🎯 Objective
To complete the Autumn 100 ultramarathon and earn the Centurion buckle, while testing pacing, fuelling, and mindset strategies that could be applied to coaching clients.
🏃 Athlete Profile
- Name: Alexandra Oliver
- Background: Experienced ultra runner and inclusive running coach
- Previous attempt: Timed out on Leg 3, 66 miles in 2024
- Coaching goal: Lead from the front by applying tested strategies to personal performance
🏃♀️ Overall Stats
- Distance: 165.73 km
- Date: 18 October 2025
- Elapsed Time: 27:33:52
- Moving Time: 25:02:26
- Average Pace: 9:59/km
- Average Heart Rate: 130 bpm
- Elevation Gain: 1,566 m
- Perceived Exertion: Max Effort
- Shoes: Altra Lone Peak 7 and Leg 3 Altra Carbon
📍 Race Strategy
- Pacing: Run/walk on flats, walk/run on climbs, hold back early to stay strong late
- Fueling: Real food early (pasta, beans, digestives), PF&H gels and chews later
- Gear: Prioritised comfort over perfection; accepted compromises in sock-shoe combo
- Mindset: Focused, strategic, and emotionally regulated—used music only when needed
💡 Key Insights
- Pain Management: Early discomfort is inevitable; mental boxing and acceptance are crucial
- Fueling Flexibility: Stomach shutdown after mile 50 required improvisation
- Emotional Regulation: Suppressed emotion until finish to conserve energy
- Support Systems: Team NLRC, volunteers, supporters on the course provided essential psychological lift
- Technology Reflection: Garmin sleep feedback post-race was humorous but not helpful—highlighting the need to interpret data with context
📊 Pacing Insights
🔹 Early Legs (KM 1–30)
- Pace hovered between 6:40/km and 7:50/km
- Consistent effort with minimal elevation change
- Strategy: Held back early—smart pacing to preserve energy
🔹 Mid-Race (KM 31–70)
- Pace slowed slightly to 7:30–8:30/km
- Notable spikes (e.g., KM 43 at 18:35/km) reflect aid station stops, elevation and terrain shifts
- Strategy: Gradual slowdown aligns with fueling challenges and night-time onset
🔹 Overnight Stretch (KM 71–110)
- Pace ranged from 8:30/km to 11:00/km
- Several spikes above 13:00/km during climbs and recovery pauses
- Strategy: This was the toughest section—stomach issues, darkness, and mental fatigue
🔹 Final Push (KM 111–165)
- Pace stabilised around 10:00–11:30/km
- Despite fatigue, maintained forward momentum
- Strategy: Emotional regulation and supporters helped to finish strong
❤️ Heart Rate Trends Analytics
- Average HR: 130 bpm across 25 hours of movement
- This suggests excellent aerobic control—you stayed in a sustainable zone
- No major spikes, even during slower segments, which implies fatigue rather than overexertion
- Coaching Insight: Paced by effort, not ego—avoiding spikes and staying sustainable. Textbook ultra discipline
🧠 Coaching Takeaways
- Effort over ego: HR data shows restraint and control, even when pace dropped
- Segment planning works: Early pacing gave room to absorb mid-race challenges
- Recovery pacing matters: Didn’t panic when pace slowed—just kept moving
- Support and mindset are performance tools: The final stretch proves it
🧩 Coaching Applications
- Use real race data and emotional reflections to guide clients through pacing and fueling plans
- Teach adaptive strategies for discomfort and mental fatigue
- Reinforce the value of community and support
- Encourage clients to trust their plan and adjust only when necessary
- Helps athlete interpret post-race metrics with nuance—not just numbers