A chat with the Guru

Today:
Distance: nil

Out running yesterday morning, I was heading down off Wanniassa Hills towards Farrer ridge when I runner dressed like it was the middle of winter was coming up the hill towards me. Now, it was a nice autumn morning, around 15 degrees, perfect running conditions. I thought,you must be mad to feel the cold so badly in May. How will you be in July and August?
Then the surprise. I recognised the best long distance runner in Australia at the moment. So we stopped for a chat. In this game, you never let a chance go by. "Phibes" is going great at the moment having ran 228km at Coburg 2 weeks ago in 24 hours having done 120km in the first 12 hours of the run. And just short of 360km last year in 48 hours on the Gold Coast. Just 2 weeks after Coburg 24 hours, he is out on a 30km run rugged up to the hilt in long pants, long sleeved thermal top and beanie ( me dressed in shorts and SFT singlet) acclimatizing to conditions he expects at Western States 100 mile in USA in 5 weeks to time. Weather predicted to be in high 30's. It is also a net downhill run similar to Brindabella Classic only on a bigger scale. He doesn't need too much having won the event last year and with a sub 4 hour at SFT this year.
So we chatted about running and our training methods. If you need to know how to go about it, he is the one to offer very good advice. Basically a big fitness base, don't worry about speed, most people do their long runs too fast, pacing is most important,walking is an important part to a strong finish.
So nothing that 120-140 km per week won't fix, a bit of commitment and motivation, no such thing a junk kilometres, just get out and enjoy the great outdoors.
We could have talked for hours, but both had other things to do, he had another 20km to go and I had another 40km to go. Such a nice day to do it.