March 12, 2024
Finally I can see the end of this race report albeit in my defence it was a long race. Post #4 had me at Cosy Corner aid station at sunrise on Saturday morning, day four on this epic adventure. I grabbed a bacon and egg roll, the staple diet of 200 mile runners it seems, a coffee and changed my clothes and Mark pushed me out of the aid station and onto the beach toward Mutton Beach carpark. This was only a six kilomtere hop on compacted sand with a nice morning breeze to keep the temperature reasonable.
Post Cosy Corner you only have Mutton Beach and Sandpatch to go before the finish, the job is done if you’re feeling halfway decent. I was feeling great with sunrise recharging my batteries, I could smell the finish and my double boot trophy.
I still had a ‘niggle’ behind my left knee, a baker’s cyst not the hamstring I was worried about, but I could still jog along the beach and bumped into my old mate Tex Webster, or he caught me up. I would run with Tex to Sand Patch aid station and also join up with three 100 mile runners, James Brougham, Ben Nielson, James Sawyer and the lead 200 miler female, Kate Jenour. The seven of us ran together coming into Sand Patch , the final aid station.
Conditions were perfect Saturday morning with a cool breeze pushing us along the beach towards the next aid station. Saturday morning was a time to reflect on the journey and also to finally think about the finish less than a marathon away. Compared to the start on Wednesday morning it was chalk and cheese. No incessant sun beating down on you and climbs that made your quads scream, Saturday was cool winds and flat, hard sand with the finish in sight. You start to forget about the trials and tribulations of the previous three days and concentrate on the finish line, sleep and eventually a few beers at the Earl of Spencer.
The previous year I was five hours quicker so had ran the section into Sand Patch from Cosy Corner in the dark and it took an age. I was running with Sarah Dyer and we were chasing Simon Poli, a 100 mile runner. We eventually caught him at Sand Patch and had a beer together before the final ten kilometre stretch to the finish. (It’s tradition to have a beer at Sand Patch before the last ten or so kilometres to the finish, as you can imagine just what you need ! ) It still took a good time but so much easier in daylight, the climbs seem quicker and not as steep and you could enjoy the scenary. Tex was keeping the conversation flowing and I certainly learned a thing or two about polo, the kind you need horses to play.
Coming into Sand patch I had my first real blister of the event and had to let Tex go as I made some running repairs. A blister on my right foot complimented the niggle behind my left knee and made any sort of running awkward and painful. I was thankful I could smell the finish. Running into Sand Patch always seems to take forever and you can’t see the aid station until you are virtually on it, very frustrating as at this point you just want that beer before the final ten kilometre hop (in my case I was nearly hopping!) to the finish.
The final leg from Sand Patch to the finish is a weird section as you hug the coast for so long you think it’s impossible to get to Albany in the ten or so kilometres. Somewhere along the route you eventually take a sharp left turn and you at least head towards the finish. When you eventually do see Albany it looks such a long way off but you know you only have a few kilometres to go, and they take an age trust me !
The last two years I have staggered to the finish mainly due to sleep depravation and having my first sleep stop later at Mount Clare compared to previous years stopping at Mandalay. You make up time initially but over the length of the event I think you suffer, especially on the last day. There’s no ‘sprint finish‘ so to speak. The first couple of years I felt as fresh on day four as day one when I had a few more hours sleep, it’s a balancing act of course. Each runner needs to find their ideal split between time spent sleeping or relaxing at aid stations and time spent running.
I think the year Shane Johnstone set the course record we both had the same moving time, or very close but he beat me by over 24 hours. Basically Shane didn’t stop while I did, a lot it seems, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and on the last day sprinted to the finish. Would I have done anything different, no way. The last two years has been less time sleeping and at aid stations but the legs have suffered towards the end and it has become ‘harder’, funny that. I did say to myself this was the last year I’d race it and I still believe in 2025 I’m going to enjoy it and cruise in on Sunday.
Warwick Crapper was waiting for me , as is tradition, and we ran across the line, beer in hand, together. All that was left to do then was a Daniel Ricciardo ‘shoey‘ with Tex, Simon and Warwick, captured by Susan Ryan. I think I may have started a thing as Shaun then made every runner who finished after me perform a shoey , he then apologised post event as I think it all got a bit out of control. No worries, it’s a thing that me and my crew will keep performing as long as we keep finishing, it’s tradition.
Post shoey it was time to pull out the wanderer recliner from the car and just chill, with another cold beer. It was Saturday morning and the finish line was quiet. We’re cheered in the three 100 mile runners I had ran with earlier in the day and the lead female who was close behind me before it was time to clean ourselves up and what better place than the public showers in Albany. It seems we weren’t the only ones who use these public showers and there was a queue of foreign backpackers stretching down the street. Not sure what they made of me and Mark joining in but ‘when in Rome‘, so to speak. Actually typing this I’m assuming we couldn’t get into our accommodation until early afternoon as I can see no reason to use the public amenities bar it’s a tradition started last year ?
At the award ceremony on Sunday afternoon I grabbed my double boot trophy, a reward for four finishes. This will sit with my double plugger , the trophy for two finishes. The double plugger was special as Jeff Hansen was one of the race directors, Jeff has since left us after a short battle with leukemia. He was a very special individual and there is a plaque and a tree full of shoes in Albany opposite the finish chute, so he can always be part of this event.
After the award ceremony its off to Jeff’s tree where we say a few words for our lost friend and then throw a pair of trainers on the tree. It’s a moving moment and one that will continue moving forward, he was such a driving force of the event and such a genuine great guy, he helped so many people achieve their running dreams often sacrificing his own time for others. Below is an interview I had with Jeff and Heath when I completed Delirious in 2022, happy memories.
My favourite tradition, and us runners have a few as you’ve probably realised reading these posts, is my two pints of Guinness at the Earl of Spencer pub in Albany after the race. Normally over a mouth watering Guinness and beef pie albeit this year, thanks to Veronika, we missed out, arriving late. Lesson learnt for next year , either pre-order or arrive earlier ! The pub is awash with stories from the previous four days and so much laughter as adventures are recounted between competitors , crew and friends. It really is an incredible atmosphere but I never stay past nine o’clock fearing any more Guinness and Shaun Kaesler together , it could end up very, very messy.
Finally, done and dusted Delirious West 2024. Another epic adventure with so many highs and a few lows. Will I run it in 2025 ? Hell yeah, why wouldn’t you, after all it’s tradition, and what do runners love most….
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
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