How do you keep the fire burning ?

20 December bigkevmatthews@gmail.com 0 Comment

The image below is one of my all time favorites capturing me running through halfway in the Six Ince Trail Ultra Marathon. It’s at this point , if you’re fast enough and running around the sub four hour pace, you run past the half marathon starters. It just came up in my Facebook feed from seven years ago and that year I ran a three hours forty-nine minutes, good enough for ninth place. Unfortunately that was one of the three years I got lost and I took Zac Jeps the wrong way with the finish line so close. We had ran with Nera Jareb for the first 37 kilometres , to the top of the Escalator hill, where we left her and stepped up the gears. Nera finished in 3:42, for first female, and I’m very confident I could have gone quicker maybe even putting fourth and fifth under pressure. No worries, now it’s a good story and I’ve not been lost since.

Last week I ran the event for the 15th time consecutively. (Only missing 2019 when it was cancelled due to extreme weather temperatures and a fire risk) I reversed the downward trend of finishing times with a run for the ages , again finishing in ninth place albeit this time with a four hour five minutes finishing time. Although the time may have slowed the love for the event and the burning ambition to do well is still there, fifteen years from the first event. Typing this I have that same grin on my face I had in the image below in 2017 and even the images of the first time we ran the event in 2008.

Seven years ago today., December 20th 2017.

I remember the first six inch race I ran in 2009, we had no GPX file of the course and my running mate, Brett Coombes, printed off a map of the Munda Biddi ( https://mundabiddi.org.au/ ) trail and laminated it. It didn’t help, we missed a left turn due to a large tiger snake sunning itself on the corner , startled, we ran right past it and that was it, our race was run. Funnily enough at the time I swore off trail running and ultra running and decided to concentrate on the marathon and shorter distances, road racing, which I did for the next ten or so years but always returning to this event at the end of the year, I was hooked

My first 6 inch, 2009. Back in the day when you only wore Asics, there was nothing else ?

In 2009 there was one aid station at halfway albeit the location has not changed over the years but Dave has added another one at the top of the Escalator Hill and also one around the 43km mark, and the volunteers even refill your water bottles for you. As you can below it’s was a self service offering back in the day.

Self supported aid station, the only one, at halfway.

I have watched the event grow from a fat ass (free entry and self supported) in the early days to a well oiled machine these days with coaches taking the runners to the start , multiple distances and catering at the finish. It’s come a long way from two steaks in the ground and some webbing for a fishing corral . Even before I first grew a beard in 2012 which has never left my chin since, I look like a young child. Believe me at the time Brett and I were over trail running and both looking forward to Comrades in 2010, but that’s another story.

2009, steaks in the ground and webbing for a finishers chute, old school ..

2024 was a stellar year , nine ultra marathons and two marathons while saving the best till last. Running a top ten at the 6 inch was probably one of my best runs in my career, so far, and I am still smiling like a Cheshire cat. If you have time feel free to read the post on the event for background . ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/12/17/sometimes-it-all-comes-together-with-unexpected-results-6-inch-ultra-2024/ ) You’ll understand why it was special

So to the point of this post, finally. How do I keep the fire burning, the drive to continually put myself in the pain box and normally find a way out, be that three or four days into a 200 miler or at the end of a marathon facing the infamous ‘wall’. Why run every day, or even twice a day in all conditions while juggling life, work and other commitments that come with being an adult these days (I say ‘adult’ in the broadest sense of the word of course ?) It’s for runs like last weekend, runs that you thought beyond you, chasing down runners you didn’t think you could chase down and slicing through the pack ahead of you like a hot knife through butter. The second half of the 6 inch ultra was just incredible, picking up the pace and running down so many competitors was intoxicating, with experience this has happened on only a handful of occasions and when it does you need to push on, dig deep and just enjoy the ride, it doesn’t come often.

I would say my finish this year would be up there in the top three of all my fifteen finishes and even getting to the pace of my PB finish in 2012 (3:38) ; that was twelve years ago. That’s how special that race was. Of course it was still bloody hard work but all the planets aligned , and when that happens it makes all the sacrifices worthwhile. It also stokes the fire and all of a sudden a sub three in July at Bibra Lake is on the cards, a Delirious West PB in April or even another Lighthorse Ultra podium (number 6?) , your goals are readjusted.

So what changed ? Post Sandman 50k I had only ran once a day but also joined the local gym and spent 40-50 minutes a day on a Pilates reformer following instructions on a screen. I have also been taking creatine for about a month religiously. It is well know that older runners should cut back on distance and concentrate more on strength training , maybe with a few additives helping the process. As well as creatine I’ll be looking at HMB and Leucine next and will add these to my daily supplement smorgasbord. I have been feeling stronger with the Pilates and not as ‘wiped out’ by running less, maybe all those scientific papers were right, as you age doing less is better than doing more.? Who knew.

I’ll report on progress next year when I add the HMB and Leucine to my list of ‘BK little helpers‘ but am expecting more performance enhancing results albeit I assuming these are all racing legal?

2024, a little older but still as excited about a 6 inch finish as I was 16 years ago.

Another way to keep the fire burning is to surround yourself with like minded people, people who get ‘you‘ but also people who feel the same way, as passionately as you do, about running. Every Thursday I get to spend time with the Yelo crew, 5:30am, and the running is secondary to the banter, coffee and just having a good time with like minded people normally laughing a lot. Yelo time is special and all runners need to find a Yelo in their life. Runners are a pack animals and should seek other like minded runners to make that Sunday long run not feel quite so long. Conversation makes miles disappear , even quicker that Taylor Swift serenading me on my shokz headphones. ( https://shokz.com.au/ ) You haven’t got time to worry about the distance markers when you’re engaged in some quality political or scientific conversations with fellow know-it-all’s albeit these days most arguments can be ended (or started) by google. (normally over the coffee post run) Every group must have a Dr. Jon Pendse (his Doctorate was from Google apparently) who understands (and encourages) all conspiracy theories and is convinced 99% of them are true. (Arguing with Jon can make a Sunday long run either disappear or drag on forever, it’s a fine balancing act. )

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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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Racing

Sometimes it all comes together with unexpected results. 6 inch ultra 2024.

17 December bigkevmatthews@gmail.com 0 Comment

The crew at Mark’s house. Adam, Mark, Veronika, Rob and Myself.

I first ran the 6 inch trail ultramarathon as a ‘fat ass’ (no entry fee and totally self supported albeit I think there was one aid station?) in 2009. Bar one year, 2019, when it was cancelled due to extreme temperatures’ and fire risk, I have ran it every year since. It has morphed from a family weekend away with young kids to a boys weekend due to all the kids growing up and totally not interested in spending time with parents in small Australia towns. Undeterred we’ve embraced the new format and all the boys look forward to the weekend when we all become eighteen year old versions of ourselves without the alcohol.

If you read all the posts on this event you know it’s all about the traditions and we make a big effort to continue them. First is the photo leaving Perth and then a photo outside the Truckers Lounge at the Baldivis service station. The last two years we also ventured into the truckers lounge for another photo. Luckily the lounge has always been empty.

Photo outside the Trucker’s Lounge, tick.

Next is the top of Goldmine Hill photo, tick.

We then scurry to the Forrest Centre in Dwellingup where we book one of the family rooms before a excursion and then dinner. The excursion does change on a yearly basis albeit this year we all went to the Scarpe Pool and had a great time so that may be added to the tradition list for future years. The water was actually quite warm and laying on the hot rocks afterwards was invigorating. Its not often I post images of elderly men topless on my blog so I will apologise in advance if anybody is offended. (Apparently you need to do that these days ? )

The night before there is a talk at the Forrest Centre and a last chance for a bib pickup before the morning of the event. I’ve been on the panel a few times over the years but this year I was going along as a member of the audience until Michael Carroll decided to message Dave he was running late. Always happy to talk about all things running Dave added me to the panel as a stop gap. In the end Michael turned up so the four of us talked about all things running. In the end it was a pretty good panel with Michael grabbing second, Milan fourth, Petra eighth and ninth for me, four of the top nine.

Right after very little sleep , another tradition when you share a room with three other people, we set off to the start line at Goldmine Hill for the 4:30am start. As this event is a Perth summer you need to start as soon as the sun peaks it’s head over the horizon, or in this years case a few minutes prior. (Hence the darker than usual start line photo.) Luckily this year we were blessed with perfect conditions , the days prior to the event we’d seen very hot temperatures but , similar to last year, we got lucky with a dip in temperatures for the Sunday of the race. Not sure how Dave, the Race Director, does it? Another bonus was the local Council had graded the biggest hill of the event, the infamous Escalator, (You know the hill is bad when it gets its own nickname!) It is normally heavily rutted due to four wheel drive damage and unrunable, sometimes only just walkable. This year it retained its steepness but the surface was a lot more forgiving and most runners ran the downhill section, albeit gingerly.

Traditional start photo, in the dark, albeit it’s not normally this dark.

34 finishes between us., Nate is now on 19 and I’m on 15. Hence the numbers.

Right, to the race itself. I had set myself a goal of finishing around the four hours twenty minutes, after a four hour thirty five minute finish the previous year. I was in better form with a lot more racing under my belt in 2024. The only worry was a four hour thirty five minute Sandman 50k four weeks prior after a 100 miler two weeks before that. Had my legs recovered ? In the weeks prior I had ran 10k a day but no more and rather than do a double day went to my local gym and did a Pilates Reformer session and some weights. Would this help or hinder my endurance running ? There really was only one way to find out of course.

As with all races within our local Yelo group there was banter, I assume this is the norm for any group of people doing any sport together, be that running, tennis or non contact tiddly-winks? This year Adam, Andy and I were all thinking around the four hours twenty minutes while Mark was aiming for his first sub four finish , after a good Sydney marathon , and training block, confidence was high. Scotty was just wanting to enjoy it without blowing out too much and Bartsy just wanted to finish, and anything sub six hours would be a bonus. We all had our goals but there was also the added bonus of a ‘ bum tap; if you went past anybody. Rob was doing the half so did not partake in the ‘full marathon’ banter, this also resulted in his exclusion from a number of photos.

Goldmine Hill starts the 6 inch ultra and it is a seriously nasty piece of work. Long and steep when you are not even warmed up is not a good combination for a hill. I’ve said it many times this hill has ruined many a good runners race even before it’s started. You need to start slow and build into it, do not go out too fast and blow up in the first three kilometres. After fourteen previous events I know this hill very well now and have raced it, walked it and jogged it over the years. This year I was going for the jog option but went out quicker than planned trying to keep Mark in view. I also had Andy for company initially but never saw Adam after the start. Scotty and Bartsy took it very easy and dominated the back of the pack, mainly walking, I wouldn’t see either of these two again on the course.

Once I got halfway up Goldmine Hill I decided to try and keep Mark and the sub four bus in view, so picked up the pace ignoring all the alarm bells in my head. My Hoka Mach 2x road shoes felt good and the nylon plate was giving me a little bounce , even though they were well past their sell by date carrying over 500 kilometres in them. I didn’t consider the 6 inch worthy of a new pair as it wasn’t really an A race as such. I was more worried about the shoes letting me down but bar one stumble they performed very well.

I lost sight of Mark and Andrew after Goldmine but kept up the pace and was running 19th at the first aid station and feeling pretty good. The first half is harder than the second in this event so as I quickly refilled my water bottle at aid station one I made up my mind to roll the dice for the second half. I break the race (something I recommend everyone does for all races, smaller achievable goals rather than the complete start and then finish race goal ) down into start to aid station one, about 23km , and then a 15k section to the top of the Escalator Hill before a 9k run to the finish. I was confident in my ability to hold a reasonable pace even if I blew after aid station one so moved through the gears and started to push the heart rate up.

I bumped into my old friend Stephen Stockwell just before aid station one after first recognising his running style before recognising him. Stephen and I go back decades but I’ve not seem him race since the Perth half in 2020, I hardly recognised him with a full beard. He mentioned his daughter was a good way ahead so I set off to catch her, at the time Kathryn probably had ten minutes on me. The half runners start at the bottom of the Conveyor Belt hill and they had started about five minutes before I arrived so I was faced with the back markers initially and then, as I moved through the field, faster runners. This made seeing, catching and passing full marathon runners difficult as all the bibs were different colours (Dave was reusing bibs from previous years?)

Between the first aid station and the escalator was probably my quickest splits. There’s about two kilometres from aid station one to the bottom of the Conveyor Belt hill which is a good climb taking you to the highest part of the course. It’s very runnable if you have something left in the legs and I did. The best bit is after you summit there is a glorious few kilometres of quality downhill to recover. I was now passing the half runners and this kept you on your toes and also gave you a lift as my pace was so much quicker than theirs. I continued to pass runners right up to the top of the escalator, really feeling good. I even managed to pass a few full marathon runners and I was closing in on a top 10 finish (I was 19th at halfway) . The good thing about the escalator is it’s an out and back loop so you get to see your competition on the way in , and on the way out. Of course this works both ways but I was feeling good enough not to worry about runners behind me.

Nearly at the top of the Escalator Hill.

As I scaled the Escalator I bumped into Mark near the top , just after Rob sped past on his way to the bottom at a good pace, Mark didn’t look great and was well behind his sub four hour finish pace. This was noted as I continued to the top where I found Andy playing with his Shokz headphones, again I had not seen either of these guys since the start and now I had two bunnies to chase, which is what I do. I rushed through the aid station , just filling up my water bottle and downing a Bix Gu, I had runners to catch ! I was pumped chasing Mark and Andy, I would have expected both to beat me quite easily when I started, now it was a different story and a couple of good ass-tapping’s ( if you run past a Yelo runner you are obliged to tap their ass, just to let them know you are the better runner, it’s all fair in love and war.) were there for the taking and I would move heaven and earth now, this is why you race!

I was fully charged coming down the now runable Escalator..

The final stage of the 6 inch is a about nine kilometres with one nasty hill about the forty kilometre mark, this one is a kicker and if you’re not prepared, coming so close after the Escalator, can derail you and leave you stumbling to the finish. With experience I know this bad boy is coming and caught Andy walking halfway up the hill (it really should have a name ?) , a quick ‘ass-tap’ and a few words of encouragement and I was on my way, I now had Mark well and truly in my sights. I caught him just before the 42km mark which is a nice right hand turn with a lovely downhill section, this is one of the final markers where I can really start to think about the finish. There is a final aid station around the 43km mark but I never stop here , just cruise past, this then leads to some really good single track where with about 500 metres to go I passed Rob, another ass-tapping, my cup was full !

A sprint to the finish to keep ahead of Rob.

After passing Rob , with the finish line in sight , I sprinted to cross the line with the biggest smile on my face, just over four hours and five minutes, a time I thought beyond me and my fastest finish time since 2018. This one was special, managing to sneaking past Andy, Mark and even Rob was just out of my wildest dreams and finishing with such a good negative split and a top ten finish, I was ninth, was like a dream. Incredible, just incredible, typing this post I’m still smiling like a Cheshire Cat who just won the best smiler competition. All there was to do now was wait for the other runners and get a good finish photo, it is a tradition. The Yelo crew did very well. Andy grabbed 14th overall in 4:13, a massive PB by about forty minutes plus, Adam snagged 19th in 4:21 and Mark finished off the top 20 in 4:28. Four runners in the top twenty, not too shabby.

All that was left to do was get the ‘head in the esky’ photo, a long standing tradition and the boys at the finish line before the final shot of the boys in the finishers shirts. All long standing traditions.

Boys at the finish line traditional shott, we even let Phil in even though he ran the half.

Boys in the finishers shirts bar Bartsy who pulled a hammy and DNF’d at aid station one.

So that’s a wrap for the 6 inch trail ultra 2024 and the racing year. It has been a beauty with nine ultra marathons and two marathons. There have been many highlights but most importantly I’m as excited about 2025 as I have even been about any running year ahead of me. My times and distances are still slowing or decreasing , of course they are, I’ll be 58 in February but the first thing I think of when I wake up is my daily run and what it will entail and normally the last thing at night I’ll start to contemplate tomorrows run. The fire is still burning and I still love what I do and, as I always say, that’s the point.

I can’t wait for 6 inch 2025 and I hope to write a post detailing the event with all the photos and traditions that that will entail, after all, as I ask many times, what else is there ?

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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.

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.

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!

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/ )

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/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

Ultra Marathons

Runners love traditions and the biggest one is 6 inches.

09 December bigkevmatthews@gmail.com 0 Comment

This weekend is the race that I have ran the most in my running career, the infamous 6 inch trail ultra, ( https://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com/ ) 47km of beautiful trails on the ( https://mundabiddi.org.au/ ) Munda Biddi trail, which runs over 1,000km from Kalamunda just outside Perth to Albany. We are truly based in Perth with the Munda Biddi and the Bibulumun track , the running version. ( https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/ ) . I first ran this event in 2008 when it was an fat ass , i.e. no entry fee and you look after yourself. I hadn’t looked at the trail and there was no GPX file available, needless to say I got lost and finished swearing to never run the event again, actually I tried to cancel my Comrades entry for the following year, I was done with ultra running. This seems to be a theme with races that I have either not enjoyed or DNF’d. The 6 inch, Feral and Delirious West are probably my three favourite events where as they all destroyed me the first time I ran them, go figure ?

This year we have Myself, Adam, Mark, Scotty and Bartsy in the full while Rob continues his love affair with the easy option and is entering the three inch. The word on the street is the biggest and meanest hill has been bulldozed , the infamous escalator, which is a real pity as you hit this hill around the 35k mark and it has destroyed many runners over the years including my good mate Michael Kowal, who has never ran tails since. Maybe this is the year for a good time ? Temperatures are looking good at the moment after a very hot period in the middle of the week. Last year we were so lucky with temperatures that would have cancelled the event on the day before and the day after, it looks like we will be lucky again for 2024.

The Escalator , bulldozed ! Such a shame.

This event is special due to it’s proximity to Christmas, it’s a final long run with friends before the madness of the festive period really kicks into gear. The finish line of the 6 inch ultra is a special place to be, everybody has just finished their last race of the year (normally) and it’s a time to either reflect on the year while also looking forward to Christmas and the next challenge in 2025, in my case that’s 24 park Runs in 24 Hours , January 11th. It’s also great to spend time with like minded people and because the event is in Dwellingup, a small rural town (village?) a few hours from Perth most people hang around for lunch afterwards, at the Dwelling pub. (Which does a Chicken Schnitzel bigger than Bartsy!)

The post from last year , 2023.

The 6 Inch trail ultra marathon is one of those races that you keep going back too for a number of reasons. Number one is Dave , the RD, gives you a red spike for 6 finishers ( a trophy for twelve), two is the unique atmosphere of an event so close to Christmas and three is the trail itself, just incredible. This year I was so close to missing out due to a hamstring tear but I was confident that I could finish after two good weeks of semi-reasonable training post a six week layoff. I was prepared to roll the dice because it’s the 6 inch and it’s tradition. As I have said many times runners love traditions, it’s in our dna.

This year we had Rob driving again with Adam, Bart’s , Scotty and I running. Rob was also giving massage’s at the finish line as part of his work with the Tribe and Trail shop ( https://www.tribeandtrail.com.au/ ) and The Long Run physiotherapy ( https://www.thelongrunphysio.com/ ) . If you’re a trail runner in Perth you need to look up both these businesses and get behind them.

The boys at the start of the weekend, all smiles at this stage of the proceedings.

Next on the tradition list of things to tick off was the stop at Baldivis BP garage and get a photo under the Truckers Lounge entrance. One day we might muster up enough courage to try and actually go into the Truckers Lounge but some things are better off unseen, for the moment we are happy enough with the photo outside. Maybe we’ll send in Bartsy next year , albeit I don’t think he’d ever come out ?

Traditional stop at the Baldivis BP garage for the Truckers Lounge photo.

Moving down the traditions list next we have drive to the top of Goldmine Hill and take a photo. For those who don’t know Goldmine Hill is the first hill at the start of the 6 Inch and it’s a big one with some serious vert sections. Just the thing you don’t need at the start of a 47km ultra. This hill has broken a number of runners over the years making the next 45 or so kilometres unpleasant. Back in the day I use to run this as Dave put on a KOM trophy for the first male to the top, those days are long gone and this year I walked the first kilometre for a very pleasant eleven minutes chatting to friends. With hindsight I could probably go a bit quicker next year but it was a nice change to amble into a race.

Next on the list of traditions is the Goldmine Hill cruise, chasing Barts to the top.

As you can see from the image below not all native animals survive on Goldmine Hill and this Kangaroo had seen better days. As Australians know a rotting Kangaroo is not pleasant on the nose and this bad boy was no different. I’m sure quite a few runners would have put on a spurt while passing ‘skippy’.

Top of Goldmine Hill photo, tick, we were moving down the tradition list at a great rate of knots now. The conditions were warmer than we expected but luckily these disappeared over night and , for the event, we had perfect race conditions.

After the traditional speech at the Forrest Centre by a panel of top runners it’s time to put on ‘Run Fat Boy Run’ and enjoy one of the funniest films we know with several scenes that just continue to raise a giggle. We even brought our own version down as the one at the accommodation had seen better days and we were forced to watch a different film last year. This did not go down well with the crew, remember, runners love tradition.

After the evening talk it’s time for ‘Run Fatboy Run’, a classic comedy that sets you up for the next day.

Post Run Fatboy Run we retreated to our room for the evening. Somehow Barts had snagged the double bed while Scotty, Adam, Rob and I shared two bunk beds next door. Needless to say four nervous runners sharing a room is never going to end well and I don’t think any of us got more than an hours sleep, albeit Barts had set his alarm for 2:30am so we were never going to get eight hours ! Rob also didn’t help the situation by trying to watch the English Premiership on his new iphone with the volume turned up. Luckily the internet is a new thing in Dwellingup and not very reliable so he gave up quickly.

Traditional start photo. of the runners. Adam, Scotty, Veronika, myself and Barts.

Next on the list is the traditional start photo of all the runners and then off we all go up Goldmine Hill and off to Dwellingup via the Munda Biddi trail ( https://mundabiddi.org.au/ ) Luckily we had our own cars at the finish line so drove to registration at the North Dandalup village hall before the short trip to the start line. Dave puts on buses to move the runners from the finish to the start as it’s a point to point event so it requires some logistical planning, we have always taken care of ourselves. There are some funny stories about this but not for the general public, lets just say if you’re going to run a point to point race do not leave your car keys , parked at the finish, in a bag in the car parked at the start. !

The race itself was always going to be testing, it’s an ultra marathon after all. Add in the nearly thousand metres of vert over the distance and some hot temperatures and you’re in for a hard day at the office whatever happens. I was coming into the event off a hamstring tear so in the previous ten weeks had only ran three of them and really only the previous week of any note, distance wise. I had actually unregistered myself with the RD but with a few good weeks of run/walking was happy to roll the dice and risk my hammy for another finish and time with the boys. This was another reason for my eleven minute first kilometre, time spent socialising with friends rather than racing Goldmine Hill.

Eventually though I knew I had to kick on and left Barts and Scotty and worked my way through the field. I really had no idea how’d I go after my long lay off and injury. Initially I just wanted to finish, then it was finish under five hours and my top goal was break my time from last year, a personal worst time of four hours and forty eight minutes. Without the good training base I really had no idea what to expect. Undaunted I set off in pursuit of the next runner infront of me and used this as motivation to maintain a good pace but not too good leading to a blow out.

I always break down this race into three sections. The first section is the first 23k to aid station one. You then have another 14k to aid station two at the top of the Escalator hill and then the final 10k sprint (?) to the finish. I always enjoy the second half more than the first and post aid station one start to relax a bit knowing I have broken the back of the event. With the next aid station only 14k away it coms along a lot quicker then the first one and then it’s a ten kilometre section , albeit a nasty section, the the finish where you choose how much pain you want to endure. (Albeit sometimes this is worked out for you if the race has gone badly)

This year I was consistent the whole time, no walking bar the first kilometre and the Escalator Hill (which is unrunable) and just keep moving forward at a good pace but nothing that is going to lead to a blow out or hamstring damage. As I said earlier I just kept chasing the runner infront of me, I’d pass them and then onto the next one. This kept me honest and I really enjoyed moving through the field, chatting to a number of runners as I passed them.

Head down and it was time to think about the finish.

As the Escalator Hill is an out and back section you get to see whose just infront of you and can use this as either motivation if you’re chasing someone or a reality check, come warning, if someone is chasing you. As I Neared the top of the Escalaor I was surprised to see Sarah and Adam coming down less than three hundred metres ahead of me. I had written off any chance of catching these guys as they had set off with the lead runners and both were targeting far quicker times than me. Seeing them so close was all the motivation I needed to rush through the aid station and start my pursuit.

Funnily enough we had been talking about the race a few years ago when Scotty has passed Adam with two kilometres to go and gave him a pat on the backside as he did. Could I catch him and join this exclusive club ? This was all the motivation I needed, it was on like Donkey Kong. These sort of silly thoughts are sometimes all you need to switch through the gears and any thoughts of just finishing go out the window as the competitive juices start to flow. I caught Sarah on the next hill and ploughed on to eventually catch Adam with two kilometres to go, perfect pacing and timing, I couldn’t have been happier. Another tradition has now started, someone needs to catch Adam at two kilometers from the finish and give him a tap on the backside. If that someone is reading this please let me know the details, in 2024 Adam better watch his butt , remember now it’s tradition.

After passing Adam on the final section of four kilometres or so, of slightly uphill , undulating , single track I bumped into Mr. TRC himself Sam Simsek, running his first three inch trails half marathon. Had to stop for a selfie with this legend as The Running Centre and Sam in particular have supported me for many years. ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) Again runners in Perth get behind these guys, they are legends. It was then time to race to the finish and put number fourteen to bed, a raging success as I finish in just over four hours and thirty five minutes, thirteen minutes quicker than last year. I have Sam to thank for putting me into a pair of Hoka Mach X shoes which were brilliant for the terrain, although not a trail shoe the carbon plate protected my foot and the extra bounce helped keep my hammy in check. The trail itself is very runable and this explains the quicker finishing times of the top runners and also the domination of road runners over the years.

I nailed the race with a no-expectation attitude and was never hurting too much, there were periods of self doubt as there are in any ultra but these are followed by periods of feeling great. Keeping on top of the hydration and nutrition also helped and it really was just about the perfect day. Even now as I type this race report the next day I’m looking forward to number fifteen in twelve months time, it’s tradition.

Finally we had the final two traditions to tick off the list, one is the finishers shot with all the runners at the finish line and finally the shot of all runners who completed the event in their new Six Inch Ultra tops. I must compliment Dave on this years tops, they are very good and I love the colour, very cool. Once we completed these it was off to the pub for a great lunch and the journey home, mission accomplished for 2023. I think this is now another tradition as the normal venue , the Blue Wren , upset us on Saturday by shutting early, we’re a fickle bunch runners.

Finishing line photo with all the Yelo runners.

Traditional photo of post 6 inch runners in this years t-shirt.

So that’s Ultra marathon number 46 which now matches my number of marathons I have completed , giving me a total of 92 events, eight more to go for the the one hundred marathons or longer total. If I have a good year in 2024 maybe I can reach the total at this event next year, that would be cool making the event even more special. Either way I’ll get to that elusive number sooner rather than later, why wouldn’t you ?

Next on the radar is either the Australian Day Ultra ( https://australiadayultra.com/ ) or the 24 parkruns in 24 hours ? ( https://ultraseries.com.au/24-parkruns-in-24-hours/ ) before the big one in February , the Delirious West 200 miler. ( https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) , now that is a tradition.

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.

The 6 inch post from 2022 with links to many more :-

Running is all about traditions , runners love doing the same thing over and over. That may be training routines, entering the same races or just spending time with friends going to the same location for runs. After a while all these routines turn into traditions, and then they have to be adhered to, it’s tradition. The 6 inch ultra trail marathon ( https://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com/ ) is one of many traditions that the lads and I love to adhere to, albeit it use to be a family tradition (yes, you can involve the family) but the kids all grew up and no longer wanted to spend time with old runners. We took that on the chin and just stopped inviting them, it had now morphed into a lads weekend away. (I say ‘lads’ in the broadest sense of the word, our average age is well over fifty these days. It’s lucky Michael Kowal is still scarred by the escalator on his one and only 6 inch attempt a few years back or the average age would be in the sixties!)

To get a feel for the event I recommend trawling through my blog to get some old posts , I’ve attached a few links here. This will help with the post I’m about to recount.

https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/12/23/6-inch-race-report-warning-contains-images-of-trail-runners/

https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/12/13/its-that-time-of-the-year-6-inches-of-fun-fun-fun/

https://www.runbkrun.com/2018/12/17/middle-of-december-6-inch-time/

https://www.runbkrun.com/2016/12/19/sometimes-6-inches-is-enough/

https://www.runbkrun.com/2016/11/14/look-busy-the-6-inch-is-coming/

Right now you’ve caught up with the history of this event it time to way lyrical about the 2022 edition. Due to various reasons we have a small starting line up this year. We lost Marky ‘Mark’ Lommers to a twisted ankle, Adam to gastro, Bart’s to a family holiday he had to take in Noosa and Scotty to long term injury. This left Jeffrey , Jon and I to toe the line at the start with Rob (poorly achilleas) again driving us to the start Sunday morning at some ungodly hour. (Remember it’s a point to point and we stay at the finish) After I persuaded Jeffrey to drive (remember we lost Adam to gastro and apparently if he can’t go to the event his 7 seater Prado can’t go either, a tad selfish me thinks!) we were off , high noon on Saturday, the day before the event. Jon would be joining us down there as he loves to hoon in his BMW and would prefer to do it alone apparently, less eye witnesses is probably safer for all concerned.

6 INCH ..Road trip ! Boys all smiles while I practice my *influencer pout.*

Right back to tradition, for this lads trip there are a few. First we always stay at the Jarrah Forest lodge , Jon always books the family room , and pays, thereby ensuring he gets the double bed (being the smallest) while the other room is shared with the lads (there’s two bunk beds). This room has the benefit of air conditioning in both rooms. I always stay in room 16 , a single room with a bunk, the farthest from the toilet block. This has no air conditioning, actually just a bunk bed, you get that prisoner cell block H feeling about the place. It’s clean and that’s all we need for one night. We use to go the pub the night but the meal portions are so large that it affected the running performances the following day. Bart’s was still eating his chicken parmi post race Sunday afternoon. I was above this of course and always take my own meal for the Saturday night, it’s tradition.

My favourite tradition is watching run fatboy run after bib collection on Saturday evening, we must have seen this movie at least five times but it still gets the same laughs in the same places, so good. Due to the set up at the lodge it can take anywhere from 15 minutes to nearly an hour to get the video working. There is an amp, a switcher box, a projector , at least two DVD players and cables everywhere. Things were looking good this year when Jon got the DVD talking to the TV, with the right input, in a matter of minutes but , as is tradition, things didn’t go that smoothly and the DVD had been played to death, literally. It was finished so after a brief interlude we selected another DVD, Will Ferrel in Semi Pro which , although not a run fayboy run, was a pretty good alternative. Never fear thought we have ordered Run FatBoy Run on DVD so will be watching it next year and we will bring all our own equipment !

Post DVD the boys scuttle off to their luxurious, for Dwellingup remember the town has a population of population 524, family room complete with air conditioning while I hit my jail cell, alarms set for 3am. This year I was lucky enough to have a very keen runner next door to me (?) who had set their alarm for 2am as they were catching the bus. Great, I get to get up an hour or so earlier than planned. It gets better, I was also next door to a snorer and the walls are paper thing, it felt like we were in the same bed ! When you hear someone snoring you cannot unhear it. Let’s just say I was sleep depraved while I ate my weetbix and drank my cup of sweet tea in the communal kitchen at 2:15am. Not ideal but I’m a big believer in it’s the night before the night before which is the important time to sleep, anything on the evening before the event is a bonus. Once the boys rose, an hour or so after me, we all got into the car as planned at 3:45am for the twenty minutes or so drive to the start and check in. The drive to the start is always a tad worrying as Kangaroo’s aren’t car friendly and if we were to hit a roo it wouldn’t end well for any of us. Luckily we didn’t see any albiet last year we’re sure Bart’s killed a bandicoot on the way to the start, something he still denies.

The drive to the start at 3:45am, looking out for Kangaroos !

As the image below shows we were last to arrive at the pre-race check in but we have a car so the drive to the start was only a few minutes away and we arrived with minutes so spare, more than enough. Unfortunately we were carrying a goody-pack for my mate Tristan who was running the 12 inch. This is another tradition of runners running from the finish to the start the night before (47km) and then leaving with the race at 4:30am and returning for the medal, another 47km; hence the name 12 inch. We managed to get Tristan his drop bag albeit a few minutes from the start, sorry buddy, it obviously wasn’t a problem as he ran the 12 inch in around 13 hours.

Last to leave for the start after the obligatory check in, me , Jamie and the volunteers left.

The plan for this race was to finish under five hours, not walk, bar the monster hills, enjoy the event and keep Jeffrey behind me to keep my 20 year or so winning streak. Jeffrey is now over 60 and running very well, he came close to pipping me to the post in Melbourne in October and had been training well since with Bart’s preparing him for battle. My running had been down the toilet since September due to over training (or over racing?) and niggles including tight hamstrings and a probable tear under my right knee. Weekly I was getting dropped at the Yelo Thursday morning gathering and my training runs in the hills had all been thirty minutes or so longer than last year. The smart money was on Jeffrey for this one. Jon was expecting another sub four hour finish but a nasty cough had me questioning his optimism.

The 6 inch starts with Goldmine hill, a beast of a hill that has destroyed many a runners dreams. If you’re not prepared it can derail you very early in the piece, trust me if you are goosed after two kilometres the next 46 or so are challenging. This year me and Jeffrey decided to walk most of the hill with the masses, saving our running legs for the beating that was ahead. It was quite nice to enjoy the hill for a change, although I say ‘enjoy’ in the broadest sense of the word.? We summited full of beans and changed up through the gears cruising along in a group of about ten of us, mainly women surprisingly ? The event itself is held on the mundi biddi trail, a thousand kilometre offroad bike trail from Perth to Albany, so pretty good running. David Kennedy, the Race Director, reckons you can add about an hour to your marathon time to get an estimated finish time, he’s probably right.

The 6 inch has an aid station at 23 kilometres and then again at the top of the escalator hill, around 35 kilometres. There is also one with four kilometres to go but when you’re that close why would you stop? I ran with Jeffrey until the first aid station where he complained of a sore knee and walked into the aid station. This was my chance and , as all good friends do , when I sensed weakness I pounced or in this case left him. That was the last I would see of Jeffrey , or so I thought. My confidence was knocked by Mick Francis, the aid station captain, who mentioned I was limping and he’d pull me out if he was RD. A tad harsh I thought as I thought I was going ok ?

After aid station one there is another large climb to the highest part of the course, the 3 inch version of the Goldmine Hill I suppose. I half walked and ran this and took a few more positions as I started to warm up, after twenty years in Western Australia I’m now half lizard and love the heat. Once I get to the highest part I tend to flick over into finish mode and chase down the back end of the half runners and fellow full runners. As I mentioned at the start of this report this race was about finishing and having fun, as much as that is possible. I was feeling good enough to up the pace and started to move through the field albeit nothing to previous years but nice to be moving up the field none the less.

I climbed the escalator hill to the second aid station, filled my bottles and then started the last ten kilometres to the finish. It was here Jeffrey reappeared and all of a sudden my relaxed cruise to the finish changed to a very stressful run being chased by a motivated Jeffrey Wang. I managed to maintain the pace for the final ten kilometres and with the experience of twelve previous finishes I knew when you push and when to hang on. It wasn’t easy or pretty but I managed to finish in four hours and forty eight minutes and change. My new personal worse by thirty minutes but mission accomplished, sometimes it’s the journey that’s important not the time taken to complete it. As you can see from the smile below I was stoked.

All that was left to do was the traditional esky photo, if you know, you know, don’t judge me. Thanks Nathan Fawkes for supplying the ice shower, may add this to the tradition for the esky photo, always keen to add more traditions ?

One final tradition is all the boys (and driver) who completed the course to put on their finishers shirts and get a photo. I have so many of these and enjoy looking back at all the lads aging gracefully and back in the day we’d even have a few kinds with us, they are all far too cool to have their photos taken with us these days of course. A small gathering this year but I’m confident there will be a bigger group in 2023.

Mission accomplished, what a great year 2022.

So that’s it for 2022, what a great year, ten ultra marathons and one marathon , I’ve been busy with over two thousand kilometres racing with a bib on my chest and another three thousand kilometres training. 6 inch number thirteen completed and I can’t wait until I;m back at the bottom of Goldmine Hill facing another 47 kilometres of the munda biddi trail , sleep depraved but excited about what lays ahead, why wouldn’t you, after all , it’s tradition.

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

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.

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.

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!

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/ )

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/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

General day to day ramblings

runbkrun is on the Australian Running Blogs podium, albeit probably briefly.

03 December bigkevmatthews@gmail.com 0 Comment

I always joke with my Daughter how ‘unfamous’ I am after years of dribbling on about all things running. The yardstick has been the feedspot top Australian blogs table ( https://au.feedspot.com/australian_running_blogs/ , please note when you click on this link I may be back with the pack but when writing this post I was third!) where I have languished year on year. Imagine my surprise when my Daughter searched today and found I had snuck onto the podium , just behind TrailRun magazine.

I checked the best 100 worldwide blogs and managed a respectable top half of the table finish, 42nd, which I’m happy enough with, gives me some room to move.

I often reflect on why I started this blog back in 2016 when I was still chasing the elusive sub 2 hour 40 minutes marathon finish. In August of that year I managed a 2:41:44 at the Perth City to Surf marathon but this was my last true shot at that time. I remember at the time I was running with Scott Thomson and Ross Mclean and we got to just past halfway heading into Kings Park running up a particular nasty hill. Both these runners were better than me at that point (and still are!) and I felt the pace was a bit hot so made a conscious effort to drop back and try to run more smartly. Do I regret this ? Now, yes, because I feel if I’d just got through Kings Park with them I would have held on or at least only dropped a minute or two. As it was I ran alone for the rest of the race and finished a credible fifth for my third 2:41:xx. Not my fastest, that was the City to Surf in 2013, 2:41;14, but close enough.

Work harder, not smarter.

That was one of those races when I just ran with the group rather than concentrating on a set goal or pace, and a group of better runners. I did this on two other occasions shortly after the marathon. The first time was the West Australian Marathon Club Peninsula 10k where I met a very young and athletic Zac Jeps for the first time. Zac would become a good friend but at this point I did not know him at all, he was just a very tall, athletic looking runner who left the start line like he’d been shot from a cannon. Again I decided to hang on and just run with Zac, to hell with the consequences not looking at my watch at all. The plan was to hold his shoulder for as long as I could, be that 5k, 2k or the whole event, I had no idea. Luckily this time Zac pushed me to a 10k PB, one I have never bettered, cheers buddy.

The following week was the Fremantle half and as you can see from my training spreadsheet below I hadn’t really thought about tapering post Peninsula. Monday through Thursday after the race were double days albeit I gave myself two days rest before the Sunday. I always remember I drove my mate Mike Kowal to the start and felt so fatigued I was close to becoming a DNS, rather than embarrass myself. In the end again I decided to run with the lead runners and see what happened, no end goal or looking at my watch, just run. In this case I ended up with Gerry Hill, Ross Langford and Tom Bakowski, three runners who regularly beat me but for some reason it was me setting the pace. Ross dropped off early and it was just me, Gerry and Tom with three kilometres to go and I was already thinking of witty antidotes while reciting my winning speech. In the end the boys stepped up and I was dropped to third place but a massive 50 second PB, which again I have never came anywhere near to , 1:15:00.

I continued to reap the rewards of big distance with a second place at the inaugural Rottnest half marathon , a 1:17 on a very hilly course, as I was racing the Masters World Games in Perth two weeks later. I managed a silver medal in my age group at the World Masters Games running a respectable 2:44 in hot and humid conditions, also good enough for 7th overall. This was followed by another win in a 16k event, which I defended the following year, a second place in a 4k and a great 6 inch ultra trail marathon top 10 finish. 2016 was special. Working harder, not smarter was working.

So that was 2016, a great year with a lot of PB’s at 50 years old. The year started well enough in 2017 but a nasty calf year finished the racing year early and this was compounded by a nasty case of plantar Fasciitis in 2018. Coming in 2019 I was over fifty and two years of injuries had taken my speed, the days of PB’s were over for the shorter distances. Post COVID I found a passion for Ultra running thanks to Shaun Kaesler and the Ultra Series WA calendar of events. ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) and to this day this has been my main focus. With 48 marathons and 53 Ultra marathons I’m through the 100 finishes and still as excited about the next one as I was about the first.

That’s the point of this blog I suppose. Every day I get up and I think about my next run with the same excitement as my first, chasing PB’s for marathons and shorter races is a distant memory but racing these events is still my objective. In 2024 I ran two marathons , a 3:04 at Bibra and a 3:14 at Perth, and now the sub3 is the new sub 2:40 finish. The challenge is still there and I’m as excited about breaking three hours (for the 33rd time) as I was chasing the elusive 2:40 finish. This is the point, keep the fire burning and enjoy the journey.

As I’ve said many times the best runner in the world is the one having the most fun and I reckon I’m with a shot..

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

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.

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.

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!

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/ )

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/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

Racing

2024 , a year in review. I’ve been busy for a change.

22 November bigkevmatthews@gmail.com 2 Comments

Done and dusted, the nine WA finishers, 24 Park Runs in 24 hours.

2024 has been a good year for BK racing , I’ve so far ran eight ultra marathons and two marathons as well as a podium on a 12k, a runner for all distances and seasons. The racing year started in January with 24 Park Runs in 24 hours and what a start to the racing calendar albeit this was more surviving rather than racing. The format is simple, you run a Park run every hour for 24 hours, while driving between locations cocooned in a mini-van with six other runners sweating your body weight hourly. Luckily we probably picked the hottest day in the year to run this bad boy peaking around 44c at Carine PR in the middle of the day. I’ll never forget opening the car door and being knocked backwards by the force of the heat, it was brutal turned up to 11. The post is here https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/01/15/running-in-a-furnace-for-a-great-cause-24-park-runs-in-24-hours/

Australia Day Ultra, 2nd place finishing in 9hrs 35mins.

The following week was the Australia Day Ultra, a flat course with a midnight kick off, due to the heat. This year it wasn’t too bad albeit the top came off towards the end of the event. Considering I’d ran the 24 Park run event the previous week I managed to do reasonable well picking up a podium for a second place finish. You can read all the gory details here https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/01/24/once-more-into-the-breach-australia-day-ultra-100k-on-tired-legs/ I was hoping to give the AURA 55-60 age group record a crack but missed out by forty minutes. It’s on my radar for 2025 but I love the 24 Park Run event too much to miss it so will probably rock up to the start on tired legs again. It’s how I roll.

My longest and favourite event, Delirious West 200 miler.

A few weeks after the ADU 100k it was February which means my all time favourite event the Delirious West 200 miler. Continuing with the heat theme this year was scorcher for Delirious, the first day was over 40c and at times you had nowhere to hide from the oppressive heat. I’ve written five posts on this event, it was 200 miles a lot happens. The first one is here https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/03/01/delirious-west-2024-post-1/ the rest are in the March 2024 link on the sidebar. I started quick and worked my way back through the field finishing in just over 72 hours for a top 10 finish. Another incredible adventure.

In March I took on Herdys Frontyard Ultra for the fourth time. Coming weeks after Delirious and with a humid and hot opening day this was always going to be a challenge. I over compensated for the conditions and over dosed on electrolytes, effectively killing my appetite. With an ultra you need to keep eating and drinking or the fuel tank runs dry and you stop. This is basically what happened to me . I managed to struggle through 24 laps but in the end I was unable to make the lap times and finished with a miler under my belt. The full story is here https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/03/31/herdys-frontyard-ultra-2024/ In the end an 11th place finish from the biggest field in BYU history (nearly 400 runners)

After Herdy’s I threw myself into marathon training with the end goal being a sub three marathon in Perth in October. Before then I would use Bibra Lake as an indicator race to see how I was coming along. Ran a three hour and four minutes race which was more than I imagined I could, fantastic result. It was good to be running around in loops with mates on the sub three bus before I was ejected with 16k to go. https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/07/09/bibra-lake-marathon-race-report/ This gave me hope for a sub three hour marathon in Perth, my 33rd sub3, but unfortunately I had another BYU before then, this proved a mistake with hindsight.

Birdy’s backyard ultra was an ultra too far.

Post Bibra I tapered for Birdy’s backyard ultra, my fourth time racing this event. With previous bests of 22, 28 and 36 laps I was hoping to go deep and maybe even nudge 40 laps. Unfortunately, (I seem to use this word a lot in this review post?) come race day my heart wasn’t really in it . Maybe it was a throwback to Herdy’s earlier in the year when I had an issue with food intake and didn’t really enjoy the event. Either way I got through the night but pulled the pin after the tu-tu round, lap 22. I really struggled after maybe ten laps and my head really wasn’t in the game from the start. This is rare for me but I suppose everybody has off days ? The title of my post sums up the event https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/08/07/backyard-ultras-an-exercise-in-masochism/

Next it was back to Bibra lake but this time for a 12k. The local council puts on cash for the 55+ age group so myself and the Yelo crew all traveled down and took home the coin. Great event and it was good to race shorter distances. This was my first time racing anything smaller than a half marathon for five years, where does the time go ? Held it together and ran a well paced race for a sub 47 minutes finish and a podium win for the age group. Stoked. https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/09/11/fun-run-not-sure-about-that/

Milking the crown in the Perth Marathon.

As I mentioned earlier in the post things fell apart after the Bibra Lake marathon bar a reasonable run in the 12k fun run ( it wasn’t fun!) After Birdy’s backyard Ultra I pontificated for a few weeks, running very little and eating too much. I wasn’t happy with my performance or mindset at Birdy’s and just fell into a hole. When I did eventually put in a few weeks of training it was too late and you cannot kid a marathon. I was hoping with my 12k time I was still in with a shot of a sub 3 marathon time and invested nearly $400 on a pair of Nike Alphafly 3’s (albeit I don’t need much encouragement to spend money of runners?) The shoes didn’t help and I was again ejected from the sub 3 bus but this time around twelve kilometres , where as at Bibra at least I got to 26 kilometres before being asked to leave. After that my race went downhill quite fast, unsurprisingly given my lack of marathon specific training, culminating with me hitting the wall at 32k and limping home , literally. Snuck in just under three hours and fifteen minutes. Ouch. https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/10/08/perth-running-festival-when-marathons-go-bad/ I did manage an age group win only because my good mate Mickey Murray got cramp a kilometre from the finish line.

There was little time to rest post Perth marathon as the Feral Pig 100 miler was coming into sight quickly. This event is brutal and it didn’t disappoint albeit wet and cool conditions helped but in the end my quads seized and I struggled home in 30 hours, good for a 9th place finish. Great time out on the trails with good friends, what not to like ? Well four thousand plus metres of elevation is a challenge and my quads gave up with around thirty kilometres to go. I have vowed never to go back but I’m sure in November next year I’ll be back at the start line, what else is there ? https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/11/06/feral-pig-100-miler-surely-my-last-time-surely/

The final race so far this year was the Sandman 50, a 50k race on hard sand between two jetty’s under a full moon with a 2am kick off. This was just brilliant. Loved it, albeit two weeks post Feral Pig my legs were yet again cooked from the start. This does seem to be a recurring theme funnily enough. https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/11/17/sandman-50-the-best-race-youve-never-heard-of/

So one more race left for this year, the 6 inch trail ultra marathon kicks off December 15th, my 15th time running this race, it’s just such a good time with such a Christmas feel, brilliant. Then I’ll probably do it all again for 2025, why wouldn’t you ? Last years race report here for your amusement.. https://www.runbkrun.com/2023/12/18/6-inch-trail-ultra-marathon-number-14/

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

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.

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.

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!

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/ )

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/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

Ultra Marathons

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.

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

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.

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.

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!

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/ )

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/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

Ultra Marathons

Feral Pig 100 miler, surely my last time, surely ?

06 November bigkevmatthews@gmail.com 0 Comment

Podium position, albeit only a few metres into the race.

I’ve ran the Feral Pig 100 miler three times previously. The first time in 2020 I got back to the start line at around 130km but couldn’t get back out for the final death loop, a 36k loop of probably the hardest trails of the whole event. You can read about the whole sorry affair here https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/11/13/another-lesson-learned-ultras-teach-you-stuff/

I returned in 2021 for my redemption run and with the help of Andy and Cam managed to finish the event. https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/12/13/feral-pig-100-miler-in-case-you-missed-it/ and I even returned in 2022 to go 2-1 up against the pig . https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/11/17/beating-a-pig-feral-2022/ By this stage I was feeling so cocky I ran Hysterical Carnage Backyard Ultra in South Australia a week after. ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/11/18/back-to-back-milers-and-grand-slams-hysterical/ ) I’d come a long way from my DNF in 2020.

In 2023 the event was cancelled due to fires on the track,. a pretty good reason in my view, so my entry was rolled over to this year. This was actually ok with me because I had to pull the pin anyway due to a torn hamstring , I instead offered to volunteer.

For those readers to lazy to read my previous posts here’s a quick run down of the event. You meet up at the Perth Discovery Centre (PDC) in the Perth hills for check-in and then board a bus for a 130 or so kilometre drive to the start of the event, somewhere on the Bibbulmun track ( https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/ ) just off the Albany Highway. The bus leaves the PDC at 9:30pm and gets you to the start just before midnight. You are then given some encouraging words from Shaun Kaesler and off you go, back to the PDC , which you should encounter around the 125k mark, leaving you around 36k for the ‘death loop’. As the name suggest there is nothing fun about the death loop, it’s probably the hardest part of the course and you are forced to leave the safety and comfort of the event village to then go and run around in the dark for a very long time ! You can see why it’s called the death loop ! (or DNF LOOP)

The Feral Pig miler is a very, very hard race, probably the hardest one I attempt. It’s a combination of the midnight start , elevation and the stinking hot conditions combined with minimum aid stations due to the remoteness of the location. It really is the event that just keeps on giving and not in a nice way but that’s also the attraction. With most other events, well all other events, I look forward to race day, it’s what I do but with Feral it’s a mix of nervous anticipation and fear, more fear truth be told. I suppose the ghost of the DNF in 2020 has never really left me even after two successful finishes.

Right better get into it then, strap yourself in for the Feral 2024 roller coaster.

The bus drive to the start is probably the most dangerous part of the whole day !

I always try and get some shut eye on the bus for a couple of reasons. One I need sleep as the midnight start means by the time you finish you’ll more than likely have had two days plus of no sleep, this can be a problem funnily enough. Secondly the bus driver is normally a wanna-be formula one racing driver who didn’t quite make it but still has delusions of driving large objects very quickly in confined spaces. i.e. large coaches on country roads. This year we were doubly blessed with a coach demister which seemed to have given up the ghost so the driver was staring into a small clear spot on the window while we assumed he was using the force to get us to the start, because he couldn’t be using his eyesight ! Best thing was to close my eyes and if I opened them later it was a bonus.

Initially the conditions were perfect, no wind and humidity levels you could cope with.

It’s normally quite chilly when you are kicked out of the coach, not this year, it was very reasonable, no need for a jacket although I kept mine on just incase. We had arrived to the start late due to roadworks apparently or the fact the coach driver couldn’t actually see out of the front window ? This wouldn’t be a problem as Shaun decided we would cut short the initial out and back loop , this way the half-an-hour delay wouldn’t be reflected in the overall time and volunteers could get home at a reasonable hour without working another half-an-hour due to a coach driver inability to work a coach demister ? I was stoked because it meant the aid stations all got about 2-3 kilometres closer.

The midnight start combined with the long distance to the first aid station, just over forty kilometres, and then another thirty kilometeres to aid station two makes the first night challenging. The first thirty kilometres pre-Mount Cooke is also very runnable and flat so you can burn yourself out very easily, you need to show some restraint. I normally try and get into a ‘train‘ of runners for conversation as it’s quite early in the race and people still have the ability to talk and run at the same time, later in the event this is not possible. On the bus I sat with my mate Andy Thompson who I had ran with the last two times I had finished Feral. He is a ‘bus driving‘ machine and I booked my ticket for the third time, funnily enough I didn’t actually run with Andy until around the 95km mark but then stuck with him , mostly, to the end with Glen Smetherham, Felix Meister and Tristian Cameron and a cameo appearance from Jutta Kober. In these events company is important, that or a good pair of headphones and the complete works of Taylor Swift.

The perfect conditions didn’t last too long, a few hours into the race the heavens opened which for Feral, ran in a late Perth Spring , is unheard off. By this time I had ditched the rain jacket and never stopped to put it back on, there was always a reason why I couldn’t stop and unpack my backpack to fish out my jacket. It wasn’t a problem initially but moving forward wet shorts would come back and bite me , painfully, later in the event. On the bright side , for the first time in four years, there wasn’t a typhoon on the top of Mount Cooke. It’s normally still conditions at the base of this summit and then you’re fighting to stay on your feet at the top, probably one of the main reasons I don’t mountaineer !

The perfect conditions didn’t last, pouring rain in Feral is very, very rare!

As I said earlier the first night racing Feral is brutal. The midnight start and the long distances between aid stations , runnable conditions and one brutal climb all combine to make the start one of the hardest in the Ultra Series calendar of events. I had a drop bag for the first aid station at Sullivan Rocks containing my weetbix breakfast, I hoovered this down and moved on chasing Glen and Felix up Sullivans Rock and beyond. The plan was to also change my top but the inclement conditions didn’t bode well for a singlet so I stuffed it inside my backpack, considering the Feral was postponed last year due to fires this year really was not expected.

Chasing the lads up Sullivans Rock after the first aid station and a good breakfast.

Eventually Tristan caught us and we all arrived at my favourite aid station in this event , Brookton Highway, to feast on a veritable smorgasbord of ultra running goodness provided by Shannon Dale. By the time you reach Shannon and his aid station you are famished and you gorge yourself on bacon, eggs, pancakes, and anything else offered. I managed a bacon and egg muffin and an Acai bowel, of sorts, which was very good. Unfortunately for Glen it was too good and he over did the nutrition, letting his stomach get the better of him. This would come bite to bite him on the next leg of our journey as he suffered the consequences of over eating and then running. Once you get past Brookton Highway the aid stations come thick and fast until the finish, with the biggest jump abut 15k from Allen Road to the PDC. Post Brookton it is was only 12k to Mount Dale Aid station and then another 11k to Beraking Campsite. A big change compared to the initial 41k from the start to Sullivans Rock and then another 30k to Brookton highway. I think that’s another reason you enjoy the food at Brookton Highway because you know you’ve broken the back of the event with the additional aid stations facing you.

The first Feral bus before Andy joined us. Glen , Felix and I enjoying Shannon Dale’s , and family, cooking.

As with all areas with a Mount in their name we had some serious climbing to do as well as some good running terrain. It was about this point I noticed some chaffing going on and this would soon start to become a painful problem. I had ran out of time getting changed at the start and didn’t have time to apply sudocrem to the family jewels. Rather than take the small tub with me in the bus I put it in a drop bag for Beraking , around the 95k mark. Problem was I was now around the 70k mark and things were getting very painful, very quickly. By the time I got to Mount Dale I was really suffering. Luckily Matty Peirce was there with a tube of Lucas Papaw ointment which got me to Beraking aid station and my sudocrem. Unfortunately by this point the damage was done and I was contemplating pulling out, it was bad. I did set off with the usual suspects but had to duck off into the bush and apply another good helping of sudocrem to the affected area. It was enough to keep me in the game but I would regret that small oversite for the rest of the event, and believe me that is a long time suffering. In an ultra one small mistake can have huge consequences.

Saturday morning was cold and overcast , I can’t believe I typed that when describing a Feral image.

The Feral rain in full flight, a thing of natural beauty.

Once I managed to get ontop of the pain in my shorts due to chaffing challenges the Feral train continued to Allen Road aid station. From here I was in very familiar territory, I’d probably ran this part of the course nearly a hundred times over the years. I left the train so I could get to Helena Hut, about four kilomtres away, to use the drop toilet. For some reason every time I have left Allen Road I feel reinvigorated, maybe it’s the quality tukka at the aid station or just I’m now in very familiar territory ? I was finally running at pace and decided to continue to the Perth Discovery Centre another eleven kilometres where I would pick up my pacer for the final 36k death loop. As the sunset I was flying and reeling in 50 mile runners quickly. I made the Discovery Centre, where the event started the previous evening, in around 24 hours, 9pm.

Unfortunately this is where my race got totally derailed. I was running well into the Discovery Centre and my plan was for a quick pitstop to pick up some spare batteries for my second hand torch, change of shoes and straight back into the night for a longer break at the next aid station, Camel Farm, eleven kilometres away. This all relied on my pacer being there for me as I wasn’t keen on the death loop along. My pacer had other ideas it seems and didn’t show up as planned, this threw a curve ball into my plan and I decided I’d wait for the Feral train to catch me up, which they did about thirty minutes later. Add in their time to get ready and I was at the aid station for nearly an hour. In that time my quads seized probably due to insufficient nutrition or hydration , coupled with the brutality of the terrain, either way my race was now over for any sort of reasonable time. Instead I hopped on the back of the train and we hiked most of the next seventeen kilometers to the Kalaunda aid station where we would be reunited with Shannon Dale , his wonderful Wife, Darlene, Peta and glorious cooking. The image below shows the scene as we rested before the final push to the finish, now only seventeen kilometres away. I had the best pumpkin soup I have ever tasted albeit at that stage of the race all food tastes so good, but knowing Shannon it would have been incredible. Glen managed to keep his stomach under control this time, still harbouring memories of Brookton Highway aid station a lifetime ago.

Kalamunda aid station, very, very early Sunday morning.. best Pumpkin soup EVER !

On the way back from the Kalamunda aid station we were passed by Felix who we had left behind at the PDC hours earlier as he needed sleep and had walked int the aid station looking like a zombie, and a tired one at that. After he slept for thirty minutes he was like a new man and caught and passed us like a rocket, it seems sleeping is his EPO or I want a drug test so I can get some. Tristan also left us at Camel Farm aid station on the way back as he wanted a sub thirty hour finish. Andy and I had ran sub thirty hours in 2021 and had no desire to repeat the process this year, Glen just wanted to get back to the finish. So the train was left with just the three of us and we hiked, slow jogged to the finish, together.

Sunrise at the Golden View with Glen and Andy.

Couldn’t resist getting one last photo in the race at Golden View and it certainly lived up to its name with the sun just poking it’s head above the horizon, glorious. Coming into the Golden View my quads were absolutely destroyed, each step down was so painful, I was done, the tank was well and truly empty. The death loop had beaten me again, I had hiked most of it and would hate to think how long it took, it will be a very long time. I wonder what would have happened if I had ran though PDC as I wanted to do instead of waiting an hour ? The only thing that would make me think about doing this event again would be the opportunity to put the death loop to bed and run it similar to my 2021 effort. Also maybe try and get a gold buckle for a sub 26 hour finish, runners love buckles and gold ones are special !

The train back together again at the finish. Job done. Feral finish number three.

So the train got to the finish, lead by Andy for the third year, the boy is a diesel van of the highest order. Lock in a pace and distance and let him do his thing. Myself , Glen and Andy all finished together while Felix and Tristan finished thirty minutes ahead of us. Another good year for the Feral train, with all five of us making the top fifteen.

The little tube of magic that got me to the finish, eventually.

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

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.

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.

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!

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/ )

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/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

Ultra Marathons

Backyard Ultra Satellite Championship, the hardest race you’ve never heard of.

27 October bigkevmatthews@gmail.com 0 Comment

Backyard Ultra’s are a thing and they are becoming a bigger thing very quickly. Started a few years ago by Gary Cantrell , aka Lazerus Lake, on his property. The idea is simple, the course is 6.7k (4.16miles) and you have to complete the course within an hour, you then need to front up at the start line on the hour and go again, and again, and again, until there is only one runner left, everybody else is a DNF. At 24 hours you’ll hit 100 miles, 48 hours 200 miles etc; thus the reason for the 6.7km loop; simple math.

Ultra Series WA produced a superb runners village for the event.

Running 6.7k in one hour is easy right ? Well it is to start with but here’s a thing the clock never stops ticking. In a normal ultra, say a 100 miler, you can stop for a good break, even a nap, and then continue on your merry way. In a backyard ultra there is no real resting unless you can finish the lap with plenty of time before the next one starts. Eventually the clock normally wins. To quote Lazerus Lake ‘a backyard ultra is easy until it isn’t’. Remember this is the same guy who gave us the Berkley marathon so he knows a thing or two about setting hard challenges, with the Barkley marathon considered the hardest event to complete globally. ( http://barkleymarathons.com/ )

Once every two years there is a World championship called Big Dogs, again at Lazerus’s backyard, where the best 75 backyard ultra runners compete to see who can last the longest, this was won by Harvey Lewis , for the second time, in 2023 with 108 yards (laps/hours) at the time a World Record. From the backyard ultra website ‘In October 2025 the best Backyard Ultra runners in the world will converge at the Big Farm in Short Creek, Tennessee (USA) to compete for the coveted title of the Last Man on Earth. Under the watchful eye of the the entire world, they will run laps of the yard until only one man (or woman) can complete the final yard. Every runner in the field will have earned their place at the start line, as champions in their own right. National Champions from the 2024 Team Championships and the top runners from the worldwide At Large List…. This is truly the ultimate test. A test of not strength or speed; but a test of the pure will to win.’ ( https://backyardultra.com/races/big-dogs-backyard-ultra-individual-world-championships/ )

As well as the individual championship every two years there is a World Team Championships (alternate years to the big dog’s backyard) and last week I had the privledge of watching the Australian team go about their business in Perth, my home city, thanks to Shaun Kaesler and the Ultra Series WA team. ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) This format is slightly different in there are 15 runners per country , there were over 60 countries taking part this year, who run laps and their cumulative total is then used to judge the winner. Again the teams keep running until there is only one runner left, their total laps are added together and this total is then ranked. All teams start at the same time , which was 8pm for Perth, and keep going until fourteen runners stop.

Lap 95 and Ryan is done leaving Phil to take out the win and take Australia to second place in the World rankings.

In Australia’s case Phil Gore was the last man standing and he lasted until 8pm Wednesday , after starting 8pm Saturday. Good for 96 yards (laps/hours) ; or four days / 400 miles. As a team Australia came second behind Belgium, who won with an astonishing 1,147 laps.

6 of the remaining 7 runners on lap 70. Phil was ahead or in the toilet.

So what makes this race harder than the normal Backyard Ultra, simple, you’re running for your mates and your country so you’re going to go harder and longer than if you run for yourself. The benefits of running as a team are huge but the main one is you want to do well for your brothers , or sisters, in arms and add in the national pride factor and you are gong deep, real deep, into the pain cave. This was on show for all to see in Perth last week as the fifteen Australian runners went well beyond their personal bests and just kept on digging deeper and deeper in the pain cave. It was special. When the team was down to just the final two they were behind the States by quite a margin but when the last American finished you knew that Phil and Ryan would do whatever it took to crawl over the line into second place. In the end this meant Ryan stumbling to lap 95 leaving Phil to take out lap 96 for the win and also second place for Australia, it was scripted perfectly by Shaun Kaesler, the pied piper of all things ultra running in Western Australia.

So there you go, the hardest and one of the longest events you’ve never heard off and you’ll need to wait two years to see its like again. If you fancy competing for your country get onto the backyard ultra website and dig around, you’ll find what you need to get onto your countries team. For me, in Australia, that boat has sailed but if you’re from Mauritius or Zambia there may be hope, and if you can get on your team make sure you do, it really is an incredible format but bring your shovel as you’ll be deep in the pain cave before you know it !

From an article on Harvey Lewis after he won Big’s in 2023 ( https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/ultra/a45850510/bigs-backyard-ultra/ )

It’s a wild race and is founded in ultrarunning, so doing ultrarunning definitely helps rather than ploughing right into it. I do a variety of races throughout the year, and I do races that have a lot climbing in them. So, I did the Canadian Death Race this year, in Alberta, in the Canadian Rockies. I enjoy the trails. But then I also like running on the roads – I did the Badwater 135 – which is in the hottest place on the planet. So those events really help you to get ready for this race. You also have to be strong both on the trail and on the road. So you can be a really amazing trail runner, but if you beat yourself up running on asphalt, it just destroys you, so you have to be able to enjoy liking both.

I run back and forth to work every day

My mileage varies a lot. I run back and forth to work every day. So it’s 5km each way but a lot of days I’ll run further – I’ll do, say, 15km on my way to work or 15km on my way home. Sometimes I run 110 miles a week but [in preparation for this race] I sometimes ran more than that because I did the backyard ultra in Australia – that was 375 miles – and then I did Badwater 12 days later, so that was a really tight turnaround.

I don’t just run – I cross-train too

I run with my backpack while I’m running back and forth to school. And I go to the gym and do some lifting at least once a week. And I also do swimming, seasonally, when I can, and get out with my dog, Carly, hiking. Carly is an amazing trainer. She’s a rescue dog and she loves running so much.

Listening to your body can stop you from getting injured

I don’t have a coach. [US ultrarunner] Courtney Dauwalter and I are very similar in a sense that we go off what our bodies are saying. So if I feel really good, I’ll just go run around for three or four hours. So two days ago, I went out and ran for, like, three hours, just up and down hills, training for the Barkley Marathons. But then yesterday, at the end of the school day, I was just really tired, and I thought, I could injure myself [if I do too much], so I just ran four miles home. I do train every day and I do train really intensely at times, but I listen to my body, and I think it’s more fun that way.

I love the camaraderie among the runners [at backyard races] because, usually, the first day or two, you’re really able to run together, whereas in standard races, most of the time you’re spread out a lot. I like that people can have success with reaching personal bests, just like in any race, but it’s really neat to be right there by their side. So, for example, someone might come in and say, they made their first 80 miles; seeing people keep pushing themselves is pretty amazing to me. I also really like Lazarus, who organises these races. He’s such a very interesting personality and it’s fascinating to be engaged with him. He’s indescribable, honestly.

I paced it off intuition

I go off my intuition. On the first day, I was running loops that were, like, 48 minutes or something close to that, and I would have 10 minutes where I could lie down, and then on the third and fourth night, I was completing loops in, like, 55 minutes. So it was tight, with just five minutes to turn around. So I would have a minute or two to lie down. And it just felt right. It felt good. It was just a mode that I could maintain for a really long time. But that wouldn’t work necessarily for everyone. Because different people respond differently to sleep deprivation and pace.

For the first three days, I didn’t sleep

The night before the race wasn’t a good sleep night. I only got, like, three hours of sleep – that was my third worst sleep ever before an event. And then it ended up that, for the first three days, I couldn’t sleep; I was just lay there with my eyes shut. But then on the fourth night, I got to the point where I could just fall asleep instantly for like a minute or two. So that was amazing. And then I felt pretty good. By the fifth day, I could just take a nap for a minute and it felt like I’d slept for a long time.

I felt I could go on forever

I got into a frequency where I felt I could go on forever. It’s interesting because [in backyard ultrarunning] the mind is ready to go on but the body might be like, I’m done. But the mind is so determined. So it doesn’t matter. You just keep on moving.

Being vegan means I can eat massive amounts of food

I think I just out-eat everyone. I’d definitely say I consumed over 40,000 calories across the five days. I eat all plant-based foods and it really helps me not to get an upset stomach and also means I can consume a massive amount of food. It’s one of the things that makes a big impact.

Self-belief plays an important role

I think a lot of people believed they were going be the last person standing. I imagine at least half the people there probably thought they were going to be the last person standing, or at least 15 or 20 people. I mean, I don’t have an approach of being very outward and saying, oh, I’m going to go in there and obliterate everybody. But in my head, I know what I think.

I was just willing to go as long as it took

I was prepared to keep going for as long as it took

I had no idea how long he [Ihor Verys, who finished second, or as ‘the assist’] was going to last for. And I wouldn’t ever want to predict that because I was just willing to go as long as it took. But I actually wasn’t expecting it to just end. It kind of took me by surprise. I was prepared to go a lot longer. It’s very exciting to have that dream and have it come to fruition, though. I had so much gratitude and said a positive prayer on that last loop coming back, I just soaked it all in. I was just so grateful after all the time and energy I put into my preparation.

I teach my students that we have a lot more in ourselves than we realise

The idea that we have a lot more in ourselves than we realise is a big thing for all of us. So it’s the principle of perseverance; you don’t have to be the strongest, the smartest, the wealthiest. You have to be the most determined. Just the power of pure determination and how that can play out, that’s definitely a strong lesson I like to convey. I struggled in school. I really was a bad student, all the way up to my junior high school. So I really try to bring the point home that, whatever it is, you can overcome it with enough energy and time.

In long-distance running, you need to be patient

For me, it took a long time. I’ve actually been running ultras for 27 years. When I was first running, in middle school and high school, I was in the back of the pack. And it took years and years and years of grinding it out. But now I’m arguably the strongest I’ve ever been as a runner. It’s kind of wild that it can happen when you’re in your 40s. A lot of times people expect things to happen in six month or a year. And they would think it’s impossible some of the stuff that’s happened, but it is possible.

I’ve ran 10 backyard Ultras in the last four years. Birdy’s Backyard Ultra three times, 24, 28 and 36 laps (hours). Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra four times 47, 34, 28 and 24 laps. Hysterical Carnage twice 37 and 27 laps and finally No Time to Die 33 laps (for my only win) .

That’s a total of 318 laps (hours/yards) and 2,130 kilometres, over 13 days running around in circles. That’s a long time running around in circles but the format is so much more than that, it’s the ultimate social ultra. Every hour , on the hour, you get to start at the front of the pack and it’s the runner who finishes last , not first, who takes out the win. Basically taking racing and switching it on its head, taking out the physical benefits and substituting them with mental toughness (albeit you still need to be able to run 6.7km loops in the hour of course.)

In case you’re sitting on the fence regarding this format I’ve written a post on each BYU I’ve ran, plus a post on the growing popularity of the event. It’s becoming a force of nature…

Backyard Ultra’s

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/08/01/backyard-ultras-the-new-marathon/

Herdys 2021

https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/04/04/herdys-backyard-ultra-probably-the-run-of-my-life-so-far/

Herdys 2022

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/03/27/herdys-frontyard-ultra-2022/

Herdy’s 2023

https://www.runbkrun.com/2023/03/23/herdys-frontyard-ultra-2023/

Herdys 2024

https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/03/31/herdys-frontyard-ultra-2024/

Birdys 2020

https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/08/16/most-fun-you-will-ever-have-in-running-gear/

Birdys 2021

https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/08/30/birdys-backyard-ultra-wow-just-wow/

Birdys 2022

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/08/18/birdys-backyard-ultra-2022/

Hysterical Carnage 2021

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/03/01/hysterical-carnage-backyard-ultra/

Hysterical Carnage 2022

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/11/18/back-to-back-milers-and-grand-slams-hysterical/

No time to die 2022

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/09/25/no-time-to-die-it-wasnt-and-i-didnt/

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

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.

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.

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!

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/ )

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/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

General day to day ramblings

Is Nedd Brockman the messiah or just a very naughty boy ?

17 October bigkevmatthews@gmail.com 2 Comments

Nedd Brockman does what he does bloody well and that is raise money for charity but is he a good runner ? To the ultra running world the answer is no, he is not. His challenges , although extreme, are not new and when he does attempt to get world records he fails by days, not hours. But that’s not the point is it ?

He is in a catch 22 situation where the public expect , and demand, suffering . If Nedd just skipped around a 400m track all smiles and smashed a world record for the distance who would have donated ? I’m convinced the more the public sees Nedd suffer the deeper they put their hands in their pockets to donate. This also translates to the longer the event , again, the more donations. He was after an untouchable world record set back in 1988, I’m not sure if he or his team really believed he would get it. I certainly didn’t but that’s not the point. All talk of the world record disappeared from about day three when it was obvious he was already behind his target and beginning to hurt, in a 1000 mile record attempt there is no such thing as a negative split. !

Instead we watched a man break himself on a daily basis and just keep showing up, more and more broken each day. On Instagram there were all the images you’d expect to bring the situation home to the donating public . The token vomit on the side of the track, the look of agony as blisters are burst, tape around the shoulders and nipples, totally exhausted laying on the grass and then crawling up to continue , bleeding noses, drone images showing Nedd alone in a vast stadium, and even wheel chairs to the track in the morning. His team are marketing geniuses.

But is he the super human the public think he is ?

an athlete stands on a blue athletic track, holding a large banner that appears to be in motion

The holder of the 1000 mile record, Yiannis Kourous, set the record nearly forty years ago and was unable to train for months before the attempt and got sick on day eight ( https://ultrarunninghistory.com/yiannis-kouros/ ) In the ultra running world he is a God but outside this community no one will have heard of him ? An incredible athlete who destroyed all before him but how much good did he do for charity ? It must be noted Kourous was around before the go-fund me , charity specific running became a thing and the ability to reach a global audience didn’t really exist. Nedd isn’t even in the same ballpark as Kourous, not many are, but Kourous must be looking at Nedd’s attempts as amateur at best and wonder what could have been if he had the tools at Nedd’s disposal.

The best ultrarunner in the world, you never heard of., the great Yiannis Kourous,

Let’s put this run into perspective . Recently Sean Bell ran around Australia, the 25-year-old Victorian became the fastest person to circumnavigate Australia on foot, finishing 13,383km in 158 days, 14 hours and 52 minutes. Put your hand up if you knew this. ? Also in the time he never had a rest day, ever. ! He ran every single day. Sort of make Nedd’s 4,000km run from Perth to Sydney look a little tame right ? How much did Sean earn for 174 days off running , just over $162,000. Not quite the $1.4m he was hoping for. If you followed Sean on Instagram he certainly played the suffering card as well as Nedd. It was painful to watch Sean start each day and he did this for hundred of days not ten. Unfortunately Sean is a clean cut runner, bar the ultra beard, who just hasn’t got the persona needed to pull in big donations. He’s just too normal ,and I say that in a nice way, and when it comes to raising money the public don’t like normal. They want a blond mullet, an old cap and the good old fashioned digger mentality of getting shit done. If you’re stuck in the trenches you need a Nedd standing next to you as you’re ordered over the top, Nedd would give a whoop of delight as he ran into a hail of bullets , taking a few in the chest and then moving forward encouraging you to do the same, and you would. People would take bullets for Nedd.

In January, 2023, Erchana Murray-Bartlett set the Guinness World record for running the most consecutive marathons. She ran 150 marathons in 150 days and raised money for Australian wildlife along the way. Erchana started at Cape York, which is in the northern tip of Australia and ran along the coast all the way down to Melbourne. Currently she earned just over $133,000 for her chosen charity with little media coverage. Seems a poor return when Nedd can raise over $2.6m for 12 days running around a 400m track ? Erchana’s main problem, again similar to Sean just too normal, the girl next door look is not good for raising money. Clean cut does not cut it with the public and enjoying it is a massive no-no, donation suicide. !

Kiwi runner Shannon-Leigh Litt is running an ultra a day and started on January 1st 2024, as of now , October 17th, she is still going and has smashed the current world record. As well as running over 50 kilomtres a day she also works full time as a defence lawyer, which is a demanding job on it’s own right. The Whangārei criminal defence lawyer set out on her epic mission on January 1 with the aim of beating previous world record holder Candice Burt, from Colorado, who ran 200 ultra-marathons in 200 days, finishing in May 2023. She is nearly at 290 days and counting, that’s nearly 15,000 kilometes. Shannon-Leigh’s main problem is the run is just too long, and after a while becomes the norm. Why give money to someone who does the same thing day in, day out and makes it looks like a local park run. ? Again not enough suffering and continuing to do a demanding day job is just not cool for the donating public.

I have friends who have followed Shannon-Leigh on Strava but eventually gave up as constantly seeing someone smash out an ultra a day demoralises them. I’m not sure if Shannon-Leigh is even raising money for charity ? Imagine if Nedd did this, and every day we were shown images of him breaking down , day by day, the ultimate suffer fest, we’d be selling our kidneys to give more !

Running an Ultra a day while working full time in a demanding job.

World-runner Tim Franklin is poised to become the 8th individual to run around the world and to be inducted into the WRA. Whilst his run records are still under ratification, we are happy to introduce Tim to the WRA family.576 days, 26,245km run: Congratulations to Tim Franklin who might today become the 8th person to conclude a run around the world! Welcome to the WRA whilst we review your full data! Tim started his run on 3rd December 2022 in Brisbane Australia. Tim concluded his journey in Brisbane Australia on 30th June 2024, accompanied by thousands of supporters and well wishers. Similar story to Shannon-Leigh, unless you have a marketing team on point with updates that show the mammoth task of running around the world it becomes boring and loses it’s appeal.

This is what the ultra community are up in arms about. The public sees Nedd as a messiah like figure achieving things that no one else can and this is what they need to believe to dig deep for charity. The running community sees the bigger picture. Nedd can run for long periods of time and suffer but has he got any running pedigree to race against the best in the sport. Probably not truth be told. He will never win marathons or ultra marathons of any note but again do we really care. What he can do is to connect to the public at large, pull their heart strings and do incredibly good things for his chosen charity. Charities around the world must be looking at Nedd and asking themselves how they can persuade him to perform for them because that is what Nedd does, he performs and at the moment he is the best in the world at being Nedd Brockman.

Over $3m donated as they head towards $10m for the homeless.

What do I think ? I love Nedd, he’s making running , and ultra running in particular, part of mainstream conversations. I can’t imagine the number of people who have put on a pair of trainers after watching Nedd do his thing. This is another bonus of his personality , it just makes you want to do ‘hard shit’, and his 10 day uncomfortable challenge campaign kicks off on October 20th around the country, on the back of his 1000 mile run this will be massive as the next generation of little Nedd Brockman’s start their journey. To the moon baby.

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.

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.

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!

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/ )

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/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/

or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ

General day to day ramblings

Thursday morning , it’s Yelo time.

17 October bigkevmatthews@gmail.com 0 Comment

Yelo with the usual suspects. Dav. Mark, Vici, Scotty, Nance, Sarah, Charles, Veronika, Jon, Graham, Rob, Jeff and Bartsy.

5:30am is the infamous Yelo 14k progressive, a training session steeped in historic battles over the years and one I have written many posts on. I thought after todays version I’d pull a few posts from the past , still full of useful information and some great photos of days gone by. The first Yelo run was December 2016 and we’re getting some running shirts made up celebrating this, I hope we’re all around for the 10th anniversary run in 2026; not a given with some of our ‘older’ runners, myself included. ! This morning was run seven of the week as I try and get as much fitness as possible for the Feral Pig 100 miler ( https://feralpigultra.com.au/ ) which kicks off two weeks tomorrow. Have left my training late for this one, maintaining a fitness level rather than peaking, the downside of this approach is mediocre race day performances but you get to race more. To get a feel for what lays ahead read my post on the Pig from 2022 https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/12/13/feral-pig-100-miler-in-case-you-missed-it/

Right back to this mornings progressive run, I’ve attached a few posts below highlighting the benefits of a progressive run , and there are many. After nearly 10 years of turning up weekly for my Yelo progressive I still enjoy it albeit maybe the coffee and muffins post run are becoming just as important these days.

As I was let down by my training partner this morning (For the second time in 2 weeks !, for a fitness coach my friend, who shall rename nameless , ~~Mark Lee~~ doesn’t half get a lot of colds.?) I decided to still leave from my favourite cafe, Yelo, so when I returned in an hours time it would be just opening and I could reward myself with a muffin coffee combo before scurrying off to work. Setting off towards City Beach I was enjoying the views of an early morning Perth spring morning, see below. Ok I may have put on a filter to boost the colours (as is the way on social media these days.) but it was pretty inspiring, albeit alone.

Trigg on a Perth spring morning.

While initially dawdling along towards City Beach I did start to feel a little guilty knowing what I was going to reward myself with at the end of the run . (photo attached at the end of this post) To this end I thought I’d better at least run for a full hour and also make 14k. I was also wary of running the marathon less than 2 weeks ago so had to make sure I didn’t get too excited as the second week of recovery is the dangerous time when runners think all is good and step up too early. I put that last bit in italics for a reason, it needs to be digested and understood. Take it easy for 2 weeks, not just the first week post marathon.

So while I was dawdling along I concluded the best type of run for the occasion would be a progressive. As the names suggest you get progressively quicker each kilometre with the last few being the fastest. This has many benefits as I feel it allows you to warm up first and also you gradually increase the pace rather than shock the legs by hitting the turbo button with little warning. This to me is a lot easier on the legs compared to a threshold or tempo where you can find yourself running quickly on cold legs, a recipe for disaster. Another good point is you can start as slow as you like, I’d even encourage you to start real slow as it makes the progressive pace increase easier. No point exploding out of the blocks on a progressive run as it makes the whole experience null and void when you start to progress the wrong way half way through your session.

This morning I was perfectly primed for a good progressive and managed to gradually increase the pace each kilometre , the pace of course quickened after the turn around as I was heading back to my favourite cafe in the whole world with the best muffin combo on this planet. (And probably the solar system , though this is my opinion and cannot be substantiated.) I didn’t kill myself as I was wary of my two week rule (post marathon) so finished relatively fresh which allowed me to skip up the stairs to Yelo and claim my reward.

It seems I am not the only advocate of progressive running as Greg McMillan has written a great article also highlighting its benefits. He agrees with my points about being easier on the legs due to the slow start but also gives you 3 options and explains more about the stamina benefits. Personally I have only ran the increase pace each kilometre progressive but must admit to a few fast finishes as I’ve chased the young whip-snapper the T-train at the end of a long run, got to keep these young fella’s honest. The marathon pace finish to a long run is another favourite of mine but I’ll leave that to another post.

Greg McMillan wrote a great article on progressive running which is worth a read.

START SLOW – FINISH FAST: HOW THREE TYPES OF PROGRESSION RUNS BOOST YOUR FITNESS

Over the last few years, my athletes have benefited greatly from workouts called progression runs. In a progression run, you begin running at a slow, easy pace but finish at a fast pace. Not only will you find progression runs to be fun, but they are a great way to boost your fitness without any lasting fatigue. And, the benefits are the same no matter if you’re a 2:15 or a 4:15 marathoner.

Three Types of Progression Runs

While the idea of the progression run is simple – start slower, finish faster, I recommend that you begin with structured progression runs until you learn how to properly gauge your effort throughout the run. Below are the three structured progression runs that I have used successfully.

1) Thirds

The first type of progression run is called Thirds. As the name implies, you break your run into three equal parts or thirds. For the first third, you run at a relatively slow, comfortable pace. As you progress to the second third of the run, your pace will have gradually increased to your normal steady running pace. Over the last third of the run, you increase your speed so that you’re running a strong, comfortably hard pace. For many competitive runners this effort corresponds to somewhere around marathon race pace to as fast as half-marathon race pace and a heart rate between 80 and 90% of maximum. This strong running significantly improves your Stamina which raises the pace you can run before you begin to rapidly accumulate lactic acid.

For your first thirds progression run, choose a 45-minute easy run. Run the first 15 minutes slowly, the second 15 minutes at your normal pace and finish the last 15 minutes at a strong pace. While I break the run into thirds, your pace doesn’t radically change after each third. Instead, it is a gradual but steady increase across the run. After getting your feet wet with this first thirds run, you can adapt the concept to any duration/distance.

It’s important to note that the pace of the final third is NOT all-out running. An appropriate pace for the last third is approximately Steady State or Tempo pace.* Could you run faster at the end? Of course! But that’s not the goal of this particular progression run. In fact, if you run too hard in the last third, the workout becomes more like a race, which causes too much fatigue for the purposes of a progression run.

It’s likely that on some of your runs, you already do a thirds progression run without even trying. When you are fully recovered from previous workouts, the body seems to just naturally progress to a faster pace as the run goes along. And please note that I suggest you do this on an ‘easy run’ day not a ‘recovery run’ day.** For all but a select few elite athletes, progression runs should not be used on days when you are recovering from a previous workout or race.

Lastly, I find a thirds progression run to be an especially beneficial workout for experienced marathon runners – runners who can handle an additional up-tempo day in addition to their other key workouts and long run. The most important caveat, however, is that you must not push too hard in the last third. Strive for a medium-hard pace (around your Steady State Pace).

2) DUSA

The second type of progression run I call DUSA – after the Discovery USA program where we did a lot of this type of running. To perform a DUSA progression run, run for 75-90% of your total run at a steady, easy pace. Then, as you approach the final 15-25% of the run, you really pick up the pace. For competitive runners this means half-marathon to 10K race pace with a fast finish the last quarter mile. It’s exhilarating! You can then jog or walk for five minutes to cool-down. DUSA’s are not a race but almost feel like one, and you’ll likely find that your heart rate goes to over 90% of maximum by the finish.

For many runners, I assign this DUSA progression run as part of a 50- to 60-minute run where they run easily for 40 to 50 minutes then “progress” to a strong pace for the last five to 15 minutes. With my elite marathoners, I assign DUSA progression runs of up to 90 minutes in length and with up to 15 to 25 minutes fast. But, by simply using the idea of running the last 15-25% of your run at a faster pace, you can adapt this progression run to whatever duration or distance you run.

Compared to the thirds progression run, a DUSA involves a slightly faster pace for a slightly shorter amount of time and provides a little different stimulus to the body.

You’ll be surprised at how fun a DUSA workout is and that it really doesn’t take much out of you. I insert it into an athlete’s program where I want to make sure the athlete gets some quality running but can’t afford a long recovery time after the workout. Again, the idea is that we get a few more minutes of Stamina training integrated into the training week but that none of these fast portions are intense enough or last long enough to cause any lasting fatigue. You should not feel any effects of the DUSA progression run on your next run. If you do, you are probably pushing too hard in the faster portion. You may also want to change where you insert them into your program. Consider including more recovery runs before or after your progression runs.

3) Super Fast Finish

The final type of progression run is one of my personal favorites and was utilized by Paul Tergat in his build-up to the Berlin Marathon where he set the world marathon record of 2:04:55. For this workout, the name says it all. You run a normal steady run but run super fast in the last three to six minutes of the run. When I say super fast, I mean super fast. Pretty much like a 5K race to the finish. Like the DUSA workout above, these runs are exhilarating yet don’t require a long recovery. They are fast enough to really stimulate your Speed and Sprinting ability (muscle recruitment, coordination, mental focus and lactic acid tolerance) but short enough (three to six minutes) that you will feel no lasting effect on your next run. That said, you must be accustomed to fast running before trying to run asuper fast finish progression run otherwise you will likely be sore from the speed.

We did a lot of these when I was in high school. We would run our normal easy run pace but as we approached the last half mile before getting back to campus, we would begin to push very hard. It’s probably even fair to say we raced each other to the finish line. Our thought was that this super fast finish established a habit out of finishing fast so that when it came to a race, no other team would be able to finish as fast as we could. It would just be automatic that we would run hard at the end. As warned in the previous progression runs, we did not do this on our key recovery days. We ran it on a day where we were completely recovered.

How Progression Runs Benefit You

While the above told you the “how’s” of progression runs, I want to also tell you the “why’s” so that you can be smart if you integrate this type of training into your program. I find that progression runs are effective for three primary reasons. First, we know that warming up the muscles by starting out slowly not only decreases your risk of injury but “primes” the physiological pathways that will be used in faster running. If you push too hard before the appropriate energy delivery systems are ready for the effort, then you will stress the anaerobic systems; not what we’re after in our normal, everyday runs. In fact, going anaerobic (or more correctly, building up too much lactic acid) can even inhibit the development of your aerobic system so make sure that if the purpose of your run is to develop your aerobic system, you don’t start the run too fast.

Second (and I think this is most important), progression runs allow you, across your training cycle, to increase the volume of faster, stamina-type training. For example, if you include a couple of 60-minute progression runs that include 10 minutes at a fast pace in your program each week, you will add an additional 20 minutes of stamina training to your program. Across your training cycle, this additional stamina training results in a much fitter athlete.

Third, this increase in the volume of stamina training comes at a very small price. Correctly using progression runs results in very little fatigue compared with normal running. In fact, my experience has been that the athletes who most often suffer from overtraining, injury, undue fatigue and poor racing are those who push too hard, too soon and for too long in their runs, particularly their easy and recovery runs. Progression runs allow you to insert fast running into your training runs (feeding your need for speed) but in a way from which you can easily recover.

How to Integrate Progression Runs into Your Training

As important as it is to understand the why’s and how’s of progression runs, it’s more important to know how to safely and effectively incorporate them into your training. I recommend that near the end of your Lydiard-style base phase you first add one progression run into your weekly schedule with ample recovery time leading up to and after the progression run day. In other words, don’t do a progression run on the day after your long run. Once more accustomed to progression running, then you can begin to include more in your weekly schedule based on your experience level, training frequency and training phase.

One note: just because progression runs are beneficial, this doesn’t mean that “all” of your runs should be progressions. Progression runs are just one component of a well-balanced training program and can be used to temper any tendencies to start runs too fast. They also add some (often much needed) variety to runs, which keeps things fun. The number of progression runs that you can tolerate each week is dependent on your experience level and ability to tolerate training. If you run three to four times per week, you may only run a progression run every other week – the other days being devoted to other types of training. A pro runner who runs ten to 13 times per week, however, may run two to six progression runs per week, mostly DUSA and super fast finish workouts. Like all training, you must start conservatively and see how your body reacts to progression run workouts. With this information, you can find the optimum training routine that works for you.

Final Thoughts

The next time you are in a relaxed training phase, try incorporating progression runs into your program. The workouts not only add variety and make training fun, but significantly boost your fitness without a lengthy recovery. Used as part of a smart, overall approach to training that includes building an endurance base, gaining strength through stamina training, adding speed and working on your finishing sprint, progression runs will give your fitness a boost.

This is the last photo of my Yelo muffin this week I promise, but I must warn you it is a beauty. The muffins at Yelo really are special. ( http://www.yelocornerstore.com.au )

Yelo muffin and coffee. Perfect (alone) Thanks. Mark Lee.

Yelo muffin and coffee. Perfect (alone) Thanks. ~~Mark Lee.~~

This morning I had a 90 minutes easy run planned with a 7am finish at our favourite go to cafe Yelo. ( http://yelocornerstore.com.au ; they still serve the best muffins in the Southern Hemisphere !) There were seven of us who started at 5:30am with Mark L. meeting us at 7am as he was running for an hour and progressively. We were again joined by Mark Lee who you may remember came along on our last 90 minutes easy and fidgeted the whole time. Mark is a ‘speedster’ who loves the sorter distances and finds the running slow and long run alien to his training regime. This is obvious to all as he struggles to maintain the easy pace we all quite happily settle into. This morning it was too much for Mark and after a 5k warm up with us he bounded off to run a Mona Fartlek alone. By the time we got back to Yelo he had ordered his coffee and muffins for the whole family and was on his way back to the family home. As you can see from the photo below, no Mark Lee. !

All the boys minus Mark Lee who was already on his way home…Jeff whose Wife wanted the car and Jon who was still running! (Mike , me, Gareth, Barts and Mark L.)

At the other end of the scale Jon joined us at the start of the run, after already running 10k, and then carried on for a 55k total, again not stopping for the best part of running, the apre-run muffin and coffee. Actually while I type this Jon is probably still running. (..and eating as he was carrying a handful of treats which apparently you’re allowed to do if you run ultras.)

Two different training approaches for two people training for different distances. Jon is training for the ADU ( http://australiadayultra.com ) and has gone down the path of several long runs (50k+) compared to my double up days and no real longer distance runs. Mark is more focused on pace rather than distance as he aims for the 5k and 10k races he excels in.

Me and the posse just do enough to justify the coffee and muffin at Yelo and we actually discussed the calories in (via the coffee and muffin) compared to the calories out gained after the 19k easy run. We all agreed we’d be calorie negative after the 19k run and this certainly made the muffin taste that bit sweeter.

Should you train differently for different distances or can one training method be a good fit for all running distances. ? I believe building distance first , as a foundation, concentrating on time on legs, does benefit all distance running. The change occurs when you fine tune your training for your specific race distance. Myself, being a jack of all trades, I have built a big foundation through years of injury free running. (I hate even typing those words..) This has then allowed me to fine tune to a specific race distance given a few weeks notice. For example if I have a 10k or half marathon coming up I’ll concentrate on more speed work like a mona fartlek or some 5k park runs. These will get me use to the pace I need to maintain during the upcoming race. Also helps the fast twitch muscles fire ( http://running.competitor.com/2014/07/training/the-role-of-muscle-fibers-in-running_82416 A good article on the different muscle fibres) For marathons I concentrate on longer tempo runs at marathon pace getting use to running for longer at the pace I need to maintain for the marathon. I’ll also keep working on the shorter, faster runs as these will still add value, if nothing else if feels good to run fast.

Ultra running is all about time on legs and Jon’s approach is certainly the ‘normal’ way of training. Slow and steady and all about time rather than distance, the most important factor is finishing fresh as you move towards the required distance. Obviously you aren’t going to run a 100k training run for a 100k ultra but you should probably get up in the 50k area , probably ? This is from a runner who doesn’t intend to run past 30k but what can go wrong after 8 hours of running ? (Also there is a parachute clause that you can stop at 50k and claim a 50k ultra medal. Funnily enough my friend Rhys used this to his advantage when he entered the 50k and bailed after 25k. The RD insisted on giving Rhys a 25k race medal so really he’d won that race albeit he started 3 hours before anybody else as they were staggered starts. A technicality according to Rhys.)

So back to Mark Lee and his inability to run slow. Is this causing him a disservice in his training , probably not as he has been at the front of the pack for a number of years and continues to record great running times. Would he benefit from a 3-4 month period of slow, high mileage training; undoubtably. Will he ever be able to achieve this ? Not a chance, far too much time fidgeting , looking at his watch, adjusting his shorts and top, looking at his watch etc etc Some people just don’t get the beauty of slowing down to speed up. Saying that I’ve raced Mark many times of the years and am yet to beat him so maybe I need to fidget more or just run faster ?

After the weekend racing I certainly felt every year of my fifty on this planet. Monday and Tuesday were spent trying very hard to keep up with my training buddies and I was dropped on a few occasions even on our ‘easy to Matilda Bay and back‘ lunchtime 10k. The race itself was brutal and I needed the full 48 hours after a 10k to recover. Things improved Wednesday and come Thursday I was ready for another 14k progressive with the lads with the obligatory post run muffin and coffee at Yelo. Surprisingly the 14k progressive went better than planned and I managed to pull a PB out of the hat which was a pleasant surprise, albeit I worked for it. Of course with Strava I was able to investigate my previous runs and even print out the history of the run. In the image below you can see the gradual increase in average pace, bar one (9th February) where we decided to make a big effort to run a perfect progressive and this start slower to give us some leeway at the pointy end of the session. (I actually missed a perfect progressive by a few seconds on one of the last kilometres if I remember correctly? Still to hit a perfect 14k progressive.)

14k Progressive run , with a muffin incentive.

These sorts of graphics give you the little push you can sometimes need as you start another week of training. Marathon training is hard work and also hard work on a weekly basis, it doesn’t just end after a few weeks. Every Sunday you struggle to hit the weekly target and then Monday is all starts again and you’re back behind the eight ball. Add in progressively hard sessions and towards the end of a marathon training session you can feel absolutely finished. Luckily you have a few weeks tapering and then 3 days carbo-loading before the big event. These two activities certainly help at the end of a marathon plan.

So back to indicator sessions and races. I can see from my progressive run finish times over the last few months I am making an improvement. This sort of information helps spur you on as you move towards your ultimate goal. A glimmer of light in the dark tunnel of marathon training. I mentioned in a earlier post marathon training ‘is a slog‘, natural talent plays a part but good old fashioned hard work can make as much of a difference, this allows runners like myself, who are prepared to put in an extra few kilometres, gain an advantage or at least level the playing field.

As I have mentioned many times, and it’s even one of my golden rules, you need to document everything and Strava (http://www.strava.com ) or even Training Peaks , ( https://www.trainingpeaks.com ) these need to be your weapons of choice. As you move along your marathon plan you see improvement in the pace and/or distance of sessions, this gives you the push you need to get to Sunday, add up your kilometres (or look at Strava as the days of adding up left us when Bill Gates invented Excel of course. Thanks Bill.) and then start thinking about Monday morning and starting at zero again. Constantly look for improvements as you work towards the marathon, these will also give you the mental strength you will need in the race, ‘trust in your training’ is one of my favourite running mantras and these small victories help to reinforce this. Keep looking for these improvements , they do make a difference.

Right, Sunday almost finished, another 10k maybe and then it’s time to reset my weekly totals back to zero and back behind the eight ball I scuttle ready for another week of running, wouldn’t have it any other way really, I mean, what else is there ?

My 50th, nearly eight years ago and still showing up.. weekly !

Well after months of talking it up it actually happened, today I turned 50.

This morning I celebrated as only a runner can with a 14k progressive run with the boys and a Yelo muffin. I mean what more can any man want on his birthday? Good company and quality muffins with coffee and great banter. I really am very lucky to live in Perth surround by some great friends and family doing what I love, normally twice a day.

The question is of course how long can I keep on improving? 2016 was a breakout year with so many PB’s on the back of the extra training I put in. Is this sustainable? I don’t see why not, I’m enjoying the extra training, truth be told, and the results are well worth it. I suppose the real goal this year is the elusive sub 2hr 40mins marathon. I’ve ran 2hrs 41mins 3 times so I’m close, real close. I’ve targeted the Perth Marathon in June this year, which I have ran 12 times so I know the course well. Perfect conditions and it could be on.

There is also the Utah option in October. A marathon built for PB’s as it’s a point to point with a massive 2560 feet elevation difference. (http://www.stgeorgemarathon.com/information.php ) This has been mentioned to my Wife and I received a verbal confirmation that I could ‘maybe’ go. Sometimes it is better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission? Mike, Dan and Jon are all up for it and I’d love to go. Check out the elevation below, how good is that? Of course I would have to tailor my training to account for the beating my legs will take with all that downhill running but Dan ‘ the man with a plan’ Macey will come up with something and we’ll be ready come October.

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.

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.

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!

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/ )

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/ )