THE MILE-HIGH CLUB

“I spend every summer at altitude at Falls Creek in Victoria. I find that there is a small benefit to the altitude training, but you have to make sure that all other variables are controlled. You can’t be sick, you can’t be fatigued from training, you have to make sure that you’re hydrating, and getting ample rest; otherwise you won’t get the benefits from the altitude. I’ve also started using an altitude tent, which I tried when preparing for Berlin. I would sleep at night in the tent at the equivalent of around 9000 feet, over a period of three weeks on, three weeks off. If you treat it with the respect of being at altitude (just because you’re at home, there can’t be any partying or hard working), you can get benefits from it.”

FUELLING UP

“I eat fairly healthily; I make sure I have a really good breakfast, anything from muesli to occasional Fruit Loops with my daughter, plus toast, juice and a coffee. I probably have junk food once a week. When you’re running 200km a week, the idea is to make sure you eat the right foods, but occasionally you have to allow yourself some less healthy foods, because you get the benefit of high fat or sugary foods as a quick and dense source of energy. I might crave a bit of fish and chips when I’m depleted ... every now and then you’ve got to have it as a reward.”

YEARLY REGIME

“My program is periodised around two marathons a year. I’ll do one racing marathon, a city marathon, which is usually around March to May. Then I’ll do a championship marathon, which is in August or September. I’ll start my preparations for that racing marathon around December. We will head to Falls Creek and do a big block of mileage, then come off the mountain and spend February and March just doing some racing. I don’t do a lot over the last two weeks leading into the marathon, because most of the work should have been done in those 14 weeks prior. After the marathon, I’ll spend the next six to eight weeks fully recovering, and then go back to do it all again.”

MIND OVER MATTER

“I treat this as my job. I love what I do, and I enjoy setting challenges for myself. You’re working every day for a short-term goal, but the Olympics only comes around every four years, so that’s my long-term goal. I know that every day counts in making an Olympics, and I don’t think you need much more motivation than realising that if you’re going to spend four years training for an Olympic Games, you want to make sure it counts … It’s a long time to wait for the next one to come around.”

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