Alla Runs

Thank you, GC, we’ll be back 💙

Wishing I could start every morning like that ☺️

Merry Christmas! ☃️

Surfcoast Century 50 - my 4th time running it, and my 9th 50k. 💛
I wasn’t expecting much - the last 6 months weren’t great for me in terms of running, and I wasn’t able to prepare for this race the way I should have, so I decided that I was going to give it my best shot and just enjoy the day.
And that’s exactly what I did! I was running slowly, taking in the views and trying to ignore the pain signals my legs were sending. 😅
The weather was great, the course was amazing as always, and despite being physically unprepared, I was enjoying being out there, running on those beautiful trails and watching the kilometers go by. 10-15-20, up and down, first checkpoint, up and down again, 25-27, second checkpoint, bananas, clif bars and coke 🙏. My legs were getting really tired and sore, but I knew the real race started after the last checkpoint. Ran some more, crawled under the bridge (one of my least favourite bits!), and here it was, the final checkpoint at approximately 37km. More coke, some boiled potatoes (to die for when you’ve run 37km 😂), and go-go-go! The last 15km are always the hardest, and I just pushed through, ran where I could, walked where I couldn’t run, knowing that each step was taking me closer to the finish.
The dreaded 3.5km of beach running (that is supposed to be the easiest part of the course since it’s the only flat bit, but is always the part I struggle with the most, don’t know why), up, up and up some more, try and smile for the photographer, and finally the last couple of kilometers - and there it was, that finish line! 🙌 I may or may not have felt a little emotional crossing it, but hey, I had just run another 50k! ☺️🤪😢
Thank you Rapid Ascent Ultra Running Events for yet another awesome event, thanks to all volunteers for their help and support, thanks Jason for being that friendly face who sent me off at the start and cheered me on at the last checkpoint (I mean, I think “Alla, can’t you run faster?! Come on, I’m hungry!” was cheering me on, right?! 🤣😅), and of course to my kids, my brother and my husband for their messages of support throughout the race. ❤️
One day I’ll be brave enough to run the 100km… 😇

UTA50 2021
Where do I start...
This was my 3rd time running it and I always forget just how brutal this race is. 😬
A little bit of running in the beginning, then lots of climbing up followed by approximately 19km of stairs... Up and down, down and up, and up, and up again. 🥵
Legs on fire, muscles like jelly, cramping and trying to catch my breath - those stairs are relentless.
I wasn’t chasing any PBs since I was underprepared, so my only goal was to finish, but coming to the first checkpoint at 17km finishing didn’t feel guaranteed. 😣
One step at a time, just keep moving, however long it takes, don’t worry about your time - I kept telling myself all that.
The long 6km downhill section from 31 to 37km was a breath of fresh air! I love running downhill and passed quite a few runners on that section. But good things come to an end 😂, and then it was up again. And again. And some more. 💀
The last 41.5km checkpoint, and the finish felt so close yet so far... Those last 9km felt like an eternity. Up, up, and up. The infamous Furber Steps signifying the final kilometer of the race have sucked the life out of me. I stopped far too many times, literally dragging myself up those steps...
It took everything I had to force myself to run into the finish chute and across the finish line! Cold, exhausted, shaking, but happy. 😊 Us runners are a weird bunch. 😉
As always, thanks so much to all the vollies out there, your kind words of support meant the world when I felt like dying. ❤️
To all the fellow runners - so much camaraderie, jokes, mutual support! One runner offered me his pole, another offered to carry me up the Furber steps 😂, one guy said I was the best smelling person he had met on the course 🤣🤦🏻‍♀️, so much cheering, support and the feeling that we’re all in this together! Thank you all. ❤️
Finally, to my wonderful family - I wouldn’t be able to do it without you. You mean the world to me, and I’m so grateful for your love and support! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

runners

What a day and what a race!..
While it wasn’t originally on my radar to run the Surf Coast Century this year, as soon as the restrictions started easing and confirmed it’s going ahead, I jumped right in! 😉 Even though I wasn’t ready, even though the longest I’d run this year was 21k, a couple times. Maybe. 😅🤦🏻‍♀️
But I had to do it - after the year we’ve all had, 2 lockdowns, restrictions, event cancellations, to run a race again seemed almost impossible. 🙌
And lining up on that start line this morning felt a little surreal but also absolutely magical! ☺️
I knew I wasn’t ready. And I decided that no matter what, I was going to enjoy it, enjoy being able to race and celebrate our freedom.
❇️My first fall happened really unexpectedly, only 3km in. One moment I was running, the next I was flying onto the rocky ground. It wasn’t too bad though, so I just kept running.
❇️After about 15km I fell again. Don’t ask me how - I have never before today fallen on the trails, and to fall twice during the same race... Clearly, my legs were asleep. 🤷‍♀️ This time I fell pretty badly, scratching and bruising my palms, knees, the side of my calf, hurting my ankle and somehow making a bloody mess of my thigh (miraculously, the shorts survived!) 🆘 A few runners stopped to help me (thank you! 🤗), but I think I was in a bit of shock. I walked a little and had to sit down as I was feeling kind of dizzy. But it looked worse than what it was so I decided to ignore it and continued running. 🤪
❇️I was feeling surprisingly good, grabbed some boiled potatoes, clif bars and coke (coke! 🙏🥰) from the checkpoints, and started feeling tired only after the last checkpoint (35km).
❇️Reaching the beach (that cursed beach where I was running and crying both times I ran the SCC before), my legs were feeling heavy but my heart was singing. ☺️ I looked at the watch and realised I had a good chance of getting a PB, but you can never be sure when you still have 10km to run.
❇️The last 5km were a struggle, but they always are, aren’t they? 😅
I crossed the finish line with a huge smile and a 47 minute PB. 🌟
Thank you and Sam for making it happen today! ❤️

Enjoying the sunshine ☀️

It’s smoothie time of the year again 🤗

Enjoying my almond latte while having my car serviced 🚗😊

I don’t know who this young lady is and where my baby has gone... 🤷‍♀️😍

So peaceful... 💚

👟 5 and a half weeks 😱
👟 The first and the only 2020 race for me 🙌
👟 The race I did twice before and cried both times 🙈
👟 The race (and the distance) I’m currently not ready for 😅
👟 Gravel, mud, sand and 1186m elevation gain 🤪
Surfcoast Century 50km - let’s do this!!! 💙