I had always wanted to run 48 hours at Herdy’s to make up for running 47 hours in 2021 and missing that one lap mainly down to being totally and utterly spent and delirious enough not to realise how important that one extra lap would have been. I promised myself that I would make right in 2022 but over the year put this on the back burner as I had so many other races to conquer and adventures to have. The biggest one of these adventures was of course the Delirious West 200 miler  ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) and I got to run this event twice in five months due to a COVID postponement, this of course was a double edged sword as the second time was a mere five weeks before Herdys. Unfortunately this was ultimately to be my undoing.

For Delirious 2022 I had put it all on the line, big time, to break sub 70 hours. It was one of those races when you decide that you will do whatever it takes to get the result you aspire to. In this case it was the carrot of a gold buckle which Shaun Kaesler has decided was available for breaking 70 hours. About halfway through the event it was on and I left nothing on the course eventually finishing in 68 hours and change. As well as a gold buckle I ran a 15 hour PB, achieved a fourth place finish but had to pay a serious price,  long term,  which only really showed itself at Hirdy’s in the first night and onwards. We’ll get to that later in the piece but lets start at the beginning and work our way there.

The image above is the runners village all set up just before the start, the calm before the storm. The race starts at 4pm which is good for those runners who find running through the night difficult because you get to the head torch quickly and have company , in this case lots of company, to help you through the witching hours. (2am onwards) I believe this starting time is easier to get to 24 hours compared to a morning start when you hit the night tired and are more likely to drop out.  If you can get through the night in this scenario the run to the 24 hour mark is all daylight and.  in my view,  easier, albeit 24 hours is still 24 hours and funnily enough the number of people who make this milestone doesn’t seem to vary greatly.

Shaun Kaesler is always thinking up new ideas to spice up events and this year there was Viking drummers who joined us in a Viking Clap before the first lap. All 266 entrants clapping along with the drums, it made for an invigorating and unforgettable start, albeit towards the end the runners were flagging, we’re no known for our upper body strength. So off we all went for lap one, 266 runners of which 265 would DNF and Phil Gore would win.

Only myself , Adam and Rob had entered this year. My performance last year inspired a lot of the boys not to enter, not sure if that was the state I was in towards the end or they just didn’t want to race this event. ? Rob had entered a year previous but was now on a struct training regime with Matt Smith so was only allowed to run 42km. He is very anal when it comes to his training , and most things actually, so did his 6 laps and then a few extra kilometers to get his 42km before disappearing off home for a shower. He did come back and crew for a few hours which helped as the first night was so humid it made thinking difficult !

The image above must have been a few hours in as its daylight but you can see even early on in the event myself and Adam are certainly being tested. You can’t see how humid it was and this just got worse as the night wore on. On the bright side we were finishing in good time so we had the option for a good 10 minute rest in the Wanderer recliner , after fist getting our hydration and nutrition. Backyard tip , get elastic shoelaces, made slipping the trainers off between laps seemless, highly recommend these bad boys. Thank you Phil Gore for the tip and TRC for supplying them. ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ )

If there is ever an image which sums up the first night this is it. Both myself and Adam dripping in sweat, absolutely buggered and both wondering what we have let ourselves in for. The legs had nothing, destroyed by Delirious five weeks earlier,  and the conditions were brutal, really brutal. Perth is normally a dry heat so when we are struck down with high humidity we aren’t prepared and boy do we suffer.  The only saving grace was it wasn’t that cold in the evening albeit you could feel a chill once you stopped running as started to sweat a river. Listen people,  backyard ultras are brutal events when you are behind the eight ball, brutal. I love the quote from Gary Cantrell ( Lazarus Lake)  the inventor of the format,  he summed it up beautifully when he said ‘backyard ultras are easy until they ain’t. ‘ Worryingly this one started hard.

Myself and Adam soldered on though the night, I think that’s the best way to describe it. We both made cut off easily enough and that gave us a good ten minutes to whine to each other about how hard this was and why did we ever think this was a good idea so soon after Delirious. In our defence all Delirious runners were struggling and,  together with Veronika,  we were the last three standing and the only three three to make it through the night.  Finely the sun did poke its head over the horizon and suddenly the world was a better place. I’ve always said if you can get to sunrise you’ll find another 6-8 hours without really trying, the sunlight just makes it happen. This proved to be the case and all of a sudden I had my second wind. Unfortunately Adam and Veronika weren’t so lucky and still found the going tough. They decided to pull the pin together on lap 18, a bloody ripper of an effort given what had gone before.  Alone with my thoughts it was on with the After Shokz headphones and time to grind out the laps. What a difference the light made and I soon found myself finishing around the 41 minute mark, giving me plenty of time to recuperate, hydrate and get some nutrition in me, the world was a better place.

The first goal in a backyard ultra for me is the 24 hour mark. In the four previous backyard ultras I have run I have always made 24 hours, minimum. Once Adam dropped out I cruised to this goal feeling pretty good, a complete contrast to the first few hours of the event where I was struggling, big time.  This is ultra running, there are good times and there are bad times. A good runner understands both and adapts accordingly. These are the things Rob Donkersloot has taught me and if you are keen to improve as an ultra runner I highly recommend you get in touch with him. ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) Mention my name and he’ll charge you full price.

3pm Saturday , the 24 hour club, 100 miles, albeit you had to complete the lap. All the runners did and then quite a few dropped out. Two of my favourite runners where in that group, Jen Millum and Margie Hadley.  Both experienced nutritional issues throughout the race and in an ultra , eventually,  when the fuel runs out the engine stops. Both these ladies would have gone on to bigger totals and deserved so much more but this event is brutal, I’m sure I’ve mentioned that a few times and any issue, no matter how small, can be a race finisher. With nutrition it really is a black art, sometimes you can eat anything and all is good other races your stomach just doesn’t play ball and over time this is compounded until you have to withdraw. No amount of training can account for nutrition or hydration deficiencies on the day, you will eventually stop.  I’m confident both ladies will be back stronger at Birdy’s in August.

The second night and my lap times started to increase due to a combination of the dark and fatigue. I found myself running alone while the rest of the runners had either paired up or split into run/walk strategies where I would pass them and then they’d do the same to me before they’d walk again and I’d go past them , you get the picture. I sort of always ran, in the broadest sense of the word, so it became a tad annoying when you catch runners only for them to then overtake you before they’d start walking and the whole process repeated. If I was feeling better I would have ran quicker to avoid all contact but I was slowing lap by lap and with hindsight should have probably joined one of the walk/run group, even only for company.

One of the benefit of the night is the last few kilometres of the lap , a trail section through what can only be described as Sleepy Hollow. Incredibly creepy in the dark but beautiful in the light and when the sunsets it becomes inspiring. There was a full moon for the event and I was so looking forward to some serious night time hallucinations on the second evening. Not to be though as it was cloudy so the moon was hidden and for some reason this year I had no hallucinations, albeit I was probably on the cusp at 35 hours, another few would have done it.  No worries, there’s always Birdy’s.  Some runners hallucinate and some don’t , I have had some great visions over the years and they have all been positive, by that I mean not scary, maybe one day that will change? I think its down to what you’re thinking about at the time or just before but don’t quote e on that , I’m not an expert on the subject. Anyhow backyard ultras are great places to enjoy hallucinations due to lack of sleep, think of them as a bonus for running enough laps to make it possible ? Maybe next year I’ll watch ‘the legend of sleepy hollow‘ a few times before the race, should make for an interesting second night ?

The image above is the same location in the daylight, chalk and cheese really. If you get a good sunset it really is a magical place albeit only for the one lap, then it’s back to sleepy hollow mode and you need to look out for headless horseman, with an attitude.

Right as always I have digressed from the race itself. I’m now slowing , around the 30 hour mark and running laps alone with about 7-8 other runners still racing. My crew is doing their best to keep my spirits up but they’re fighting a losing battle. Special mention must go out to Rob Donkersloot who makes several trips to a local 24 hour IGA stores to find me pasta and orange juice and also Michael Hooker who goes home and brings back some wicked homemade soup. I’m not really a soup fan , must to my Wife’s disgust as she is Scottish and they are brought up on the stuff. Michael makes a mean soup though and I may be converted. Also Mark Lommers who is already around at the pointy end and like Rob is a calming influence in the chaos that is a backyard ultra.

The last four laps were a struggle, funny that. My times increased which led to less recovery and eventually more fatigue. On lap 33 my head torch battery gave out and it took me a few minutes to change it. This resulted in me finishing over 58 minutes and change leaving no time for any recovery, straight from the finish chute to the start chute. Mentally I was then done and I knew I was never going to make cut off on lap 35. I struggled around and finished three minutes past the hour, race over.

Thinking back to last year it was at this time the rest of the runners left me and Phil (lap 33 it came down to just the two of us?)  and I was very close to pulling out but was unable to after being left in the assist position. Could I have pulled another 2021 Herdy’s finish put of the fire this year ? I’m not sure ? I was certainly better prepared last year , no Delirious in my legs, and conditions were better , nowhere near as humid.  Also I think mentally I had dropped the ball for this race before I had even started. Somewhere over the last year that one lap I craved had become less important as more and more races were tackled. Ultimately I wasn’t prepared to dig deep enough to get through the last hours of darkness. I’m actually ok with this, you can’t destroy yourself every race, sometimes you need to do enough and this year I did enough. I was on a group chat with Rob and the rest of the Mindful running group after this event and summed this up by stating I’d rather run 10 mediocre races than one 50 lap backyard ultra. This is because for me I love the competing more than achieving your possible best. This is why I don’t cherry pick events and miss others, at my age I have done that racing marathons for many years. Now I just enjoy races where the main goal is to finish or go as long as possible, time is secondary.  It’s more about spending time with like minded people, doing what we love, and for me its the competing now rather than chasing podiums.

So that was it, 34 laps completed and a DNF on lap 35, my first cut off missed which is a positive of sorts. Again I have learnt so much from this experience and will take these new learnings into Birdy’s backyard ultra in August and then the two Adelaide backyard ultras later in the year.  I still love the format and it’s the only one where I can still hope to be near the pointy end , at least for a few more. With other goals ahead of me this year I’m excited about the racing calendar and I still have finding that one lap high on my priority list, at least for this year.

A big kudos to some seriously amazing results over the weekend. Jess Smith grabbing a new Australian Women’s record finishing 41 laps, Chris Martin finishing 39 laps before an ankle injury ended his run, Chetan Sadhana running 49 laps and the third longest of any Australian runner and finally Phil Gore winning his fourth backyard ultra in a row and finishing on 50 laps, one short of the Australian record. I am so excited to watch Phil next year at the World Championships in the States, to see how far he really can go.

Finally a huge thankyou to all the volunteers and staff at Tribe and Trail and Ultra Series WA who put on these events. ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) As I always say us runners have it easy, the real hard work is done by the volunteers and I salute you. Another hugely successful event , thankyou so much. Also Bix hydration for keeping me going ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ), love the Bix range of electrolyte tablets. Fisciocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com/ ) for when the quads were needing some fisciocrem magic, this never fails to deliver and it a must for any distance event. The Running Centre for supplying all my running needs. ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) and finally Squirrel Nut Butter ( https://squirrelsnutbutter.com/ ), you know what this is used for and it works, enough said.

Right, that’s Herdy’s frontyard ultra done and dusted for another year I had to work very hard, as usual, and got what I deserved in terms of distance. With Delirious on the cards again next year I now know what to expect at Herdy’s and will prepare myself better for the challenge. Look out Herdy’s , in 2023 I’m finally running that one lap I need.

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I had a free entry for the inaugural Hysterical Carnage backyard ultra gifted me by Shaun Kaesler, the pied piper of the Ultra Series WA and SA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) . At the time I was on a high from my 47 laps at Herdys frontyard ultra and gladly accepted the chance to go again. Unfortunately in the mean time the Delirious West 200 miler had been moved to October, due to a COVID outbreak, and the Feral Pig 100 miler was two week before Hysterical. Running Hysterical was now going to be a big ask.

The first race of this trifecta was the Delirious West 200 miler in October. I finished this bad boy of a race in 83 hours but more importantly loved nearly every minute of it and recovered quickly. This allowed to me to run the infamous Feral Pig 100 miler five weeks later. Luckily for me the temperature on the day for the Feral was perfect as in the past it had even been shortened due to extreme heat. This year was about as good as it gets and I poled the whole distance finishing in a respectable 27 hours, well respectable for me as I had DNF’d the previous year. Albeit I have unfinished business with the race as they give out buckles for under 26 hour finishers, I will be back in 2022 for my buckle !

Feral is a hard 100 miler, lots of elevation and heat (usually) and the thought of running a backyard ultra two weeks later did not fill me with joy, more trepidation.  Truth be told I had thoughts of quietly ignoring Hysterical, into the too hard basket, but Shaun was not giving up and if you know Shaun you’ll know he’s not one for giving up. He eventually badgered me into booking tickets and before I knew it I was in Adelaide with no2 Daughter Charlotte.

On the plane I was doubting my ability to pull this one off. A 200 miler and a 100 miler in the previous six weeks had left my legs begging for rest but instead I had decided the best thing would be a backyard ultra with thoughts of running deep into the event. Actually Shaun had decided for me, with hindsight. No drama’s, this is what I love and backyard ultra’s are my passion , they give us older runners a platform to compete where normal running events have taken this platform away many years ago.  Backyard ultras , as with longer distance ultra races, are as much mental preparation , and preparation in general, than physical conditioning. Of course you need to be physically ready for the challenge but a strong mental attitude is worth more in the longer distance races, giving us older runners a level playing field.

There was a four man WA team for the event. Myself, Phil Gore (the current Australian record holder for backyard ultras) , Renton Hanson and Cheton Sadhana. We also a great support crew comprising Gemma, Phil’s Wife, and one of the UltraSeries WA most illustrious staff members Emma Luscombe. These two were absolutely bloody awesome by the way. We wanted for nothing and I suspect we all went deep into the competition due to their ability to take us in at the end of each lap,  broken,  and return us to the start line fed, watered and reinvigorated. The WA gazebo was the ‘place to be‘ so to speak and the banter was top level, as well as the tea making skills. Thankyou ladies.

Right the course. It starts with a hill that must be so close to being called a wall,  it’s unreal. I walked it in the dark the night before the race with Charlotte and must admit to being a tad intimidated. Funnily enough on the day it’s actually a relief as you know you can’t run it and it’s a nice relaxed start to the loop while also giving you some elevation, which then leads on to more downhill than up for the rest of the 6.7km loop. After the hill you have a kilometre or two of good running before hitting a road which then leads to another incline where you can walk for about 500 metres. The rest of the loop is all running. These two walks are perfectly timed to break up the course but also allow you to come in with a good amount of time at the village if you feel you need it.  There’s a nice single track in there as well as a swamp , of sorts, and some good running along the river which is scenic enough to let your mind wander while you enjoy the views. All in all I loved the course and it’s faster than Birdy’s backyard (especially this year with all the mud !) but not as fast as Herdy’s Frontyard,  albeit Herdy’s is totally flat and I feel the elevation in Hysterical actually works in your favour breaking up the wear and tear on your leg muscles.  The great course , combined with the perfect weather conditions,  made the whole event about as good as you could wish for.

The first day passed with any major issues. Gemma and Emma looked after myself and the rest of the WA team and we all just enjoyed the event and meeting new people and making new friends. That’s a thing with backyard ultras , no one is in a real hurry and you get to see everybody back at the start every hour. For a social butterfly like myself it is the prefect event, hell you even get time to dance in between eating and drinking.  As this was the inaugural race and with COVID lurking around Australia there wasn’t a massive field so runners soon started to disappear and by 24 hours we were left nine runners. Making 24 hours (100 miles) is the first goal, it’s then 36 hours (150 miles) and finally 48 hours (200 miles). These milestones keep you focused in between dancing, eating and running.

By the time we hit the second night you often found yourself alone with your thoughts and this is one of my favourite times in backyard ultras. You know what you have to do and you just drift away on the course while reconnecting with people in the aid station for 10-15 minutes , every hour. A frantic pit stop involving changing clothes, attending to any injures/niggles , drinking and eating as much as you can stomach, the odd dance and then off you go again, into the abyss alone. It really is a special time in an backyard event, the ‘me time‘ as I call it.  It’s not for everyone of course but for me I crave this time and as much as I’m a ‘people person‘ I can still function with me, myself , I.. so to speak. Hysterical has a wonderful ‘swamp’ section that is short enough to just give you a taste of loneness but not too long as you would feel isolated. Running through sunset and sunrise in the swamp was magical with the added bonus of darkness surrounding you late in the evening and encouraging you to drift away with your thoughts or pod cast / music if you so desire.

The 200 kilometre club, the magnificent seven, we managed to get three of the four WA runners into this select group.

We were blessed with perfect conditions during the event with even some light drizzle on the second day to cool you down. Different conditions are good as they allow you to focus on something other than the constant fatigue that you will be experiencing in these events. In a backyard ultra change is good and also an excuse to change your clothing. This is backyard tip 101, always pack more running attire than you think you will need , you’ll be surprised how good a complete change of clothing makes you feel, certainly good enough for a few more laps and this is all about making those’ few more laps‘.  Around November in Loxton there is the capability to be very hot and I wonder, if this is the case next year,  what that will do for the distances completed, heat is not a backyard ultra runners friend, or any running event truth be told ?

Renton had ran a event PB and was very happy with his effort, as were all of us. He came back and help crew later in the day, team WA. The magnificent seven at 30 laps soon shrank to a all WA trio at 36 laps. Myself, Phil and Cheton managed to reach the next big milestone in a backyard ultra, 150 miles, 36 laps. We were all running comfortable enough but Cheton was having recurring issues with his knee which he had injured per-event. He decided discretion was the better part of valor and pulled the pin at the start of lap 37, mission accomplished.  Cheton is young, very mentally strong and will be a force to be reckoned with in these events. He has the right relaxed attitude you need to be successful at backyard ultras, just go about your business quietly and efficiently. Actually the complete opposite of me, I suppose the are many ways to skin a cat ? ( How many of us have tested that theory and not been caught or done jail time , I wonder?)

So lap 37 and it’s down to me and Phil, Herdy’s frontyard ultra all over again. This time though there were a few other issues to be taken into account. Number one I had my youngest daughter with me and I had promised her we’d go and see Adelaide the next day, I’d also promised her I’d pull the pin 13 hours earlier. To her credit she did say she was ready to forego Adelaide and would let me continue but I did feel a tad guilty dragging her to Loxton so she could sit by herself for three days while I ran around enjoying myself. (I say enjoying myself in the broadest sense of the words?) Number two I was only two weeks from finishing the Feral Pig 100 miler, a brutal, and I mean brutal, 100 miler and as such I had no right to be anywhere near the pointy end of this event. Mentally I reckoned I could pull the pin at 37 laps and finish second , or assist, or run through the night and the outcome would be the same. Basically a backyard ultra with Phil Gore is everybody runs as far as they can and then Phil does one more lap and wins ! Number three it was dark, there was no one around and I faced the prospect of a long, lonely night with hallucinations already kicking in. Would I make a PB, probably not and I was more focused on Herdy’s in March to achieve the one extra lap I needed. Add all of these up and it was time to pull the pin and let Phil run the last lap alone. We discussed this on lap 37 and to mark the last lap wore each others tops, me and Phil have spent a lot of time together and I admire him immensely.  He is a world class athlete with a bright future and anything I can do to help him along the way I will.  Me, I’m just an old bugger who runs a lot, it is fitting that Phil takes the win, his third in 2021.

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