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My last marathon was 2019, the Perth City to Surf marathon finishing in 2 hours 55 minutes, this was my 45th marathon, my 32nd sub three marathon and number 29 in a row sub 3. Remember for runners it is all about numbers. Looking at my running spreadsheet, you have a running spreadsheet right? You never know if one day Garmin Connect or Strava may just disappear and Zombies will rule the world, when this happens at least I’ll have my running history on my spreadsheet. Anyhow as always I digress, I have only ran four marathons since 2017 so have decided that I need to run one more sub three hour marathon this year. Luckily a few of my running buddies are sub 3 virgins, imagine that ? Rob, Adam, Scotty and Jeffrey have all yet to run sub 3 and the boys have been putting in some hard yards on a Tuesday morning running track, Rob has even got a coach and is following a program.
As the image above shows I use to be a show-pony , back in the day, and while never the fastest marathon runner I was able to spend some time at the pointy end and managed to run 2 hours 41 minutes three times. This was also before the carbon plate shows that give you 4-5% performance enhancement for a mere $340. If they’d be around in my day I’d have broken the two forty barrier I’m sure but it was not to be and I got old and found ultra running. Check out the video below, with hindsight this video is so funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQEVoI7tQtY&t=166s
Right here they are, the rules I abide to and will help you achieve your goal when it comes to running marathons, or any distance really. I’ll spend time on each in more detail but for the moment I’ve set them out in a list below.
- Run Further. Add distance, not speed.
- Run Faster. This is about adding pace after you have got your foundation after rule 1.
- Don’t get injured. This is the hardest rule to obey as you always want to do more of rule 1 and 2 which can result in an injury. (I even hate typing the word!)
- Nutrition, nutrition and nutrition… Did I mention nutrition. It’s all about the proper fuel.
- Weight. So important, use to believe because I ran 100k+ a week I could eat what I wanted. Not true.
- Baseline, document and evaluate everything. If it isn’t on www.strava.com it didn’t happen. Once you set a goal you have to be able to know how far you have come to achieving this, small steps but constant feedback. So buy a Garmin and start recording , everything !!!
- Sleep. So underestimated but the bodies way of refuelling and preparing for the next day of running. Common sense but so often ignored.
- Consistency. No point running 100k one week and then nothing. Marathon fitness is built up over time and this works hand in hand with rule number 1.
- It’s all in the mind. After 32k a marathon is down to mental strength and the ability to persuade your body you can still perform at your desired pace without falling to fatigue, which is the minds way of protecting itself. Never underestimate the power of the mind in long distance racing.
Feel I should be able to find 1 more rule. It’s always 10 rules right ? I wonder what happened over the years to all good rules number 11 which never made the cut.
- Run Further. Add distance, not speed. My weekly average has steadily increased year on year with this year being the first I will break the 100k a week average for the year. In 2012 I was injured with a nasty calf knot, that I didn’t treat, which explains the delta compared to the previous year. 2014 my training had plateaued which is why I turned to Raf ( http://www.therunningcentre.com.au ) to train me in 2105 where my distance increased by 10%. I have taken this training forward and will probably increase another 10% this year. Distance first, everything else comes once the ‘foundation of distance’ has been achieved.
- Run Faster. This is about adding pace after you have got your foundation after rule 1. 2011 was a break out year for me after 3-4 years of building a good running base. I had ran 3 Comrades campaigns in 2008-2010 ( http://www.comrades.com ) so my distance foundation was well and truly complete. In 2011 every time I put on a bib I was confident of a pb. It was a wonderful year. Unfortunately in 2012 I had a nasty injury which set me back but towards the end of the year I was able to train consistently again and in 2013 I was again rewarded with a magical year of running.
- Don’t get injured. This is the hardest rule to obey as you always want to do more of rule 1 and 2 which can result in an injury. (I even hate typing the word!) In 2012 I succumbed to a calf knot which took me out for over a month. I struggled to recover from this and as you can see from the table I only ran 3 pb’s for the year compared to 13 the previous year and 10 the following year when I recovered. If this doesn’t back up this rule nothing does.! Don’t get injured, so easy to type but in reality one of the hardest thing for a runner to do, period.
- Nutrition, nutrition and nutrition… Did I mention nutrition. It’s all about the proper fuel. So underestimated by so many runners. The number of times I hear the old ‘I run xxx kilometres a week so I can eat what I want’ . Not true, imagine putting low grade fuel in a Porsche, eventually the head gasket blows and you are faced with a serious bill, not to mention a misfiring engine. The human body is a finely tuned machine and should be treated as such, we all know what is good food and what is bad (normally the nice tasting stuff!), avoid the bad and put in the good, easy really. (bar the odd Yelo muffin of course, we are after all only human.) I’ll be exploring nutrition more next year when I have one more go at a sub 2hr 40minutes marathon.
- Weight. So important, use to believe because I ran 100k+ a week I could eat what I wanted. Not true. This is another golden rule so often ignored. Runners can run so much faster is they hit their racing weight rather than a running weight. My go to man , Matt Fitzgerald, when it comes to everything running even has a website dedicated to this. ( http://www.racingweight.com/ ) If Matt has a website dedicated to this subject it must be important.
- Baseline, document and evaluate everything. If it isn’t on www.strava.com it didn’t happen. Once you set a goal you have to be able to know how far you have come to achieving this, small steps but constant feedback. So buy a Garmin and start recording , everything !!! Contentious subject here. I’m a Strava addict and I know it but the purest will be horrified. You need a baseline to see improvement, set new goals and realize your goals. Buy a Garmin and to quote a small clothing company ‘just do it’.
- Sleep. So underestimated but the bodies way of refuelling and preparing for the next day of running. Common sense but so often ignored. Sometimes the most obvious, common sense tips are the ones ignored. Sleep is when your body repairs itself, the more sleep the more repairs can be completed. It really is that easy, go to bed and dream about running.
- Consistency. No point running 100k one week and then nothing. Marathon fitness is built up over time and this works hand in hand with rule number 1. I feel the figures from my running log back this up. I’ve steadily increased the duration consistently year in, year out (bar injury) and have reaped the rewards with 2016 being my fastest year yet as I move towards my
fifthsixth decade. (Thanks Dave Kennedy) Running is all about getting out there on a regular basis again and again and again. Time on feet initially and then add pace before targeting certain distance with different run types, most important thinkg to note though is always consistently putting on the trainers and just running. ‘If you build it they will come’ type approach, keep running, build the foundation and the personal records will come. (This also works for baseball pitches apparently.) - It’s all in the mind. After 32k a marathon is down to mental strength and the ability to persuade your body you can still perform at your desired pace without falling to fatigue, which is the minds way of protecting itself. Never underestimate the power of the mind in long distance racing. Finally another massive part of running, the Noakes ‘central governor’. I’ve talked about this at length in various posts on this site. With experience I believe I can mentally finish a marathon stronger now then when I first started. I know what to expect and to this end can persuade my old friend fatigue to stay away for longer allowing me to achieve better finishing times. The mind is such an important part of running and needs to be trained as much as the body. When you race a marathon you will spend time in the ‘pain box’, the runner who can spend the most time in this little box of joy, before opening the door and embracing the old enemy fatigue, will run the fastest. I spoke to Steve Moneghetti after the Perth Marathon this year after he ran the 3hr30min bus and asked him how the professional athletes are so much faster than us recreational runners. His answer surprised me as he replied that a professional runner can stand more pain and this gives them the advantage need to push through and achieve the faster times. Again turning off the ‘central governor’ and spending more time in the ‘pain box’ avoiding fatigue and thus not slowing down. Common sense really, thanks Steve.
The article below was written by Reid Coolsaet a top ranked marathoner in Canada. At the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon last September his time was 2:11:23 – the fastest by a Canadian in 24 years. Reid spent time in Kenya at Iten, the breeding ground for running superstars. The article is good in that it emphasises all the things I talk about on this blog. As I have said many, many times running is not rocket science, just common sense really and lots of hard work. To run faster you need to look at the people who are running the fastest and learn from them, try to be more like them. The main points (for the lazy readers amongst you who won’t finish this post!) are consistency, train hard, rest hard, soft surfaces, group training, proper warm up, nutrition and Hakuna matata
Kenyan distance runners have been dominating the world scene for more than 30 years. Just last month, a Kenyan, Mary Keitany, was the first woman to break one hour and six minutes in the half-marathon when she set the world record at 1:05:50. Last year, Kenyan men won four of the five world major marathons and lay claim to 60 of the top 100 ranked marathoners.
An astonishing 239 Kenyans broke two hours and fifteen minutes last year in the marathon. (By contrast, Canada had three under the same time – and that was a good year for us.) Factor in the population of the two countries (Kenya, 39 million, Canada, 34 million), and it’s evident just how excellent the East African country is at producing world-class distance runners.
As a marathoner, I wanted to observe first-hand how these great athletes were training and living. For one month this winter, I went to Iten, Kenya, and immersed myself in the culture of Kenyan running. Iten is a small town of 4,000, about 300 kilometres northwest of the capital, Nairobi, and is home to many of the world’s best distance runners and hundreds more who make a living winning road race purses.
It’s not a coincidence that the rural town sits about 2,400 metres (about 8,000 feet) above sea level where athletes benefit from training in thin air. I soon learned, however, that there are many other reasons why Kenyan runners dominate. Here are some tips that all runners can incorporate into their training in order to run like a Kenyan.
Consistency. Running – a lot – is the key to distance running, and the Kenyans are no exception when it comes to logging many kilometres day in, day out. Most of the runners I met run at least twice a day but some run up to three times. If you can squeeze a few more kilometres into your week, without compromising quality, you will reap the benefits.
Train hard. The motto “train hard, win easy” is exemplified by Kenyan runners. If you want to run hard come race day, it’s best to prepare with some sort of speed session (intervals, fartlek, tempo) one to three times a week to get used to the specific effort of your race pace.
Rest hard. After bouts of hard training it is vital that the body has time to repair and recover for the next training session. Kenyan runners incorporate naps into their days and get to bed early. Plus, they don’t run hard all the time; most people would be surprised on how slow they run their recovery runs. Make sure you’re not running hard every day and take it easy the day or two after a hard run.
Soft surfaces. Running on dirt trails rather than pavement is much easier on the body. When I was in Iten, all of my running was on trails and dirt roads (of course, this is easy to do when there is only one paved road in the area). Seek out soft surfaces for most of your running, and your body will thank you.
Group training. Seeing a Kenyan run alone is the exception to the norm. Kenyans run in groups during speed sessions as well as their easy runs. Running with a group can provide that extra push during hard runs and it can help keep the easy runs leisurely with chit-chat. Many running stores offer group runs if your friends are too lazy to join you.
Proper warm-up. Many times while I was running with Kenyans I was surprised how slowly they would start off. It’s best to ease into your runs, and it is especially important to do some easy jogging before any type of speed session or race.
Nutrition. In Iten, a 100-mile diet would seem absurdly long. Kenyans eat fresh food that usually comes from small-scale farms in their region. Ugali (a cornmeal dish) is their staple carbohydrate of choice and is served with beef or chicken stew and veggies. It’s important to replenish carbohydrates and protein soon after a run and get the proper fuel into your body.
Hakuna matata. The Lion King popularized the Swahili phrase “hakuna matata” which, loosely, translates to “no worries.” Kenyans keep stress to a minimum by embracing hakuna matata in their everyday lives. It’s important to leave stress behind to allow your body to perform at its best, and sometimes the best way to relieve stress is to head out the door for a run.
Throughout my month in Kenya, I gained fitness, but more importantly, I came away motivated and inspired. To test out my fitness I went to Belgium to compete in a 10-kilometre cross-country race where I surprised myself with a fifth-place finish; the rest of the top eight were African. Training with the best runners and taking advantage of altitude training allowed me to perform much better.
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I had always wanted to run 48 hours at Herdy’s to make up for running 47 hours in 2021 and missing that one lap mainly down to being totally and utterly spent and delirious enough not to realise how important that one extra lap would have been. I promised myself that I would make right in 2022 but over the year put this on the back burner as I had so many other races to conquer and adventures to have. The biggest one of these adventures was of course the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) and I got to run this event twice in five months due to a COVID postponement, this of course was a double edged sword as the second time was a mere five weeks before Herdys. Unfortunately this was ultimately to be my undoing.
For Delirious 2022 I had put it all on the line, big time, to break sub 70 hours. It was one of those races when you decide that you will do whatever it takes to get the result you aspire to. In this case it was the carrot of a gold buckle which Shaun Kaesler has decided was available for breaking 70 hours. About halfway through the event it was on and I left nothing on the course eventually finishing in 68 hours and change. As well as a gold buckle I ran a 15 hour PB, achieved a fourth place finish but had to pay a serious price, long term, which only really showed itself at Hirdy’s in the first night and onwards. We’ll get to that later in the piece but lets start at the beginning and work our way there.
The image above is the runners village all set up just before the start, the calm before the storm. The race starts at 4pm which is good for those runners who find running through the night difficult because you get to the head torch quickly and have company , in this case lots of company, to help you through the witching hours. (2am onwards) I believe this starting time is easier to get to 24 hours compared to a morning start when you hit the night tired and are more likely to drop out. If you can get through the night in this scenario the run to the 24 hour mark is all daylight and. in my view, easier, albeit 24 hours is still 24 hours and funnily enough the number of people who make this milestone doesn’t seem to vary greatly.
Shaun Kaesler is always thinking up new ideas to spice up events and this year there was Viking drummers who joined us in a Viking Clap before the first lap. All 266 entrants clapping along with the drums, it made for an invigorating and unforgettable start, albeit towards the end the runners were flagging, we’re no known for our upper body strength. So off we all went for lap one, 266 runners of which 265 would DNF and Phil Gore would win.
Only myself , Adam and Rob had entered this year. My performance last year inspired a lot of the boys not to enter, not sure if that was the state I was in towards the end or they just didn’t want to race this event. ? Rob had entered a year previous but was now on a struct training regime with Matt Smith so was only allowed to run 42km. He is very anal when it comes to his training , and most things actually, so did his 6 laps and then a few extra kilometers to get his 42km before disappearing off home for a shower. He did come back and crew for a few hours which helped as the first night was so humid it made thinking difficult !
The image above must have been a few hours in as its daylight but you can see even early on in the event myself and Adam are certainly being tested. You can’t see how humid it was and this just got worse as the night wore on. On the bright side we were finishing in good time so we had the option for a good 10 minute rest in the Wanderer recliner , after fist getting our hydration and nutrition. Backyard tip , get elastic shoelaces, made slipping the trainers off between laps seemless, highly recommend these bad boys. Thank you Phil Gore for the tip and TRC for supplying them. ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ )
If there is ever an image which sums up the first night this is it. Both myself and Adam dripping in sweat, absolutely buggered and both wondering what we have let ourselves in for. The legs had nothing, destroyed by Delirious five weeks earlier, and the conditions were brutal, really brutal. Perth is normally a dry heat so when we are struck down with high humidity we aren’t prepared and boy do we suffer. The only saving grace was it wasn’t that cold in the evening albeit you could feel a chill once you stopped running as started to sweat a river. Listen people, backyard ultras are brutal events when you are behind the eight ball, brutal. I love the quote from Gary Cantrell ( Lazarus Lake) the inventor of the format, he summed it up beautifully when he said ‘backyard ultras are easy until they ain’t. ‘ Worryingly this one started hard.
Myself and Adam soldered on though the night, I think that’s the best way to describe it. We both made cut off easily enough and that gave us a good ten minutes to whine to each other about how hard this was and why did we ever think this was a good idea so soon after Delirious. In our defence all Delirious runners were struggling and, together with Veronika, we were the last three standing and the only three three to make it through the night. Finely the sun did poke its head over the horizon and suddenly the world was a better place. I’ve always said if you can get to sunrise you’ll find another 6-8 hours without really trying, the sunlight just makes it happen. This proved to be the case and all of a sudden I had my second wind. Unfortunately Adam and Veronika weren’t so lucky and still found the going tough. They decided to pull the pin together on lap 18, a bloody ripper of an effort given what had gone before. Alone with my thoughts it was on with the After Shokz headphones and time to grind out the laps. What a difference the light made and I soon found myself finishing around the 41 minute mark, giving me plenty of time to recuperate, hydrate and get some nutrition in me, the world was a better place.
The first goal in a backyard ultra for me is the 24 hour mark. In the four previous backyard ultras I have run I have always made 24 hours, minimum. Once Adam dropped out I cruised to this goal feeling pretty good, a complete contrast to the first few hours of the event where I was struggling, big time. This is ultra running, there are good times and there are bad times. A good runner understands both and adapts accordingly. These are the things Rob Donkersloot has taught me and if you are keen to improve as an ultra runner I highly recommend you get in touch with him. ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) Mention my name and he’ll charge you full price.
3pm Saturday , the 24 hour club, 100 miles, albeit you had to complete the lap. All the runners did and then quite a few dropped out. Two of my favourite runners where in that group, Jen Millum and Margie Hadley. Both experienced nutritional issues throughout the race and in an ultra , eventually, when the fuel runs out the engine stops. Both these ladies would have gone on to bigger totals and deserved so much more but this event is brutal, I’m sure I’ve mentioned that a few times and any issue, no matter how small, can be a race finisher. With nutrition it really is a black art, sometimes you can eat anything and all is good other races your stomach just doesn’t play ball and over time this is compounded until you have to withdraw. No amount of training can account for nutrition or hydration deficiencies on the day, you will eventually stop. I’m confident both ladies will be back stronger at Birdy’s in August.
The second night and my lap times started to increase due to a combination of the dark and fatigue. I found myself running alone while the rest of the runners had either paired up or split into run/walk strategies where I would pass them and then they’d do the same to me before they’d walk again and I’d go past them , you get the picture. I sort of always ran, in the broadest sense of the word, so it became a tad annoying when you catch runners only for them to then overtake you before they’d start walking and the whole process repeated. If I was feeling better I would have ran quicker to avoid all contact but I was slowing lap by lap and with hindsight should have probably joined one of the walk/run group, even only for company.
One of the benefit of the night is the last few kilometres of the lap , a trail section through what can only be described as Sleepy Hollow. Incredibly creepy in the dark but beautiful in the light and when the sunsets it becomes inspiring. There was a full moon for the event and I was so looking forward to some serious night time hallucinations on the second evening. Not to be though as it was cloudy so the moon was hidden and for some reason this year I had no hallucinations, albeit I was probably on the cusp at 35 hours, another few would have done it. No worries, there’s always Birdy’s. Some runners hallucinate and some don’t , I have had some great visions over the years and they have all been positive, by that I mean not scary, maybe one day that will change? I think its down to what you’re thinking about at the time or just before but don’t quote e on that , I’m not an expert on the subject. Anyhow backyard ultras are great places to enjoy hallucinations due to lack of sleep, think of them as a bonus for running enough laps to make it possible ? Maybe next year I’ll watch ‘the legend of sleepy hollow‘ a few times before the race, should make for an interesting second night ?
The image above is the same location in the daylight, chalk and cheese really. If you get a good sunset it really is a magical place albeit only for the one lap, then it’s back to sleepy hollow mode and you need to look out for headless horseman, with an attitude.
Right as always I have digressed from the race itself. I’m now slowing , around the 30 hour mark and running laps alone with about 7-8 other runners still racing. My crew is doing their best to keep my spirits up but they’re fighting a losing battle. Special mention must go out to Rob Donkersloot who makes several trips to a local 24 hour IGA stores to find me pasta and orange juice and also Michael Hooker who goes home and brings back some wicked homemade soup. I’m not really a soup fan , must to my Wife’s disgust as she is Scottish and they are brought up on the stuff. Michael makes a mean soup though and I may be converted. Also Mark Lommers who is already around at the pointy end and like Rob is a calming influence in the chaos that is a backyard ultra.
The last four laps were a struggle, funny that. My times increased which led to less recovery and eventually more fatigue. On lap 33 my head torch battery gave out and it took me a few minutes to change it. This resulted in me finishing over 58 minutes and change leaving no time for any recovery, straight from the finish chute to the start chute. Mentally I was then done and I knew I was never going to make cut off on lap 35. I struggled around and finished three minutes past the hour, race over.
Thinking back to last year it was at this time the rest of the runners left me and Phil (lap 33 it came down to just the two of us?) and I was very close to pulling out but was unable to after being left in the assist position. Could I have pulled another 2021 Herdy’s finish put of the fire this year ? I’m not sure ? I was certainly better prepared last year , no Delirious in my legs, and conditions were better , nowhere near as humid. Also I think mentally I had dropped the ball for this race before I had even started. Somewhere over the last year that one lap I craved had become less important as more and more races were tackled. Ultimately I wasn’t prepared to dig deep enough to get through the last hours of darkness. I’m actually ok with this, you can’t destroy yourself every race, sometimes you need to do enough and this year I did enough. I was on a group chat with Rob and the rest of the Mindful running group after this event and summed this up by stating I’d rather run 10 mediocre races than one 50 lap backyard ultra. This is because for me I love the competing more than achieving your possible best. This is why I don’t cherry pick events and miss others, at my age I have done that racing marathons for many years. Now I just enjoy races where the main goal is to finish or go as long as possible, time is secondary. It’s more about spending time with like minded people, doing what we love, and for me its the competing now rather than chasing podiums.
So that was it, 34 laps completed and a DNF on lap 35, my first cut off missed which is a positive of sorts. Again I have learnt so much from this experience and will take these new learnings into Birdy’s backyard ultra in August and then the two Adelaide backyard ultras later in the year. I still love the format and it’s the only one where I can still hope to be near the pointy end , at least for a few more. With other goals ahead of me this year I’m excited about the racing calendar and I still have finding that one lap high on my priority list, at least for this year.
A big kudos to some seriously amazing results over the weekend. Jess Smith grabbing a new Australian Women’s record finishing 41 laps, Chris Martin finishing 39 laps before an ankle injury ended his run, Chetan Sadhana running 49 laps and the third longest of any Australian runner and finally Phil Gore winning his fourth backyard ultra in a row and finishing on 50 laps, one short of the Australian record. I am so excited to watch Phil next year at the World Championships in the States, to see how far he really can go.
Finally a huge thankyou to all the volunteers and staff at Tribe and Trail and Ultra Series WA who put on these events. ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) As I always say us runners have it easy, the real hard work is done by the volunteers and I salute you. Another hugely successful event , thankyou so much. Also Bix hydration for keeping me going ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ), love the Bix range of electrolyte tablets. Fisciocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com/ ) for when the quads were needing some fisciocrem magic, this never fails to deliver and it a must for any distance event. The Running Centre for supplying all my running needs. ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) and finally Squirrel Nut Butter ( https://squirrelsnutbutter.com/ ), you know what this is used for and it works, enough said.
Right, that’s Herdy’s frontyard ultra done and dusted for another year I had to work very hard, as usual, and got what I deserved in terms of distance. With Delirious on the cards again next year I now know what to expect at Herdy’s and will prepare myself better for the challenge. Look out Herdy’s , in 2023 I’m finally running that one lap I need.
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Sometimes you use stuff that just feel like it works. Pillar Performance have produced one such range of products. ( https://pillarperformance.com.au/)
The range was founded by Damien Fitzpatrick, a recently retired NSW Waratah which was largely developed in response to the injury challenges Damien faced in his career and the gap he recognised in the market when it came to purposefully formulated micronutrition.
Fitzpatrick’s career was unfortunately better known for the torrid run of injuries he faced, featuring three ACL tears which left his knee highly compromised. Turning to micronutrition – particularly fish oil – was a necessity to prolong his career, avoiding the harmful impacts of long-term anti-inflammatory use. In the twilight of his playing days, Fitzpatrick went about working with some of the sharpest minds in nutritional science and elite sport to develop the PILLAR range.
I used the Magnesium powder and certainly noticed a difference in my recovery, post run. I didn’t feel the build up of fatigue as I increased my training load getting ready for the Delirious West 200 miler in February this year. ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) The proof was in the pudding of course and I managed a negative split in the race , fishing stronger than when I started. A 15 hour PB, yep that’s right 15 hour PB, 68 hours and change , gold buckle run and a 4th place. Of course I can’t say hand on heart it was all down to Pillar products but I certainly trained better with them and the end result was beyond my expectations.
Another product I love is Modex. ( https://www.modexnatural.com/ ) . As with Pillar this is all good, natural ingredients that let you do what you love to do, for longer. I used Modex while training for the Light Horse 24 hour ultra and felt better for it, finishing third clocking up nearly 200 km. As with Pillar I felt it helped me combat the build up of fatigue that all runners sort of get use to, well it seems with these products we don’t have to any more.
My last product is Italian so it must be good.. ( https://humantecar.com/ ) The spray is very good and the bandages are bloody brilliant. I love these products. I know Tribe and Trail sell them but otherwise get them online. Again lots of scientific stuff on the website to get your teeth into but I think these ace !
With all of these products I recommend you go to their websites and do your own research. All I can say is they all do exactly what they said they would and I continue to use all three products.
Note: I was given free samples of each of these but continue to use them at my cost, maybe that’s their marketing strategy ? Well it works…
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The last Sunday before Christmas is traditionally the date for the running of the 6 inch ultra marathon in Dwellingup. ( http://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com/ ) Coming when it does, so close to Christmas, it is just a great time to catch up with good friends before the silly season kicks off and a last chance for a long run before the New Year. Dwellingup itself is a beautiful country town with a local pub that serves great food and just has a wonderful feel and vibe. The town must triple in volume for the weekend of the event and it’s the sort of event where everybody knows everybody and it just works, location, timing and people, a trifecta of good. The boys, and Amy, look forward to it and have done for the last 10 years plus. We always stay at the same location, watch the same video before the race on Saturday night (Run Fatboy Run) and then enjoy the post race entertainment which normally involves a good barbi and/or lunch at the Blue Wren café or the pub, both great options.
Over the years there have been some great stories , most of which are captured or documented on this blog. I’ve had some great runs, some not so great runs normally involving me getting lost but most of all it’s just a great way to end the running year. Dave Kennedy, the Race Director, has just come up with the perfect course, and it is just about perfect, at the perfect time, you get the idea.
The race itself is also sponsored by, among others, the Running Centre ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) so Friday night myself and Barts ambled down to pick up our bibs. As you can see below I was lucky to score the number 1 this year as it was my 12th start and this gave me entry into a small club of two others runners who have completed twelve 6 inch trail ultra marathons, Jon ‘Trail Blazer’ Phillips and Nathan Fawkes. Dave gives out low numbers for the runners who have the most finishes and Barts , like myself, is a long term supporter. He was stoked to get a single digit bib number , made even more special as Jon Pendse has a two digit version.
We normally drive down to Dwellingup early Saturday morning so we can spend the day exploring the local area. Barts will always find a new place to explore and this time was no different. As it tradition with Barts we got lost after visiting the ex-Prisoner of War camp, one of his favourite go-to landmarks. We than travelled off road to another trail loop and yet again nearly found ourselves aimlessly wandering about the Australian outback. As with all things this weekend it’s tradition.
The highlight of this magical mystery tour was a green tree, literally a green tree. We found this worthy of a photo and some classic blue steel stares. Adam is trying hard enough but I don’t think Rob has seen Zoolander ?
As I mentioned earlier we always get the same accommodation and it is , shall we say, functional. You certainly get to feel what a POW would have felt like , which is quite fitting after the POW camp tour earlier in the day. There are 7 of these and a little tip , don’t get the one nearest the toilet , for various reasons. I was the furthest away from the offending area and had Barts in the room next to me, albeit the walls are paper thin and I received a text asking what time I was intending on going to bed, cheeky bugger ! Around 10pm I finally prepared my race uniform for the 10th time and settled down, much to Barts annoyance of course.
The race starts at 4:30am and we stay at the finish so there is a 20-25 minute drive to the start. This year Rob was designated driver and we all piled into Bart’s Prada and off we went. Bar Barts killing a bandicoot the journey to the start was uneventful, pretty eventful for the bandicoot family of course, shame. We arrived with plenty of time, checked in and then drove the short distance to the start, after first emptying most of mine and Adam’s drink bottles onto the carpet of the car, again much to Barts annoyance.
The race this year went to plan. I wanted to try and finish as close to four hours as possible but more importantly enjoy the event rather than flog myself to within an inch of my life, which I have done on multiple occasions at this event. I found myself running with Shane Johnstone , he of Delirious West 200 miler 2021 winner and record holder, who had also decided this was about finishing, not finishing time. Unfortunately I started to really enjoy this new found freedom of just finishing and found myself hemorrhaging positions as I moved back down the pack. When Adam and Matt went past me I knew I would have to make more of an effort as both these guys were targeting times much slower than mine. Thus about halfway I put my foot down and cruised to the finish in a top 20 position and just over four hours, mission accomplished.
Of course I can’t write a post on the 6 inch ultra trail marathon without a shot of me struggling up the escalator. You hit this bad boy of a hill at around 35km and it has ended the race of many 6 inch runners, Mike Kowal is a notable ‘I’ll never go back‘ runner who lost his trail mojo on this hill. We should actually erect a plaque to that affect and maybe put down flowers each time we run it, funnily enough that would be a good tradition as Michael loves his flowers ! As you can see by the size of the ruts it is unrunable and also smaller runners have been known to fall into the larger ruts and lay there waiting for help to get out, Jon Pendse is one of those albeit his cries for help were ignored by Barts who seized the chance to leave him there and step on ! It is a race…
So here is the shot of the day, thanks Rob. Me finishing my twelfth 6 inch ultra thirteen years after my first (it was cancelled one year due to a fire risk/warning) In that time it has grown from a free fat-ass event with less than twenty runners to a quote of 350 runners, which sells out annually, complete with all the bling and memorabilia. It has been a privilege to be a part of this event and watch it grow and if you have never ran it you need to put that right , sooner rather than later.
Another tradition, not to everyone’s liking, is the BK in the Esky shot. This was started on a particularly hot day many years ago and although it upsets a few people you can’t argue with a tradition, can you ? I remember a few years ago I left my head in there too long and got ice burns, I never knew this was a thing !
So to finish off a perfect weekend Dave presented me with my trophy for finishing twelve 6 inch ultras and I look forward to my gold spike for twenty four, or eighteen ? All in all another great adventure with the boys and Amy, and I’m already looking forward to getting lost with Barts next year and of course Run FatBoy Run Saturday night, why wouldn’y you ?
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I had a free entry for the inaugural Hysterical Carnage backyard ultra gifted me by Shaun Kaesler, the pied piper of the Ultra Series WA and SA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) . At the time I was on a high from my 47 laps at Herdys frontyard ultra and gladly accepted the chance to go again. Unfortunately in the mean time the Delirious West 200 miler had been moved to October, due to a COVID outbreak, and the Feral Pig 100 miler was two week before Hysterical. Running Hysterical was now going to be a big ask.
The first race of this trifecta was the Delirious West 200 miler in October. I finished this bad boy of a race in 83 hours but more importantly loved nearly every minute of it and recovered quickly. This allowed to me to run the infamous Feral Pig 100 miler five weeks later. Luckily for me the temperature on the day for the Feral was perfect as in the past it had even been shortened due to extreme heat. This year was about as good as it gets and I poled the whole distance finishing in a respectable 27 hours, well respectable for me as I had DNF’d the previous year. Albeit I have unfinished business with the race as they give out buckles for under 26 hour finishers, I will be back in 2022 for my buckle !
Feral is a hard 100 miler, lots of elevation and heat (usually) and the thought of running a backyard ultra two weeks later did not fill me with joy, more trepidation. Truth be told I had thoughts of quietly ignoring Hysterical, into the too hard basket, but Shaun was not giving up and if you know Shaun you’ll know he’s not one for giving up. He eventually badgered me into booking tickets and before I knew it I was in Adelaide with no2 Daughter Charlotte.
On the plane I was doubting my ability to pull this one off. A 200 miler and a 100 miler in the previous six weeks had left my legs begging for rest but instead I had decided the best thing would be a backyard ultra with thoughts of running deep into the event. Actually Shaun had decided for me, with hindsight. No drama’s, this is what I love and backyard ultra’s are my passion , they give us older runners a platform to compete where normal running events have taken this platform away many years ago. Backyard ultras , as with longer distance ultra races, are as much mental preparation , and preparation in general, than physical conditioning. Of course you need to be physically ready for the challenge but a strong mental attitude is worth more in the longer distance races, giving us older runners a level playing field.
There was a four man WA team for the event. Myself, Phil Gore (the current Australian record holder for backyard ultras) , Renton Hanson and Cheton Sadhana. We also a great support crew comprising Gemma, Phil’s Wife, and one of the UltraSeries WA most illustrious staff members Emma Luscombe. These two were absolutely bloody awesome by the way. We wanted for nothing and I suspect we all went deep into the competition due to their ability to take us in at the end of each lap, broken, and return us to the start line fed, watered and reinvigorated. The WA gazebo was the ‘place to be‘ so to speak and the banter was top level, as well as the tea making skills. Thankyou ladies.
Right the course. It starts with a hill that must be so close to being called a wall, it’s unreal. I walked it in the dark the night before the race with Charlotte and must admit to being a tad intimidated. Funnily enough on the day it’s actually a relief as you know you can’t run it and it’s a nice relaxed start to the loop while also giving you some elevation, which then leads on to more downhill than up for the rest of the 6.7km loop. After the hill you have a kilometre or two of good running before hitting a road which then leads to another incline where you can walk for about 500 metres. The rest of the loop is all running. These two walks are perfectly timed to break up the course but also allow you to come in with a good amount of time at the village if you feel you need it. There’s a nice single track in there as well as a swamp , of sorts, and some good running along the river which is scenic enough to let your mind wander while you enjoy the views. All in all I loved the course and it’s faster than Birdy’s backyard (especially this year with all the mud !) but not as fast as Herdy’s Frontyard, albeit Herdy’s is totally flat and I feel the elevation in Hysterical actually works in your favour breaking up the wear and tear on your leg muscles. The great course , combined with the perfect weather conditions, made the whole event about as good as you could wish for.
The first day passed with any major issues. Gemma and Emma looked after myself and the rest of the WA team and we all just enjoyed the event and meeting new people and making new friends. That’s a thing with backyard ultras , no one is in a real hurry and you get to see everybody back at the start every hour. For a social butterfly like myself it is the prefect event, hell you even get time to dance in between eating and drinking. As this was the inaugural race and with COVID lurking around Australia there wasn’t a massive field so runners soon started to disappear and by 24 hours we were left nine runners. Making 24 hours (100 miles) is the first goal, it’s then 36 hours (150 miles) and finally 48 hours (200 miles). These milestones keep you focused in between dancing, eating and running.
By the time we hit the second night you often found yourself alone with your thoughts and this is one of my favourite times in backyard ultras. You know what you have to do and you just drift away on the course while reconnecting with people in the aid station for 10-15 minutes , every hour. A frantic pit stop involving changing clothes, attending to any injures/niggles , drinking and eating as much as you can stomach, the odd dance and then off you go again, into the abyss alone. It really is a special time in an backyard event, the ‘me time‘ as I call it. It’s not for everyone of course but for me I crave this time and as much as I’m a ‘people person‘ I can still function with me, myself , I.. so to speak. Hysterical has a wonderful ‘swamp’ section that is short enough to just give you a taste of loneness but not too long as you would feel isolated. Running through sunset and sunrise in the swamp was magical with the added bonus of darkness surrounding you late in the evening and encouraging you to drift away with your thoughts or pod cast / music if you so desire.
The 200 kilometre club, the magnificent seven, we managed to get three of the four WA runners into this select group.
We were blessed with perfect conditions during the event with even some light drizzle on the second day to cool you down. Different conditions are good as they allow you to focus on something other than the constant fatigue that you will be experiencing in these events. In a backyard ultra change is good and also an excuse to change your clothing. This is backyard tip 101, always pack more running attire than you think you will need , you’ll be surprised how good a complete change of clothing makes you feel, certainly good enough for a few more laps and this is all about making those’ few more laps‘. Around November in Loxton there is the capability to be very hot and I wonder, if this is the case next year, what that will do for the distances completed, heat is not a backyard ultra runners friend, or any running event truth be told ?
Renton had ran a event PB and was very happy with his effort, as were all of us. He came back and help crew later in the day, team WA. The magnificent seven at 30 laps soon shrank to a all WA trio at 36 laps. Myself, Phil and Cheton managed to reach the next big milestone in a backyard ultra, 150 miles, 36 laps. We were all running comfortable enough but Cheton was having recurring issues with his knee which he had injured per-event. He decided discretion was the better part of valor and pulled the pin at the start of lap 37, mission accomplished. Cheton is young, very mentally strong and will be a force to be reckoned with in these events. He has the right relaxed attitude you need to be successful at backyard ultras, just go about your business quietly and efficiently. Actually the complete opposite of me, I suppose the are many ways to skin a cat ? ( How many of us have tested that theory and not been caught or done jail time , I wonder?)
So lap 37 and it’s down to me and Phil, Herdy’s frontyard ultra all over again. This time though there were a few other issues to be taken into account. Number one I had my youngest daughter with me and I had promised her we’d go and see Adelaide the next day, I’d also promised her I’d pull the pin 13 hours earlier. To her credit she did say she was ready to forego Adelaide and would let me continue but I did feel a tad guilty dragging her to Loxton so she could sit by herself for three days while I ran around enjoying myself. (I say enjoying myself in the broadest sense of the words?) Number two I was only two weeks from finishing the Feral Pig 100 miler, a brutal, and I mean brutal, 100 miler and as such I had no right to be anywhere near the pointy end of this event. Mentally I reckoned I could pull the pin at 37 laps and finish second , or assist, or run through the night and the outcome would be the same. Basically a backyard ultra with Phil Gore is everybody runs as far as they can and then Phil does one more lap and wins ! Number three it was dark, there was no one around and I faced the prospect of a long, lonely night with hallucinations already kicking in. Would I make a PB, probably not and I was more focused on Herdy’s in March to achieve the one extra lap I needed. Add all of these up and it was time to pull the pin and let Phil run the last lap alone. We discussed this on lap 37 and to mark the last lap wore each others tops, me and Phil have spent a lot of time together and I admire him immensely. He is a world class athlete with a bright future and anything I can do to help him along the way I will. Me, I’m just an old bugger who runs a lot, it is fitting that Phil takes the win, his third in 2021.
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I don’t think this post was forwarded to my email subscribers, both of you !! So reposted just in case…
In 2020 I DNF’d the Feral Pig, I got back to the start line, around 126km, but couldn’t muster the energy for the final 36k loop knowing how hard it is. I had trained well enough for the Feral but for some reason on the day I just wasn’t feeling it, I had a lift to the start which at least made me start the event. If I had driven myself I think I may have side stepped the bus to the start line and kept on walking to my car and snuck off home as a DNS. As it was I ended up begrudgingly sitting in the bus regretting my decision and not enjoying the journey as every minute this bus drove south I knew I had to run back, and the bus takes a long time to get to the start, trust me. Anyhow during the day I managed to keep moving forward but after a change of clothes at the start line I just couldn’t envisage completing the DNF loop (as I call it) and so pulled the pin, albeit after completing a twenty minute first kilometre, due to navigation issues.
Funnily enough on the bus this year I sat to next to a young runner , Cameron, who I would run with for most of the event, go figure, I digress. The start really is 40+ runners in the dark forest waiting for midnight to start. Shaun Kaesler was running this year, the owner of Ultra Series WA (and SA) ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) and he got us all in a big circle , turned off all our headlamps and gave us a rousing speech to get us in the right frame of mind for the challenge ahead. I’ll give Shaun his due he really is the pied piper of ultra running in WA, he can inspire the uninspired and make the impossible seem possible, and he does on a regular basis. I hope this pre-start huddle becomes a tradition , which is what normally happens with Shaun, and many runners will be able to feel the togetherness we all felt that night. Looking up at the stars was humbling and to share this with so many like minded people, special, very special.
To make this event even more challenging I had finished the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) only 4 weeks previous so the legs would not be fully recovered. To counter this I decided to use poles from the start and really just enjoy the experience, with time a secondary consideration, this was my final redemption run.
Due to a rookie error I actually started the event 2-3 minutes after everybody else, I had forgot to acquire a GPS on my Coros so had to wait a few minutes before I could start running, if it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen ! Anyhow me and the tail runner eventually started and I moved through the field before bumping into Sergio, Andy and Cam and we formed a group which would stay together for most of the day, bar Sergio who stopped for a sleep and then flew past us about 50k later. Darlene joined us for a few hours before she stopped for some water while we continued on to the first aid station, Sullivan Rocks, at around the 42k mark. This sums up the Feral, the first aid station is marathon distance into the race, after a midnight start, brutal, like the terrain.
Andy, Cam and I spent most of Saturday morning and day together, the three of us rolling through the aid stations and with Andy’s amazing sense of direction never worrying about getting lost, that man really is talented. It makes such a difference running with company and the banter make the miles disappear. For the most part Andy set a perfect pace but if he dropped off I would sneak to the front to keep him honest. Cam was always happy to continue sandwiched between us with a infectious smile. It was Cam’s first 100 miler and he absolutely aced it , that young man has a great ultra running career ahead of him . Andy goes ok as well, just like a finely tuned white diesel van who also doubled as a great source of snickers. The three of us had a great time.
Due to the remoteness of the event there are minimal aid stations for the fist half of the race. Sullivan Rocks is the first at 41.5k then Brookton Highway at 73.5k. After that they are a tad more frequent, Mount Dale carpark ,86.2k, Beraking Campsite, 97.3k, Allen Road bridge 113.4k before returning to the start before the DNF loop at 126.6k. On the DNF loop you have an aid station at the Camel farm you pass through twice (135k and 154.7k) before the last outlying aid station at Kalamunda (144.8k). There are a smattering of drink stops scattered in there as well. This made the event challenging, unlike a 200 miler which feels like an adventure , with better food, the 100 miler feels like a race.
The major selling point of the Feral Pig 100 miler is the scenery and the remoteness of the event. As I said earlier there are few aid stations until well over half way and you start at midnight, a baptism of fire really. By the time you stagger into the first aid station at Sullivan rocks your normally pretty well goosed , before starting back up the granite hill to complete the rest of the event, about another 120km. As with all ultras you go though good and bad times and getting to Brookton Highway is a massive confidence booster. The food here is normally (actually always!) very , very good as Shannon Dale and his tribe provide it. This year was no different, my staple ultra diet of pancakes and bacon was more than enough to raise the spirts and I explored out of this aid station. Well maybe exploded is an over statement, stumbled more like. My quads had started to play up but the food helped and I was able to get into some sort of groove a few kilometres later, cocooned in the Feral train being ably led by Andy.
We caught up with Shaun Kaesler, pre-Brookton Highway, and we all came in together. Pre-aid station we had got into a group of 6-7 runners and the banter flowed while the kilometres melted away before us. The running conditions were just about perfect for November in WA, by this I mean it wasn’t stinking hot which is the norm for that time of year. 2021 will be known for being ‘the cold year‘, albeit it was still probably 22-25 degrees celsius. Shaun went past us later in the day like a scolded cat but I was confident I’d see him again giving his training program is minimal at best, mainly due to the nature of his day job !
Funnily enough what broke up the Feral train was a glib remark from Andy about the possibility of a buckle if you finished quicker then 26 hours. This was just past Allen Road and we had an hour or two of daylight left. As soon as a buckle was mentioned my race changed, all of a sudden finishing was no longer the number one objective, it became something I had no idea even existed a few minutes earlier. Doing some mental math I reckoned I had a chance of a buckle if I put my foot down. We were on part of the bib track I knew very well and was confident I could back to the start quickly. I couldn’t persuade the rest of the Feral train to join me so I set off alone. As I said I have ran from the Perth Discovery Centre to Allen Road and back on numerous times training for the Delirious West 200 miler earlier in the year ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) so was more than happy to tackle it alone, with night falling.
I actually made it back to the start at 8pm and refueled on noodles quickly, ordered at the Allen Road aid station, before setting off into the dark to tackle the DNF (or Death Loop). At this stage I was confident I had more than enough time to make my buckle but I underestimated what was to come and trust me I knew it would be difficult , just not as difficult as it turned out to be.
Fueled on noodles I had my second wind and left the Perth Discovery Centre cock-a-hoop , looking forward to my buckle which at this stage was in the bag as far as I was concerned. I have 6 hours to run just over 30k, how easy would that be. I knew the loop would be hard but 6 hours and I was feeling pretty good, what could go wrong. The night got even better when I caught up with Shaun and his beautiful Wife, and pacer , Sarah five or so kilometres later. Unfortunately for Shaun the chickens had come home to roost and he was paying the piper , big time. He was moving forward but he was in for a long night and he knew it, that’s the Feral though , one minute you think you have tamed the beast and then it comes back to bite you. After I left him and Sarah and continued into the night I wondered what lay ahead for me.
What eventually killed my buckle quest was the next aid station, the Camel Farm. I had arrived feeling quite good having left Shaun in my wake and asked the vollies the distance to the turn around at Kalamunda. In my mind it was a 7-8k stretch but I was informed 9.8k, this destroyed me as I had underestimated the distance for the DNF loop. In my mind is was nearer 32k rather than the 38k it actually was, although the extra 6k doesn’t seem a lot typing this post , at the time it was devastating. My buckle virtually disappeared at that moment and all I could see were chickens coming home to roost and a silly little bloke playing a pipe. As well as the extra 6k it was the terrain ahead of me that would finally break my buckle quest.
The run from the Camel Farm aid station to Kalamunda included two really hard climbs that are virtually unrunable. Add in 24 hours of running before even starting these two climbs and you have the recipe for disaster. The only thing that probably stops runners actually DNF’ing on this loop is you are so close to the finish you just get your head down, adopt the fetal position and take your punishment in the pain box. The climbs were brutal and I use that word a lot for this race but there is no better description. I was alone now and after staggering into the Kalamunda aid station didn’t have much left in the tank for the return to the start. My good friend Shannon Dale was there, him of the pancakes and bacon at Brookton Highway, and he served up some seriously good potatoes which hit the mark, and a cup of sweet tea, my go to drink of choice towards the end of an ultra.
Fed and watered I was unceremoniously kicked out the aid station and I stumbled into the night on the return journey , back to the two climbs but now in reverse. On the way back I bumped into Shaun and Sarah and he hadn’t improved, infact if you could picture death warmed up this would have been Shaun, it wasn’t his best look but he still finished, with minimal training but serious mental strength. Good on ‘ya Shaun. Next I bumped into Andy who was just ahead of Cam (and pacers) , the Feral train, with both runners getting it done and they would finish together.
A highlight of this section of the course was my headlamp dying suddenly, with no moon when it’s dark it’s really dark. I thumbled for my iphone to give me some light so I could change headlamps. Note: always have a backup headlamp, always ! I was helped by another runner and then off I went again, alone into the night. At this point I was approaching my second night of no sleep so was starting to hallucinate. This is an added benefit of ultra running, get to your second night of no sleep and there is a good chance you’ll get to see all sorts of weird stuff, makes the event worthwhile ! I find the second night of an ultra is where the hallucinations begin, (assuming you don’t sleep) and thus far they have always been quite cool, I suppose it would depend on your mindset ?
Into the Camel Farm aid station for another cup of tea and some fruit before the final stage to the start , which would now also be the finish. There were numerous runners coming the other way and I didn’t envy their task ahead but all of them finished. I did bump into Chemie Banger (Jamie), who was running the 100k, but he was happy for me to carry on at my pace.
From the Perth Discovery Centre you cross over the Mundaring Dam , or around it if the dam was shut , which funnily enough at 2am it was ! This meant a lot of stairs which hurt both ways trust me. The dam is a lonely place at 2am with only Kangaroos for company setting off the security lights. I actually got lost running into the Discovery Centre, second guessing the Bib track signs and convincing myself they were wrong, of course they weren’t. Frustrating doesn’t sum up that feeling after nearly 100 miles of knowing you’re a few kilometers from the finish but which direction..? After some back tracking and checking on the GPS software, (thankyou https://www.gaiagps.com/ ) I eventually stumbled into the finish to a rapturous reception from both people still up at just past 3am in the morning. (Note to self, even finish a lot quicker or a lot slower next time, at least in daylight)!
A big shout out to some of the runners who hadn’t even left the Discovery Centre when I finished. These runners were going to run through a second night and finish in daylight. To get to the start line after nearly 30 hours of running and then facing the DNF (Death loop) is absolutely top drawer in the mental toughness stakes. I was sitting opposite John Cooke as he prepared to go out into the dark and take on his demons after DNF’ing the previous year, what an incredible effort. John, like myself, subscribe to Rob Donkersloot and his Mind Focused Running program. I can’t recommend this program enough and his results speak for themselve. ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) In ultra’s the back of the pack runner is the real hero , in my book !
So I finished in just over 27 hours, it was then straight to the warm showers, into a pair of warm pajamas’ and an onesie sleeping bag and to the front seat of my car, took me about ten seconds to fall into a deep sleep.
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In 2020 I DNF’d the Feral Pig, I got back to the start line, around 126km, but couldn’t muster the energy for the final 36k loop knowing how hard it is. I had trained well enough for the Feral but for some reason on the day I just wasn’t feeling it, I had a lift to the start which at least made me start the event. If I had driven myself I think I may have side stepped the bus to the start line and kept on walking to my car and snuck off home as a DNS. As it was I ended up begrudgingly sitting in the bus regretting my decision and not enjoying the journey as every minute this bus drove south I knew I had to run back, and the bus takes a long time to get to the start, trust me. Anyhow during the day I managed to keep moving forward but after a change of clothes at the start line I just couldn’t envisage completing the DNF loop (as I call it) and so pulled the pin, albeit after completing a twenty minute first kilometre, due to navigation issues.
Funnily enough on the bus this year I sat to next to a young runner , Cameron, who I would run with for most of the event, go figure, I digress. The start really is 40+ runners in the dark forest waiting for midnight to start. Shaun Kaesler was running this year, the owner of Ultra Series WA (and SA) ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) and he got us all in a big circle , turned off all our headlamps and gave us a rousing speech to get us in the right frame of mind for the challenge ahead. I’ll give Shaun his due he really is the pied piper of ultra running in WA, he can inspire the uninspired and make the impossible seem possible, and he does on a regular basis. I hope this pre-start huddle becomes a tradition , which is what normally happens with Shaun, and many runners will be able to feel the togetherness we all felt that night. Looking up at the stars was humbling and to share this with so many like minded people, special, very special.
To make this event even more challenging I had finished the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) only 4 weeks previous so the legs would not be fully recovered. To counter this I decided to use poles from the start and really just enjoy the experience, with time a secondary consideration, this was my final redemption run.
Due to a rookie error I actually started the event 2-3 minutes after everybody else, I had forgot to acquire a GPS on my Coros so had to wait a few minutes before I could start running, if it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen ! Anyhow me and the tail runner eventually started and I moved through the field before bumping into Sergio, Andy and Cam and we formed a group which would stay together for most of the day, bar Sergio who stopped for a sleep and then flew past us about 50k later. Darlene joined us for a few hours before she stopped for some water while we continued on to the first aid station, Sullivan Rocks, at around the 42k mark. This sums up the Feral, the first aid station is marathon distance into the race, after a midnight start, brutal, like the terrain.
Andy, Cam and I spent most of Saturday morning and day together, the three of us rolling through the aid stations and with Andy’s amazing sense of direction never worrying about getting lost, that man really is talented. It makes such a difference running with company and the banter make the miles disappear. For the most part Andy set a perfect pace but if he dropped off I would sneak to the front to keep him honest. Cam was always happy to continue sandwiched between us with a infectious smile. It was Cam’s first 100 miler and he absolutely aced it , that young man has a great ultra running career ahead of him . Andy goes ok as well, just like a finely tuned white diesel van who also doubled as a great source of snickers. The three of us had a great time.
Due to the remoteness of the event there are minimal aid stations for the fist half of the race. Sullivan Rocks is the first at 41.5k then Brookton Highway at 73.5k. After that they are a tad more frequent, Mount Dale carpark ,86.2k, Beraking Campsite, 97.3k, Allen Road bridge 113.4k before returning to the start before the DNF loop at 126.6k. On the DNF loop you have an aid station at the Camel farm you pass through twice (135k and 154.7k) before the last outlying aid station at Kalamunda (144.8k). There are a smattering of drink stops scattered in there as well. This made the event challenging, unlike a 200 miler which feels like an adventure , with better food, the 100 miler feels like a race.
The major selling point of the Feral Pig 100 miler is the scenery and the remoteness of the event. As I said earlier there are few aid stations until well over half way and you start at midnight, a baptism of fire really. By the time you stagger into the first aid station at Sullivan rocks your normally pretty well goosed , before starting back up the granite hill to complete the rest of the event, about another 120km. As with all ultras you go though good and bad times and getting to Brookton Highway is a massive confidence booster. The food here is normally (actually always!) very , very good as Shannon Dale and his tribe provide it. This year was no different, my staple ultra diet of pancakes and bacon was more than enough to raise the spirts and I explored out of this aid station. Well maybe exploded is an over statement, stumbled more like. My quads had started to play up but the food helped and I was able to get into some sort of groove a few kilometres later, cocooned in the Feral train being ably led by Andy.
We caught up with Shaun Kaesler, pre-Brookton Highway, and we all came in together. Pre-aid station we had got into a group of 6-7 runners and the banter flowed while the kilometres melted away before us. The running conditions were just about perfect for November in WA, by this I mean it wasn’t stinking hot which is the norm for that time of year. 2021 will be known for being ‘the cold year‘, albeit it was still probably 22-25 degrees celsius. Shaun went past us later in the day like a scolded cat but I was confident I’d see him again giving his training program is minimal at best, mainly due to the nature of his day job !
Funnily enough what broke up the Feral train was a glib remark from Andy about the possibility of a buckle if you finished quicker then 26 hours. This was just past Allen Road and we had an hour or two of daylight left. As soon as a buckle was mentioned my race changed, all of a sudden finishing was no longer the number one objective, it became something I had no idea even existed a few minutes earlier. Doing some mental math I reckoned I had a chance of a buckle if I put my foot down. We were on part of the bib track I knew very well and was confident I could back to the start quickly. I couldn’t persuade the rest of the Feral train to join me so I set off alone. As I said I have ran from the Perth Discovery Centre to Allen Road and back on numerous times training for the Delirious West 200 miler earlier in the year ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) so was more than happy to tackle it alone, with night falling.
I actually made it back to the start at 8pm and refueled on noodles quickly, ordered at the Allen Road aid station, before setting off into the dark to tackle the DNF (or Death Loop). At this stage I was confident I had more than enough time to make my buckle but I underestimated what was to come and trust me I knew it would be difficult , just not as difficult as it turned out to be.
Fueled on noodles I had my second wind and left the Perth Discovery Centre cock-a-hoop , looking forward to my buckle which at this stage was in the bag as far as I was concerned. I have 6 hours to run just over 30k, how easy would that be. I knew the loop would be hard but 6 hours and I was feeling pretty good, what could go wrong. The night got even better when I caught up with Shaun and his beautiful Wife, and pacer , Sarah five or so kilometres later. Unfortunately for Shaun the chickens had come home to roost and he was paying the piper , big time. He was moving forward but he was in for a long night and he knew it, that’s the Feral though , one minute you think you have tamed the beast and then it comes back to bite you. After I left him and Sarah and continued into the night I wondered what lay ahead for me.
What eventually killed my buckle quest was the next aid station, the Camel Farm. I had arrived feeling quite good having left Shaun in my wake and asked the vollies the distance to the turn around at Kalamunda. In my mind it was a 7-8k stretch but I was informed 9.8k, this destroyed me as I had underestimated the distance for the DNF loop. In my mind is was nearer 32k rather than the 38k it actually was, although the extra 6k doesn’t seem a lot typing this post , at the time it was devastating. My buckle virtually disappeared at that moment and all I could see were chickens coming home to roost and a silly little bloke playing a pipe. As well as the extra 6k it was the terrain ahead of me that would finally break my buckle quest.
The run from the Camel Farm aid station to Kalamunda included two really hard climbs that are virtually unrunable. Add in 24 hours of running before even starting these two climbs and you have the recipe for disaster. The only thing that probably stops runners actually DNF’ing on this loop is you are so close to the finish you just get your head down, adopt the fetal position and take your punishment in the pain box. The climbs were brutal and I use that word a lot for this race but there is no better description. I was alone now and after staggering into the Kalamunda aid station didn’t have much left in the tank for the return to the start. My good friend Shannon Dale was there, him of the pancakes and bacon at Brookton Highway, and he served up some seriously good potatoes which hit the mark, and a cup of sweet tea, my go to drink of choice towards the end of an ultra.
Fed and watered I was unceremoniously kicked out the aid station and I stumbled into the night on the return journey , back to the two climbs but now in reverse. On the way back I bumped into Shaun and Sarah and he hadn’t improved, infact if you could picture death warmed up this would have been Shaun, it wasn’t his best look but he still finished, with minimal training but serious mental strength. Good on ‘ya Shaun. Next I bumped into Andy who was just ahead of Cam (and pacers) , the Feral train, with both runners getting it done and they would finish together.
A highlight of this section of the course was my headlamp dying suddenly, with no moon when it’s dark it’s really dark. I thumbled for my iphone to give me some light so I could change headlamps. Note: always have a backup headlamp, always ! I was helped by another runner and then off I went again, alone into the night. At this point I was approaching my second night of no sleep so was starting to hallucinate. This is an added benefit of ultra running, get to your second night of no sleep and there is a good chance you’ll get to see all sorts of weird stuff, makes the event worthwhile ! I find the second night of an ultra is where the hallucinations begin, (assuming you don’t sleep) and thus far they have always been quite cool, I suppose it would depend on your mindset ?
Into the Camel Farm aid station for another cup of tea and some fruit before the final stage to the start , which would now also be the finish. There were numerous runners coming the other way and I didn’t envy their task ahead but all of them finished. I did bump into Chemie Banger (Jamie), who was running the 100k, but he was happy for me to carry on at my pace.
From the Perth Discovery Centre you cross over the Mundaring Dam , or around it if the dam was shut , which funnily enough at 2am it was ! This meant a lot of stairs which hurt both ways trust me. The dam is a lonely place at 2am with only Kangaroos for company setting off the security lights. I actually got lost running into the Discovery Centre, second guessing the Bib track signs and convincing myself they were wrong, of course they weren’t. Frustrating doesn’t sum up that feeling after nearly 100 miles of knowing you’re a few kilometers from the finish but which direction..? After some back tracking and checking on the GPS software, (thankyou https://www.gaiagps.com/ ) I eventually stumbled into the finish to a rapturous reception from both people still up at just past 3am in the morning. (Note to self, even finish a lot quicker or a lot slower next time, at least in daylight)!
A big shout out to some of the runners who hadn’t even left the Discovery Centre when I finished. These runners were going to run through a second night and finish in daylight. To get to the start line after nearly 30 hours of running and then facing the DNF (Death loop) is absolutely top drawer in the mental toughness stakes. I was sitting opposite John Cooke as he prepared to go out into the dark and take on his demons after DNF’ing the previous year, what an incredible effort. John, like myself, subscribe to Rob Donkersloot and his Mind Focused Running program. I can’t recommend this program enough and his results speak for themselve. ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) In ultra’s the back of the pack runner is the real hero , in my book !
So I finished in just over 27 hours, it was then straight to the warm showers, into a pair of warm pajamas’ and an onesie sleeping bag and to the front seat of my car, took me about ten seconds to fall into a deep sleep.
Finally don’t forget 20% of humantecar products this month only, perfect Christmas present for the runner in your life.
I am a big fan of this product and have reached out to the distributor and got a 20% discount code until the end of the year. If you go to the Australian website (below) you can get 20% off the spray and recovery bandages, use the code runbkrun21
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
These posts have taken far longer than expected. Since finishing Delirious I have ran the Feral Pig 100 miler and came second at the inaugural Hysterical Carnage backyard Ultra. It’s been a busy few months and I’ve enjoyed each event immensely.
Right back to Delirious , after Conspicuous beach myself and Adam really put a wiggle on and caught so many runners, albeit mainly women to start with and mostly injured women. In the end we managed to catch a few injured men including Felix who I mention in one of the videos, again only because he injured himself. I felt good and left Adam towards the end of the day as he was having issues with his calf/ankle, I can’t remember now. I was chasing Paul ‘Hopi’ Hopwood, not realising the man is a living legend and way outside my talent pool ! Anyhow the day was just ace, that is the only term I can use. Scenery, ace, how I was feeling, ace and crew, ace. What a day. I did get lost just before Monkey Rocks aid station and Paul and I together managed to find our way to the aid station together where I decided to wait for Adam, who had called ahead and asked that I wait for him. Also Gazza had cooked a steak with eggs, be a shame to rush it ? I took advantage of the situation with a 30 minute Nano-nap, that also felt ace.
From Monkey Rock to Denmark is not a nice section of the race, in fact it was probably the worst. Monkey Rocks is steep, very steep and just about unrun-able. (is that a word?). It was also wet and Adam and I both stacked it on the wet granite boulders. We both landed heavily on our ribs and this would come back and bite one of us badly the next day. After negotiating Monkey Rocks, and I mean negotiating, there is stories of runners , even with pacers, who have ran up to the top of Monkey Rocks , got disorientated and ran back to the start. Running it in the dark I can believe this is very possible, it all looks so similar. There is also stories of runners who have got completely lost and ran their Wife, on a different continent, in an attempt to get rescued. After you eventually get over the rocks you then stumble into Denmark and run through the backstreets to the sleep station. Uninspiring running at 1am in the drizzle trust me. When we got to the sleep station at Denmark I got on the pajamas, noise cancelling headphones , facemask and instantly drifted off into a deep sleep for nearly three hours, bliss.
We set the alarm for 4:30am so we could get a 5am lift to the final start point on day four of this adventure. In the good old days it use to be a boat across the inlet but HSE have put an end to this and now its a 20 minute car ride. No worries , a quick shower, change of clothes and I was ready for the final day. Myself and Adam felt great for the first 3-4km and then Adam’s race came to an abrupt end, well the running part anyhow. Unbeknownst to him he had fractured his ribs the previous night traversing Monkey Rocks and what he initially thought was a bad stitch was his fractured rib letting him know it would be a long day on the trail and all running was to cease immediately. Of course I did was all good friends do when their fellow runners show weakness, I accelerated away and never looked back. Adam would eventually finish 6-7 hours behind me but only due to his injury and he was still smiling , from the first step to the last, or maybe more of a grimace than a smile at the end, what a bloody legend !
The last day is a couple of long stretches between aid stations and then a couple of short legs and you’re done. Once you get to the second aid station of the day you’re as good as done. I got a couple of runners early and then just kept moving forward. I was alone but the end was in sight so just kept putting one foot infront of the other. I was feeling ok early on and as the day went on and I could see I had a chance of finishing before sunset I started to feel better , and the pace increased.
I even managed to catch Paul ‘Hopi’ Hopwood at the last aid station, less than 10k from the finish, and we both ran through it in full racing mode, after nearly 330km’s of running ! I raced Paul for about 2k before my head gasket blew completely and he left me to finish one place ahead of me in 8th overall. Looking back it was madness to try and race Paul and the better option would have been a gentle jog to the finish together but , hey, it’s a race and both of us are stubborn old runners with a rich history of racing, it’s in our blood ! Fair play, he kicked my backside royally albeit in my defense I knew not of his legendary history and status and if I had would have accepted his offer of a easy jog to the finish with both hands. I blame Rob Donkersloot for revving me up.
….
Of course there was beer at the end of the event. Great pub with great company and I managed three pints of Guinness and a shooter to celebrate Darlene and Shannon new grandchild, number 104 I think?, but by about 10pm it was time to me to exit stage right and sleep, and boy did I sleep good ! So to sum up the Delirious West 2021 was just ace, great race, great company, great support and I can’t wait to do it all again in February 2022, and beyond. It really is a race that defines you and lets you see what you can achieve, albeit with a great support crew and live marin. ? I say race but its more than that really, a three to four day adventure where you can strip yourself bare and rebuild yourself into what you want, albeit for the journey. It’s up to you how you take that forward in life but it does change you for the better and that is all we can do.
I need to thank so many people , the list is just too bloody large but my crew were just biblical, Gazza and Alex will always have a place in my heart, team BK ! Adam for putting up with me for well over 200 kilometres and would have been there at the end bar a fractured rib , my hero. Rob Donkersloot for training my mind , the one missing piece of this ultra runners arsenal. All the volunteers at the aid stations and anybody who gave up their time to help at this event, you are the true heroes of the piece, so , so very grateful. All the positive people you meet on the run, Bart’s, Marty, Wil, Frank, Wayne, Amanda, Shannon, Nats, Alan, Sue, Michael H., Nathan, the Race Directors and paramedics. Fellow runners , all of you ! The Northcliffe Hotel staff and owners and of course the chef’s who produced the waffle breakfast to end all breakfasts ! Anybody who knows me and anybody who has read this far, thankyou. Shaun Kaesler, the maker of dreams, never has that statement been more true. Eve for taking on the challenge at such short notice and acing this race, unbelievable. Finally to my long suffering Wife and kids who let me loose on these adventures, there are no words to express my gratitude and love.
Until next year…
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I am a big fan of this product and have reached out to the distributor and got a 20% discount code until the end of the year. If you go to the Australian website (below) you can get 20% off the spray and recovery bandages, use the code runbkrun21
Some information from the supplier :-
If you need more detailed information go to the main website https://humantecar.com/en/ which goes into more detail but it has some pretty powerful advocates as mentioned above.
I have used the spray and the bandages on many occasions and genuinely felt better for it. The first time I tried the bandages was after I ran for 47 hours at Birdy’s Frontyard Ultra. As you can imagine I was a tad sore the next day so a perfect chance to try the bandages and they didn’t disappoint. No 1 Wife wasn’t that excited about the smell but I reckon it was sweet, hey come on these things were invented in Italy, if I can smell like an Italian Stallion that’s cool with me.
All joking aside these products do exactly what they say they do and that’s help runners keep running so in my book its money well spent. Please note I have received nothing for this promotion bar the good feeling of knowing I may have helped a few more runners take advantage of these great products, and save a few dollars as well.
From the Australian Website:-
The human story behind Human Tecar® in Australia
02 March 2020
A lot of people ask about the story behind Human Tecar’s arrival in Australia.
Well, this is our story…
It was mid-2018 and we were off to see my wife’s family in Italy. As with any family trip, there was a lot to plan. For us, there was also a lot to consider.
You see, my wife sees a physio once (sometimes twice) a week to keep things in check—manual therapies, dry needling, pilates. Unfortunately, it’s been this way for most of her adult life. Her body is a volatile combo of fibromyalgia, chronic neck/back issues, migraines, and auto-immune disease.
So as part of our planning, I had my wife’s physio notes translated into Italian before we left (just in case).
When the holiday became reality, it had its usual challenges: long flights, delayed flights, uncomfortable hotel beds, and loads of luggage.
After about twelve days, it all caught up with my wife. She was now confined to our hotel room—curtains closed to keep out the light; her back and neck seized; and migraines taking hold.
The hotel gave us the address for a local physio. The clinic was about twenty minutes drive away and if my wife’s situation wasn’t bad enough, me driving in Italy was only making things worse.
When we arrived, we shared our pre-prepared physio notes. And thanks to Google Translate, we were able to engage in some basic two-way conversation.
The physio kept referring to ‘Human Tecar’. We’d never heard of it. But by this time—and in this situation—we didn’t have much choice.
I left my wife to finish the treatment and I waited in reception with our son. When my wife walked out, she had tears in her eyes.
My first thought: the treatment hadn’t worked.
My second thought: what do we do now with two weeks left in Italy?Fortunately, those overwhelming emotions were good ones. The tears dried and I could see the life back in her eyes.
My wife hugged the physio goodbye. I souvenired a business card from the front desk. And we went back to being tourists again.
The treatment remained stable. We finished the next two weeks of our family trip and arrived back in Australia keen to pursue this ‘new’ technology.
Upon returning home to Perth, we enthusiastically shared the experience with my wife’s physio. He’d never heard of it.
I reverted (as you do) to Google. The search results suggested Australia had ever heard of it either.
Still intrigued, I contacted my wife’s cousin back in Rome who (coincidentally) coaches track and field. He answered my query with the kind of tone that suggests I really didn’t do enough research…
“John, everyone knows Human Tecar.”Well, as we now know, not everyone does.So I went straight to the source: reaching out to Human Tecar’s head office in Italy. I started the conversation around Human Tecar’s presence (or current absence) in the Australian market.
“Why are we yet to see Human Tecar in Australia?”
In a nutshell, compared to big global medtech companies, you could say Human Tecar is a ‘boutique’ company. After 25 years, it is still run by its passionate founder, Mario Scerri. Mr Scerri and his team of specialists maintain a very personal relationship with the athletes and medical professionals they work with—and they take the same approach with their distributors.
Historically, much of their focus has been direct with elite sporting organisations and athletes—Ferrari Racing, Atletico Madrid, Nike, Adidas, INSEP, etc, etc. The frontline of professional sport has always been the ultimate proving ground for Human Tecar; fine-tuned environments where recovery and (p)rehab can make or break careers.
And back to my point about Australia…
Well honestly, we were simply a country that hadn’t yet been considered. Compared to the USA, China and the rest of western Europe, our market is relatively small. To complicate things, our regulatory body is one of the strictest in the world.
Despite its market challenges, the team at Italy’s head office spoke highly about the Australian physio industry. And the prospect of actually seeing Human Tecar Down Under was something that Mario Scerri himself was quite excited about.
So what began as a conversation around Human Tecar for my wife, soon became a conversation around Human Tecar for Australia.
As the company shared more behind-the-scenes information, we began to learn more and more about Human Tecar’s case studies with athletes.
And when they talk about athletes, it’s not about sponsorships or ambassador roles. It’s about some of the most remarkable success stories in modern sport, including Usain Bolt’s career-defining hamstring injury (and recovery) in the lead up to Rio.
So what began as a random holiday experience in a small Italian village quickly developed into a greater appreciation for Human Tecar and its capabilities in physiotherapy, rehabilitation, S&C and high performance.
Getting a greater understanding of the ‘bigger picture’ led to the launch of our company, Athleticus.
By early 2019, our budding Australian company would go on to establish the first partnership with Human Tecar in the Southern Hemisphere.
In April 2019, we launched Human Tecar in Australia, with Human Tecar’s Sports & Strength Recovery Specialist, Cristian Martinelli, flying in from Italy.
Representing Athleticus at the launch was our lead physio and trainer, Mattia Fredella (ex-CONI in Rome and trained by Human Tecar’s academy in Italy).
Joining our team in Brisbane were Nathan Carloss (Integrated Physio Centre) and Thomas Harvey (Recovery Science) – both of whom were trained on Human Tecar’s suite of technology by Mr. Martinelli.
Speaking that evening was our guest, Nigel Smith from Brisbane Sports & Spinal Physiotherapy. Nigel presented an insight into his recent PhD thesis that researched the prevalence of hamstring injuries in elite football players.
Socceroo, Brett Holman, also took the mic to share his own personal story overcoming injuries in elite sport. His time playing in Holland exposed him to Human Tecar where the technology was an integral part of the club’s rehab, recovery, and strength & conditioning programmes.
Although it is still very early days for us here in Australia, our team has already followed in the footsteps of Human Tecar on the world stage, proving the effectiveness of the technology with some of Australia’s most respected athletes. There have also been recent opportunities where the Athleticus team has worked alongside visiting physio and medical teams from the world’s best international athletes.
And now, with each new day, the story goes on…
If you want to find out more about the Human Tecar story in Australia, shoot me an email via petkovic@athleticus.com.au or feel free to give me a call on 0418 742 551.
•
Written by John Petkovic
Founder of Athleticus
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Right I left you with myself and Adam at Broke Inlet Road, around 88k in. Last year I was broken by this point, excuse the pun, with the quads just about to seize up completely. It was dark and I was hungry, unprepared and unsupported, it was never going to end well and a few hours later I pulled the pin.
This year was a different story, I had had a great days running and my support crew had prepared a hearty dinner , change of shoes, clothes and had me up and about ready to face the next leg, which we knew would be dark and very wet ! Me and Adam set off into the darkness excited about what lay ahead albeit with a touch of trepidation knowing it would be a difficult 20k to my nemesis, Mandalay Beach. The two videos below show how wet it was !
Funnily enough Adam and I enjoyed this part of the course. Ok, it was incredibly wet but it was all part of the adventure that is Delirious, just walking 20k through ankle deep water in the middle of the night, where else would you rather be. Eventually we got to Mandalay and decided it was time for a break, it was late and we’d been on the go since 7am that morning. I’m not sure what time we left Mandalay but I know the next stage to Mount Clare was a slog, lots of sand, wind and hard climbs but again it was just ace because it was so hard and like nothing we had ran before. The wind made it more rugged, brutal but also it focused the mind. There was no one else around of course, just Adam and I and our head torches moving forward into the night with the waves crashing around us.
As Adam remarked I was now in uncharted territory after not making it out of Mandalay the previous year. It was a slog to Mount Clare and the climb to the aid station was more like an ascent rather than a run, the hill was steep and long and we both needed more time to recoup at the next aid station. Both of us fell into our reclining chairs, grabbed some food and then closed out eyes while being wrapped up in warm blankets by our crew. We both had about 15-20 minutes of quiet time before moving onto Warpole where we knew there was a sleep station and although it would mean sleeping in the day we had to take some time out.
We got to Warpole around 10am and decided we’d have a two hour sleep, there was beds, showers , toilets and we took advantage of all of these. I had a great two hours sleep and even got a massage from Myree before setting off to the next aid station, Giant Tingle Tree. It was wet and steep, that about sums it up. Beautiful scenery mind but testing conditions. Totally different to what had come before, which is what makes this event so special, each day has something different, terrain wise, to tackle.
That’s enough for this post… one more to go..
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