the hills, getting big air off the ledges and jamming it in the gullies. I ran all the uphills, even with the weighted pack. I can't remember the last time I ran the big hills out of the Basin. It was the confident booster I needed and reassured me that I was just having a bad week. I even missed Spud running in Poor Mans Comrade I have been so focussed.

This time next week and I will be in the air. Only 27 sleeps.

34 more sleeps

This was a blog update from last weekend but for some reason it never appeared on my blog. I have spoken to my blogmaster and hopefully itis fixed.


I can't believe it is less than 2 weeks now until I fly out. I have
run the Prom100 and TNF100 but have yet to find the time to write reports. Both runs went better than expected. I took an hour off last years time when I won outright. This time I ran a more even and solid pace without the gut busting last 20km. I moved through the field to manage 2nd place behind the new course record run of Chris W. I pulled up with no soreness or ill effects and just had an easy couple of weeks before the next 100. TNF went really well. Finished under 15hours despite loosing about 1/2 an hour to a missed turn near the end. I ran with Brick most the way and felt really strong to the end, actually running up some of the big hill to the Hospital. Again no soreness or injuries. Not even sore toenails that I had upset leading into the Prom and had been worrying me. I had a little fatigue and again took it easy for a couple of weeks. I've been down to Mt Cowley in the Otways and out to the You Yangs to get some hill work in. I've been lugging around my new pack with some weights in it and doing the stairs at work during my tea breaks. I was out the other night after walking the dogs and it pissed down rain. I was out for a couple of hours in the dark (turned my light off) and rain. I was soaked through but felt good. I realised then that I was as ready as I could be. At the turnaround of the 7km climb up Mt Cowley a couple of weeks ago as I started the long downhill trot I had one of those euphoric moments when all was good with the world. It is not just about the race it is definitely also about the journey. There is no doubt that whatever happens in the San Juans I have had a great build up and it has given me an excuse to spend hours doing what I love the most: running out in the bush.