Introducing your NEW 2019 Surf Coast Century Rookie Ambassador, Jessica Douglas from Forrest in Victoria.
How many 3x World 24HR Elite Solo Mountain Bike Champion’s do you know? If none—then now you know at least one.
Jess holds the same title as x3 Australian 24HR Elite Solo Mountain Bike Champion too. And she is an experienced NCAS Accredited Cycling Coach to-boot.
We got word at the end of last year that Jess was keen to do the Surf Coast Century (without her mountain bike!)
Yes the full 100KM on foot and in a totally different format to what she’s used to! That’s a surefire challenge and worthy of here new title as the official 2019 Surf Coast Century Rookie Ambassador.
We caught up with Jess for a short Q&A last week to hear more about her quest for success in the heady world of ultra marathon running. Thanks for your time Jess and more to come here so watch this space!
First and foremost Jess, why have you chosen to do an ultra marathon when your focus is MTB?
I used to be a boundary umpire for football and always dabbled in a ‘fun run’ or two in my 20’s so there has always been a spark in my soul with running especially trail running. It is the sister sport of mountain biking anyway, I love going long, I love the process of mind and body management so it just made sense.
The Surf Coast Century has been on my back burner since inception, and this is the year I will just make it happen.
How are you going about training for the event? Do you have any specific methods, coaches, or inspiration you can tell us about?
So many ways to get this race done. I like to work on processes first. Cover the show stoppers – injuries, equipment, mental state, nutrition, and hydration strategies etc…and all the while practicing these, I am doing the mileage.
I am hiking, doing hill repeats, running, trail running, core work, fast walking, pole walking and it’s all slow and steady for me. Picking up niggles early. Getting massages. Working on imbalances. Testing out nutrition pre, during and post to get it right.
I love watching videos on YouTube of any ultra runner, from winners to the back of the pack and hearing their story. This helps me with the mindset of, “If he/she can do it, then I can do it!”
Listening to other peoples stories helps gel together my own experiences when I am out training and feel like all my experiences good and bad are totally normal.
Do you have any words of advice for other ladies (and Mums) who may want to tackle the ultra but might be sitting on the fence?
Once you sign up to the Surf Coast Century, you are in. It’s that simple.
Work Backwards. Set the goal and break it down into achievable chunks.
Look at other women who have done it, look up last years finish times and start to visualise the POSSIBILITY, rather than the impossibility of the task.
When I was first learning how to race 24hr mountain bike events I started out by completing smaller events. Once you realise you can finish a 25km race, then it’s just 4 of them in a row!
With aid stations, food, the social aspect, a bit of hiking, a bit of jogging, fast walking…just moving forward until you Finish!
If you get butterflies in your stomach thinking about this, then its time to sign up.
We couldn’t agree more Jess. Sometimes you just have to take the plunge and sign up. As Jess said, you can work backwards from there.
If you’d like more info on the Surf Coast Century then be sure to check out the official website for the 2019 Surf Coast Century.
And thanks for your time Jess 🙂 A lot more to come here!