By Les Tan/Red Sports
Jeri Collett, 35, on a 70.4km trail run in Cornwall, England. (Photo courtesy of Shawn Balakrishnan)
Jeri Collett, 35, started out in triathlons and progressed to ultra-marathons in 2009. She is one of 35 runners slated to run 100km at the North Face 100 on October 9th. Training for a trail run in relatively flat Singapore is a challenge in itself, Jeri shared. Red Sports caught up with her about her love for trail and endurance running.
When did you start running endurance events?
Jeri Collett: I did my first ultra-marathon event in June 2009. I took a break from running for about five years and started running again at the start of 2009. Prior to that I had done a few long distance triathlons.
What is it about endurance events that you enjoy?
Mainly for the personal challenge. Endurance events make me test my personal limits and push both physical and mental boundaries. Eventually everything distills down to its simplest form – it is a test of your own abilities. There’s no covering up a lack of training if an event is long enough. You have to be completely honest with yourself and no one else can be held accountable.
It is also about your ability to adapt. Even for the most well-prepared runner, there are so many variables that could change your race. It is not just physical ability that gets you through an endurance event. The mental challenges are what make endurance events interesting for me.
Plus, I love food and it just means I can eat a bit more! The nutrition side of things really interests me as well. I experiment with different things on the run to see how it might affect my running. So far I know that peanut butter works for me, and jelly snakes definitely don’t.
What made you take up trail running?
When I got back into running last year, I joined a running club. Most of the races we entered were trail races and that got me hooked. I lived in the UK at the time and the trails offered spectacular view and were very challenging to run on. This made running far more interesting than just pounding the pavement.
Trail runners are a different breed of runner. They tend to just get out there and run for the sheer hell of it, with a big grin on their faces. It was something I’d never experienced before, and something I’d never give up now. Also, people you meet on the trail are always ready with a smile or a greeting.
On a trail, you have to concentrate on your footing and your navigation, as well as remembering to look up and enjoy the views once in a while. Its a multi-sensory challenge compared to road running, and I’ve found it far more enjoyable. Scrambling over rocks, retrieving your shoe from a muddy bog, and having to carry extra weight from your wet shoes after the river crossing are all par for the course in trail running.
In the UK there are as many trail events as there are road races, and there’s no lack of trails of all descriptions, so it was easy to get into it. I relocated back to Singapore five months ago, and finding trails and hills is a challenge in itself!
What is your training regime for the upcoming race?
At the moment I run 5-6 days a week, resting 1 day with active recovery like swimming. I do long back-to-back runs at the weekend on trail surfaces (eg. 40km on Saturday and 30km on Sunday), and about 20km on other days.
I do some hillwork, but given the lack of elevation in Singapore, I end up running up and down flights of stairs in HDB high-rise blocks. Basically, I’m just getting used to spending lots of time on my feet and trying to replicate the course conditions. I’ve never trained for this sort of distance before so only time will tell!
What events did you take part in before this race?
My first ultra was the 2009 Endurance Life Classic Quarter in Cornwall, UK. That was 44 miles (70.4km) on the coastal path, and it was very challenging! After that I did a few more trail races including the Axe Valley Grizzly, but those were all under 40km. I haven’t done another ultra yet so TNF100 will be my second.
What races are you planning for after this one?
My main event this year is the Great North Walk 100s in November. I’ve entered the 100 mile race (171km) and TNF100 was meant to be my warm-up to the event. I hope to qualify for the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc 2011, and the GNW100s will give me the remaining points I need.
Runners (The North Face 100 – Solo 100km Category)
1. Guy Baber (United Kingdom)
2. Andre Blumberg (Germany)
3. Reuben Cheang (Singapore)
4. Terence Chiew (Singapore)
5. Jeri Collett (Singapore)
6. Katja Fink (Switzerland)
7. Tobias Frenz (Germany)
8. Stu Gibson (Australia)
9. Alexander Harkess (South Africa)
10. Ho Ping Kun (Hong Kong)
11. Leow Kah Shin (Singapore)
12. Lew Buang Keng (Singapore)
13. Lim Thong (Singapore)
14. Low Poh Boon (Singapore)
15. Lua Choon Huat (Singapore)
16. Virgilio Madrid (United States)
17. Chris Mak (Hong Kong)
18. Brendan Mason (Australia)
19. Hisao Nishiwaki (Japan)
20. Andy North (United Kingdom)
21. Quek Wee Tong (Singapore)
22. Sam Renouf (United Kingdom)
23. Seah Hong Soon (Singapore)
24. Christian Stauffer (Switzerland)
25. Rahmat Sulaiman (Singapore)
26. Sean Tan Say Huat (Singapore)
27. Paulina Nadia Tanoto (Singapore)
28. Kosaku Terada (Japan)
29. Wee Teck Hian (Singapore)
30. Hisao Yamanaka (Japan)
31. Yeo Joon Kiat (Singapore)
32. Steven Yip (Malaysia)
33. Yong Yuen Cheng (Singapore)
34. Muhammad Sallehan Zainuddin (Singapore)
35. Huiji Zhang (China)
The North Face 100 Participation Lists
50km Duo Open
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