Q&A: Melissa Robertson - Trail Runner

We spoke with Runners Shop athlete, Melissa Robertson, about her next race…

RS: So, we know you’ve been training for something big, what’s your next event?
MR: Sydney Backyard Ultra, starting on Saturday 5th October at St Ives Showground. They are the only event in Australia to offer equal prize money to men and women (That I'm aware of). With $10,000 each on the line for the last Woman standing and the last Man.

RS: Can you tell us what this event involves for those who haven’t heard about backyard ultras?
MR: You run 6.71kms every hour on the hour, so if it takes you 45 minutes to complete the lap, you get 15 minutes to recover, then need to be in the start corral for your next lap. Sounds easy, but it gets hard fast. It works out to 100 miles every 24 hours.

RS: How do you prepare for an event like that?
MR: Lots and lots of running. Have as big a base as possible. The event is less about speed and more about endurance, so I spend a lot of time on my feet running around the Central Coast. I also competed in Ironwood 24hr, a 24hr lap race that takes place up in the Hunter each year. It's 7km and over 300m elevation gain per lap, so it makes for excellent training for the mental toughness side.

RS: Can you tell us about the nutrition you’ll be using during the event?
MR: The first day is easy stuff; baby food, salt or electrolytes, lollies, soft drink and zooper doopers if it's hot. Then as night sets in it'll turn to energy bars, stroopwaffles, energy drinks and finally real food… Fried Rice, Noodles, Satay Chicken, I'll see if someone will cook me bacon and eggs... pretty much normal food, just smaller quantities. And a questionable amount of caffeine, mostly Mocha Shots (Fixx Nutrition).

RS: How many laps are you aiming for?
MR: As many as I need. To give some ideas, the current Australian female record is 51 laps, and the current female world record is 74 laps. I fully expect to go at least 48 laps (200 miles). 

RS: That’s a huge distance! Will you be sleeping at all?
MR: Sort of. I have a lot of experience with 60 second naps. They don't need to be in the race hub, I'm fine to lay down on the course. But any sleep is factored into the hour, so as it gets tough and I need sleep and laps are taking 55 minutes, that's only 5 minutes to recover, get ready for the next lap AND sleep.

RS: Do you have a support crew to help you get through the event?
MR: I have a team who will be crewing me and a friend (Lisa Cahill) who is also entered and hoping to do over 100kms (15 laps). So we share the team. People will be coming and going over the 3 (maybe 4) days. Mostly from the Thursday Hill Repeat crew, some of whom ran this race earlier in the year. People will be coming and going, there's a spreadsheet…

RS: What socks and shoes will you be wearing? Will you change them at all during the event?
MR: Injinji Mini Crew Womens Trail socks (I like both the Trail and Ultra styles, but must be Mini Crew length - and a nice colour. Shoes are Tarkine Trail Devils. I'll also pack my Brooks Ghost 16 as backup.

RS: Do you have any tips for anyone competing in their first backyard ultra?
MR: Don't rush, run your own race. It's not who finishes the lap the fastest, it's who does the most laps. Pace yourself, keep it comfy, you're out there for the long walk.

Thanks for chatting with us Melissa, we’ll be following along form the start line!