November 17, 2024

Sandman 50, the best race you’ve never heard of.

17 November bigkevmatthews@gmail.com 0 Comment

Two weeks post Feral Pig 100 miler I had another chance to pin a bib on my chest and race another ultra. This time with a tad less elevation, well actually no elevation. The concept for this event is simple but so brilliant. You start at 2am at the old Dunsborough boat ramp ( I assume there ‘s a new one somewhere?) and run 25 kilometres along the beach to Bussleton Jetty (Again I assume there’s only one as this is neither old or new?) , turn around and return to the start. As the event is on sand you are at sea level continually, perfect , zero elevation. The website explains the concept ( https://www.alongrunonthebeach.com.au/ ) and the two maps show the simplicity of the event. The race directions are pure brilliance, ‘First 25km , keep the water on your left. Next 25km, keep the water on your right’ To make a good event better the race director schedules the event around the full moon so for 2024 there has been two events, one in February and this one in November. (Next year I think the event is planned for December 5th?) The full moon is the icing on the cake, it gives the event it’s 11 status on the Spinal Tap rating. (When you know, you know.)

So how had the legs recovered from the Feral pig a few weeks earlier ? I took a whole week off running post Feral as I even found walking tough. My quads seized solid towards the end of Feral , just before the 36km death loop, and they took just about a week to recover enough that I could even thinking about running. As you can see from my Strava extract ( You are on Strava right? https://www.strava.com/ ) for the period once my legs did recover I was able to get a few runs in pre-event. Maybe the double days early in the week was a tad over zealous but as my good mate Dave Kennedy says ‘you don’t taper for an ultra‘, not sure there’s any evidence for Dave’s claim?

The red circles indicate races. Feral Pig 100 miler and then the 50k Sandman.

It was good to see so many WA runners embracing this event and especially good to see Matt and Chris at the start line. Chris had also ran Feral two weeks prior and was originally running in a duo but his running partner broke her wrist at Feral so he stepped up for the full event. Matt is an ultra running machine and he’s finished Delirious many times as well as quick Feral times over the years, he’d also ran this event in February this year so would complete the Sandman twice on one year, a rarity due to the timing of the full moon and the congested racing calendar win WA these days.

Myself , Matty and Chris. The usual suspects.. both multiple Delirious finishers and all-round good guys.

Right the race itself went about as good as you can expect when you’ve destroyed your legs two weeks prior running a 100 miler with brutal elevation. Of course the elevation wouldn’t be a problem this time, there was more chance of drowning then blowing out your quads. The hard sand was just that, hard and sand ! It was great for running and I reckon you could have gotten away with road running shoes easily albeit they would need the ability to drain water quickly as there were a number of water crossings. In the end my Altra Lone Peaks and Injinji socks were fit for purpose.

I started with the lead group and worked my way back through the field as relay runners sped past me. This was the only negative with the event , with the relay runners (in a relay of two runners) starting at the same time so you were never sure who you were actually racing. This came back to bite me at the end when two runners I assumed were relay runners pipped me by seconds at the end , when if I knew they were doing the event solo I may (and that’s a big may?) have been able to catch them, turning a 8th place finish overall to a 6th place finish overall and fourth male. ? I’ll mention this to Andrew, maybe different colour bibs? My goal before entering the event was a sub four hour finish and on fresh legs I reckon I can give that a nudge but on cooked legs it is a no-no ! Looking at my splits I maintained the sub 5min/k average until the first aid station but after that it all went south. Halfway I was thinking sub four hours fifteen minutes could be a good time but that soon went out the window too . I managed to finish stronger in the last five kilometres or so and I never blew out completely so overall a B+ effort. Next year the event is early December so if I run Feral (and that’s a big IF?) I’ll be better rested for Sandman. Am I doing it in 2025, hell yeah, this event is pretty special , running on hard sand under a full moon at two in the morning, I mean come on what a concept. This was the tenth time Andrew, the RD, had put on the event and I’m so surprised it doesn’t get more competitors, it really is just ace !

I’ve added images below of the event , mainly from Bianca Harding as I was too busy racing to really stop and look up. This was a mistake and I regret not stopping at least once to immerse myself in my surrounding rather than concentrating on a silly little light bubble infront of me ! The whole point of this race is to lose yourself in the moment, the full moon over your shoulder running on hard sand at 2am is not a place you find yourself often. Rather than chase the runner infront of you just embrace your surroundings. I would regularly pass small stingrays in the shallows , in both directions, and had to be careful not to step on starfish or crabs, I mean how often do you say that after a run.

The moon lightning up one of many groins along the route which normally means getting your feet wet, which as Andrew, the RD, says is all part of the experience. He’s right you know, it’s just fun to run through water with your shoes and socks on, there’s something childish about it. My Altra Lone Peaks were perfect for this and I would barely notice the water a few hundred metres post ‘paddle’. This gave you the confidence to charge through the water with gusto, further enhancing the feeling of being a small child again while splashing in puddles with your new boots.

The image above is the sun rise just starting to think about showing it’s face to the world. This is so good as one way you have the moon over your shoulder and on the way back it’s the sun, genius. This really is the course that just keeps on giving, also did I mention it’s flat and runnable.

The images never do the real thing justice and I really regret now looking at this image not spending more time just standing on the beach looking at the full moon in awe. In 2025 I will be quicker but also reserve so time to breath it all in.

I’ll say it again, this is the best race you have never heard of. If you run in Western Australia you need to enter this event , did I mention the start and end points, Dunsborough and Busselton, are incredible little tourist towns which would justify a visit even without the event, you also have Margaret River an hour or so drive away. One final recommendation Andrew has a book shop , Text and Co. , here you need to be careful. His collection of books are next level and you can easily spend a serious amount of coin on his wares as I found out , I’m just saying. This really is the event that keeps on giving.

Thanks Andrew, what a bloody ripper of a book.

Finally a massive shout out to Vici Richardson returning from a long injury lay off to take out the female win, and also kick my ass by five minutes, being part of the Yelo running crew it also means she buys coffee on Thursday morning. Beautiful trophy. Well done Vici.

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Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.

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/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )

https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.

Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )

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