Take home value...

So after two years of this event (The North Face 100) I now have two silver belt buckles and...
...another toenail that will definitely fall off (its all loose and gooey)!
That'll give you nightmares

TNF2009 - Faster, Stronger, Better

I shaped up to this years North Face 100 with a goal similar to last year - earn the Silver Belt Buckle. This year the feat required the 100km course to be completed in under 14 hrs, an hour quicker than my previous best.

Only 100km to go!

I fronted up once again, sporting new top of the range equipment - $230 shoes (plus a pair of backup runners), $170 9L bag, and a $130 torch (this was really bought for Inward Bound).

The Camelbak M.U.L.E and my new trailrunning shoes
I was also not alone - I met two fellow ANU and IB runners at the registration - Andrew Williams (or AJ) from Bruce Hall, and Elliott Wise from John XXIII College. We stuck together till the first checkpoint talking shop (mostly IB related), I also met a delightful fellow named Matt from Brisbane, a young bloke who won the under 25 category called James, and much to my surprise Beth, a gorgeous girl I met last year.

A crowd of people all ready to hit the road

Just like last year I was stoked to see my mother at the 56km checkpoint where I could top up on supplies (there was also a mandatory equipment check and they asked for an emergency info sheet I didn't have. However never underestimate the guile of an IB coach when it comes to compulsory equipment - we know all the tricks).

Isn't it cute - he's trying to smile (66km checkpoint)

This year I wanted to push myself early and see how long I could keep it up, a tactic that worked admirably - here is a comparison of my times this year and last year.

2008

	Split	Race Time	Split Time	Overall Pos
	13k Narrow Neck	02:08:00	02:08:00
	36k Dunphys	04:41:00	02:33:00
	52k Old Ford Reserve-Out	07:11:00	02:30:00
	66k Katoomba falls Oval	09:25:00	02:14:00
	86k Queen Vic Hospital	13:00:00	03:35:00
	100k Fairmount	15:05:00	02:05:00	37

2009

	Split	Race Time	Split Time	Overall Pos
	17k Narrow Neck	02:11:24	02:11:24	53
	38k Dunphys	04:30:26	02:19:02	42
	54k Old Ford Reserve-In	06:34:23	02:03:57	32
	67k Katoomba falls Oval	08:15:50	01:41:27	25
	89k Queen Vic Hospital	11:20:32	03:04:42	22
	100k Fairmount	13:02:36	01:42:04	21

The course was modified slightly, hence the discrepencies in distance between the checkpoints. Also our positions weren't recorded at each checkpoint in 2008.

I was keen to finish in under 13 hrs and by the last checkpoint it seemed possible. All I will say is I won't die wondering - I ran my little heart out, overtaking one other solo runner and numerous team runners (two people who run 50km each).

Yes - there is actually a running trail in there

Just under a kilometer from the end a lost the ability to navigate stairs and I was relegate to slowly slogging out the hills.

I had to get to the top of that cliff and it is as high as it looks.

Suddenly I stumbled across the green glowsticks that mark the end and I paced the last few steps to fall into the waiting arms of my Mother and her friends for a time of 13hours 2mins - 2 hours faster than last year and once again earning my silver belt buckle. I still can't believe anyone was willing to stand that close to me

Overall I placed 21st and only three of the 32 team runners finished before me. After the race I was unsure if I would run again,

This is the most painful part of the event - my mother looks like she is having too much fun

but of course by Monday I was already analysing how to improve my time for next year!

A more successful, although somewhat creepier, attempt at a smile

Community Ambassador

Megan, Myself, Melanie, and Carmen

ANU has started a new program to seduce rural students with the glamour of a higher education. ANU students can vounteer their time to visit Young, a rural town about three hours inland, and engage with school students.

Yup, we're definitely out in the country now

The idea being that through class participation, tutoring and offering a new perspective on studying and education we will be able to entice more students to tertiary education, and hopefully to ANU. On the 6th and 7th of May I joined fellow Fennerite Megan (arts), ambassador organisor Melanie (law), and Carmen (visual arts, arts, pschology - she's done it all) on our first visit to Hennesy Catholic College

Megan and me at Henessay, ready for our first day at school

and Young High School. I spent the two days helping prosective science students with diseases (yr 12), building model atoms (yr 8), and working through chemical equations (yr 11). Shy at first, even the most unstudious of students were quick boast their knowledge with a miniscule if prompting.

This library is not quite as comprehensive as Chifely, but it does feature TinTin

The evening allowed for the four of us to bond in the local pub before we retired to our cabin at the Young Caravan Park (the same one I stayed in while on tour with the science circus in 2007!). Most importantly I got the double bed, they say it's because I was the only male but I think its because they all think I'm old.

The grass looks awfully green given this so called water crisis.

4 from 4

Fenner continued its art shield dominance in the recent recent Big Night Out. A huge event that is essentially a battle of the bands involving residents from the ANU Halls and Colleges. Seven bands were entered this year, with one from Johns, Burgmann, B&G, Ursies, Bruce, UniLodge, and Fenner Hall. The competition has been running for three years and this year I was able to drop by the venue (Bruce Hall Courtyard) and see Fenner's musicians in action.

Boof and I at the concert

Dubbing themselves 'The Frank Fenner Project' (after our patron), no words could do their performance justice. An idea cooked up last year (by a first year muso and yours truly), it was decided that instead of entering the usual three or four piece band with a couple of guitarists, a drummer, and a singer we would scour the halls for students of ANU's music school - a highly prestigious school that requires a far amount of talent just to be accepted. This year Fenner's band consisted of

two guitrists (Josh and Matt),

a drummer (Luke),

keyboard- for piano and synth bass (Paul), a trumpter and two saxophones (Ax, Morti and I don't know his name),a violinist (Michael), and two vocals (Alex and Michaael).

Shooting out three hit songs; Another Brick in the Wall (Pink Foyd), a Daft Punk song I don't know the name of, and Devil Went Down to Georgia (The Charlie Daniel Band - chosen by the violinist naturally), they wholly engrossed the crowd.

A wholly engrossed crowdInside the wholly engrossed crowd

Another first place has meant that Fenner has now taken first in all four arts event this year - and with our debating team led by two residents on the first and second ANU debating teams we are quietly confident we can make it five.

Matt is actually studying music composition (ie a composer), it just also turns out he is a genius on the guitar