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The Great Trail relay…

Vlad Ixel, him of You Tube fame :-  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCikqAT5S16931CQN_tC7EtQ came up with the concept of a trail relay while working in Hong Kong and it proved to be a big hit in Asia. Working with the Ultra Series WA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) and the RD from hell Shaun Kaesler,  the two decided you put the concept to the test on Australian shores for the first time. It’s a simple concept, you find like minded runners and join a team of 2 or 4 and together run a 100k loop. ( https://thegreatrelays.com.au/ ) Chuck in a baton to be passed between team members and a gnarly 2.5k trail loop and you have the makings of a great day out.  A team of 4 would run 10 laps each equating to 25k each (40 2.5k laps = 100k, simple really.). A team of two would have to run 20 laps, equating to 50k each.  There’d be mixed and all male or female teams. This will probably be the last time there is only three categories in the crazy , and diverse, world we all now live in.

So me, Rob, Adam and Mark all got together and formed ‘Broken Birdy’s‘  as we had all ran Birdys Backyard Ultra two weeks prior and trust me people we were broken ! ( https://birdysbackyardultra.com.au/ )

 

The start and finish chute.

As the image below shows we were all smiles pre-start and this seems to be the case at all events lately. Lots of banter and laughst before the eventual onset of pain, that is ultra running really in between eating and drinking of course. We even managed to get a gold baton which we took as a sign of sure fire success, unfortunately not to be .

As this was a new event we set ourselves our normal lofty goal which we would fail to achieve, as is our way. This time it was a sub 7 hour 100k time. This seemed reasonable enough until we ran the 2.5k loop and realised it was a tad more testing than we first thought ! Actually it was a beast of a loop with a start designed to make you and the ground become firm friends, undulating and unforgiving surfaces , a hill or two and the constant threat of ‘stacking it’. Also you had to run the loop 10 times with a 30 minute or so break inbetween each loop for your legs to seize up. I’m not selling this am I ! In the end it was as hard as I just made it out to be… funny that.

 

Team Broken Birdy’s, all smiles at the start.

I chose to go first and lead out the team and my goal was a sub 10 minute loop, 4min/k pace average. I had not actually ran the loop and decided to try out my Nike Vaporflys to see if these would help, as I mentioned in the previous few paragraphs this was a flawed plan and I was soon to realise why.  Vaporfly’s are not built for trails or tight corners, this loop was both of those things. This was to be my only loop in fly’s ! Truth be told I was lucky to survive unscathed and on one corner had to virtually stop running before I could turn around, not a good look .  I still managed to finish in the top five teams and gave the guys a chance to cement this position , which we did throughout the day.

Probably the fastest I ran all day, the first 100 metres !

The best part of this trail relay is without doubt the relaxing , or recuperating, between loops. We had all purchased our reclining chairs from BCF (https://www.bcf.com.au/ ) and were the envy of the rest of the field. As you can see from the image below we had an ideal viewing point and took to this task with great gusto. There’s also a great atmosphere around the place as everybody cheers on their respective teams as well as mingling with other opposition runners, its a bit of a party atmosphere really.

 

The best bit about a relay is the ‘relaxing’…we actually became quite good at it.

Most of the day we were sitting just outside the top three team in the all male category. I say just outside, probably by about an hour in the end. The top three teams seem to be very young, very fit and very fast, we were neither of these of course. We managed to finally overtake the team ahead of us in fourth towards the end of the event, I think we just wore them down. Luckily they were sitting right opposite us allowing us to keep them under close surveillance during the day. Personally I knew who I was racing each loop and we became quite adept at finding each other , albeit he normally caught me each loop but as the race went on the lads got me to a position where I had enough of a head start to maintain my position.   We’ve laid down the gauntlet to this team in January for the road version of this event, note to self , do some speed work !

Keeping an eye on our competition…

Final image of the lads in the best reclining chairs waiting for Rob. He wasn’t actually that slow and probably was the most consistent runner of the day, albeit not consistently fast. Mark started quick and then injury slowed him down, Adam started quick and did very well , bar the last few laps while I started quick , slowed in the middle and finished well enough…  all be it nowhere near my pre-race predicted times. It was a wake up call but in our defence we had all ran Birdy’s two weeks prior and the legs were nowhere need ready for this. A top 5 finish was a very respectable outcome.

Waiting for Rob became draining..

So to the winners (or top 5 finishers) go the spoils, or in this case beer Jeff managed to sneak into the event. The boys certainly cheers up when the beer arrives but that’s the point of these events isn’t it, to allow yourself to drink beet at the end. ? I settled for deep fried chicken and chips treat with lashings of salt, listening to my body of course.  Trust me after the 8 hour event it tasted as good as it sounds !

Finished, finally… probably the longest time to ever run a 25k race !

Medals from Shaun Kaesler and a photo with the two best MC’s in Perth and that was that, job done, the Great Trail Relay ticked off and what an event.  The best part is there is a road version in January in my back yard at Perry Lakes in Perth, so excited.

Shaun and probably the best two MC’s I’ve ever heard at a running event, sorry Raf !

Couldn’t leave without a photo of the Broken Birdy’s relay team , resplendent with their medals and beers (I’d eaten my deep friend chicken by then!) sitting on their BCF recliners, a perfect shot to end a perfect day. Rob, Myself, Adam and Mark, top 5 finish and already talking of going sub 7 hours at the road version next year, wanna’ race ? See you at Perry Lakes in January.

Done and dusted, back to the recliners with medals.

 

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Birdy’s backyard Ultra.. wow, just wow !

A few weeks ago I ran Birdy’s Backyard Ultra ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/1426023810880131 , )  the sister event to Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra ( https://herdysfrontyard.com.au/  ) where I ran 47 laps for an Australian record. I went into the event with no clear plan really , just wanted to have fun with my mates and boy did it deliver.! The event is just outside Darken in Western Australia, a 3-4 hour drive from Perth, around Lake Towerrining. The weeks before had been wet and windy but for the weekend we were blessed with perfect conditions, how does Shaun Kaesler , the Ultra Series WA owner, ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) do it ! (For background on the Backyard Ultra movement check out this website https://backyardultra.com/ )

The team arrived Thursday and being a boys weekend away we were straight onto the nearest pub which,  after consulting google, we found to be in Darken, a mere 25 kilometers away and they served pizza, perfect!  If you ever find yourself driving through Darken I recommend you keep driving, I’ll leave it at that. The boys taking on Birdy’s this year consisted of Rob, Adam, Bart’s , Mark and Dav, all in the photos below bar Bart’s who had to leave work later and went straight to the camp grounds.

Darken pub..there are no words !

We awoke Friday to perfect conditions, no wind, not too cold and with the promise of warmer conditions to come. It was going to be a great weekend.  Last year started perfect but got very windy on Saturday (Jon so nearly lost his tent!, so funny!) and was incredibly cold on Friday night. This weekend would be better, weather wise but unfortunately not under foot as we were about to find out.  Due to flooding the course had to be changed from last year and this would come back and bite us later in the day and over the event. Shaun had to take out a good one kilometre of quality running trail and replaced it with a swamp that got worse every lap, fun to run but the terrain took it out of your legs an also ate away at your rest time, lap on lap. More on this later.

Friday morning, a beautiful start to the day and the camp is ready.

So the lads awoke and started taking selfies, what else is there to do before a last man standing event ? That’s the thing with these events because it really is more social than mental at the start,  everybody is full of the joys of spring, no real pressure. This does change as the race wears on but for the moment enjoy the start and the first few laps, they are all about just enjoying running around laps with like minded runners having a blast. As you can see from the images below there ain’t no suffering going down or the nervous energy you feel before a marathon or normal ultra, just lots of happy smiling runners.  We even stopped for a selfie on the first lap, where else can you do that when racing , priceless. Ultimately of course we had to start to put in the hard yards given the harder course, making rest time limited.

It’s selfie time for the boys…

So what was the goal going into Birdy’s ? At Herdy’s I’d managed 47 laps but that was in March when I was fitter than a butchers dog due to a three month window of serious Delirious training. ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) Due to the cancellation of the 200 miler I used all my fitness racing Herdy’s. Since then I had ran a 24 hour race  ( 5 weeks after Herdy’s) and a 100km trail race (2 weeks the 24 hour race) after which had emptied the batteries. Too many races and not enough recovery or training had left me depleted, so to speak. I knew I wasn’t fit enough for another top 2 finish at Birdy’s but was hoping to beat my 24 hours I ran last year. (Truth be told I could have gone on last year but no1 Wife insisted I came home Saturday for baby sitting duties with my kids!)  All the boys had their own goals and for the most part they achieved them or there about.  (all bar Bart’s but we’ll leave that to another day.)

As with all backyard ultras the first few laps are ridiculously easy , you can find yourself finishing in 35 minutes and then sitting around for 25 minutes before returning to the start line. Birdy’s though was harder this year. Due to flooding a good part of the old course was about a foot underwater, this meant a course change which involved taking out a good one kilometre of good runable trail and replacing it with swamp trails. There was also a 500m section of wet meadow and mud and I mean wet meadow and mud ! This of course got worse with 200 runners trampling through it on the hour, every hour. Luckily I had packed four changes of trail shoes and 8-10 pair of socks, which I would need.

Another obstacle was the bridge which had grown from the previous year as the gap had become larger due to the flooding issues. We were told by Shaun only three people at a time , we all obviously ignored this or changed the scope to ‘three people at a time on any one part of the bridge’, which meant a free for all.!!!

 

Three people at a time.. sort of ? The winner Phil Gore sporting a great BK top , pure gold.

Images below show the bridge in all’s it glory as well as some of the running terrain which truth be told look better than it actually was. My mate Ben , the lead runner in the image top right  below, loved the mud and considers himself a ‘trail pig‘ , I’m a ‘concrete show pony’ and tip toed around like a girl. (I’m not sure I can say that these days but you get the picture, sorry girls !)

 

Various shots of the course and the infamous bridge.

Back to the race. The first 8 laps from 10am to dusk at 6pm were just plain fun albeit we all noticed the time resting was significantly less than the previous year due to the course change and the swamp ! Once the head torches went on the real race begins, surviving the night and the temperatures that come with it. I’ve always said the hardest part of any last man standing event is getting through the night and ultimately the 2am to dawn period, this is where your body is screaming for sleep and turns up fatigue to try and persuade you to stop.  This year it was even harder as it seemed you would sit down and then instantly hear the song for the 5 minute warning, no time to catch your thoughts or get enough food and drink inside you. Over the course of the evening this became a real mental challenge as well as a physical one with the freezing conditions.  All the boys left me before dawn but each of them had achieved their goal or close enough to justify the adventure. Well done lads.

Saturday morning and it’s still fecking cold !

Ultimately if you can get through the night as soon as dawn hits you’re good for another 4-6 hours minimum. As you can see from the images above it’s still cold but the temperature soon started to warm up after we ran 24 laps and hit the 100 miles.  Top right in the image above is the 100 mile runners, a few more than last year but given the extra starters not as many as we thought. I’m putting this down to the harder course and thus less time to prepare for the next lap, and it was cold !

So why are backyard ultra’s so much fun, easy really it’s about restarting the race on the hour every hour so you are continually meeting your friends and running with them , rather than just a quick meet and greet on the start line and then many hours later a high five at the end. An added bonus is you aren’t pushing yourself in the red zone continually so you also have some fuel in the tank which makes the whole process more enjoyable. How many runners smile, swap jokes, take selfies and banter while competing ? Very few, normally you are continually watching the clock and in the zone so to speak, no time for high jinks or selfies. A backyard ultra , to start with , is just the best time to spend with your mates. It really is that simple. Of course when you start to hit the big numbers later in the event and your friends start to drop off it becomes more of a personal journey but the only person you then compete with is yourself. Unless you win you will DNF but it is you who decides when that will be, no one else. The race itself is thus two fold, initially a long fun run with your mates before the real journey begins and you find your limits, if you so choose. I do go on about these events but with over twenty years competing in events of all distances nothing comes close to these, I just wish they were around my whole career !

Another concept Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell  has is the Race For the Ages which also appeals. In this race you have as many hours to run as your age and you work backwards from the finish. So for me Id have 54 hours to run and thus would start 54 hours before the end, a 40 year old runner would start 14 hours after me again finishing 40 hours later. This handicap system makes the race interesting for all and is normally won by fit 60+ year old  runners because not how quicker a 40 year old may be the extra 20 hours is too much to overcome. (Here’s a good post about a 74 year old winner in the states https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a28926593/a-race-for-the-ages-bob-becker/ )

Right, back to the race. The night running was difficult and cold with the head torches not helping on the uneven ground and swamp areas where you had to work hard to keep your footing and avoid diving headfirst into the surrounding water. This compounded the problem with rest between laps as your lap times blew out because if you maintained your daylight pace you’d ‘come a ‘cropper’.  The 11 hours of darkness, combined with the various milestone during the evening,  made the drop our rate accelerate and by daylight we were down to less than 20 runners from the starting 200.  I encouraged as many runners a possible with promises of a different race when the sun pokes its head about the horizon but the darkness tests your resolve and after 3am your body is screaming for sleep and rest. Maybe sitting down in the early morning is counter productive because it is so easy to stay sitting when you hear the call to the start.  The cold didn’t help of course and made the initial kilometre a challenge albeit with my thermal , running jacket and full length skins I soon warmed up and the second half of the loop was never a problem.

Images supplied by Astrid Volzke

Hitting 24 hours is a big deal at a backyard ultra event, it’s 100 miles , a miler as we call them.  Last year I saved my best laps for the laps 20 to 24 as my goal was 24 hours before returning home to babysit my many daughters. My lap times were low thirty minutes and I felt fresh as a daisy as I finished lap 24 second behind Michael Hooker.  This year it was a different story and lap 24 was a slog as I stumbled in near the back of the field close to 50 minutes.  The image below shows me and Justin finishing together , in perfect simentary, last year and finishing alone this year at the back of the pack, albeit still smiling.  As I have mentioned previously I’m putting this down to the harder course sapping my legs and also a fitness base that has never fully recovered from some serious beatings taken earlier in the year. Whatever the reason it was a relief to hit 24 hours knowing I was on course for a course PB at a minimum, lap on lap.

 

The 100 milers (far left), with Justin and I finishing last year( top right) and me alone (bottom right).

I struggled on from lap 24 and managed to run four more laps before pulling the pin at the start of lap 29 with my mate Charles. We were both just scarping in by this time and although we didn’t time out this was inevitable and with Delirious West in 7 weeks I decided it was time to save the legs for the bigger picture. Truth be told my quads were destroyed, too much tip toeing around the swamp eventually this came back to bite me. Maybe a better nutrition or hydration strategy would have helped, actually any strategy would have helped. Towards the end of the race I certainly wasn’t  eating and drinking enough  between laps , in the end this will come back and kick you in the balls. (so to speak) .

Ring the DNF bell after 28 hours (laps) with Charles. Top right, refusing to move until I am given a cup of tea. Bottom right, waiting for my DNF spoon.

So what is the take away from Birdies Backyard Ultra ? Overall I’d say I’d give myself a B+. I managed to run further than last year but it was  much, much harder. I’m putting this down to the harder course and less recovery time, together with the quads destroying swamp and wet sections of the course. Throughout the event I struggled with fitness and towards the end really worked very hard to finish pre-50 minutes or worse. Could I have ran further ? That’s a tough question that every runner will always ask themselves after running a last man standing event. Most runners probably think they could have and unless you were carried over the line you probably could have, or collapsed over the line similar to Phil in 2019, he left it all and more besides on the course. It is always easy sitting at your computer, weeks later, writing a post to believe you could have gone so much further but really the decision is made on the day and you need to live with that decision. I’m happy enough with a top 10 finish and 28 laps, I came away with so many fond memories and had a good time on the boys weekend away, the actual race was secondary.  Looking forward I have learned more valuable lessons will I will take to Herdy’s Front yard Ultra  ( https://herdysfrontyard.com.au/ ) next year where I search for that elusive one lap I need, albeit I need to run 47 laps to get to that lap!

Finally a massive  congratulations to Phil Gore and Michael Hooker who ran 51/50 laps and set a new Australian Record in the process. These guys had 12 hours on the rest of the field and were only beaten when Plantar Fasciitis got the better of Michael and he had to pull the pin. Until then we were predicting a massive result. Both these boys will compete on the World Stage in the next couple of years , remember their names, legends in the waiting. (as well as Team Gore of course!)

The King surveys his kingdom..Phil loves his pot noodles.. maybe that’s his secret ?

..and one more thankyou to the race director(s), volunteers and everybody who did their bit to make this event so special. The Ultra Series WA is one special bunch of runners, every one of them a true champion. ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) and I couldn’t finish with out a huge thankyou to my main man Gazza, the most upbeat, attentive crew a runner could ever need, perfect in most ways bar making tea, he really, really sucks at making tea !! Love you big fella. ! ..and one final shout out to the boys and all my friends who made the weekend so very, very special. These weekends are all about remembering what’s it’s like to be 18 years old again, without the drinking but with as much laughing and high jinks, actually probably more laughing and high jinks !! We’re like 18 year old kids with money, dangerous ! I am counting the days until Birdy’s 2022….. we may even give the Darken tavern another chance. (I hope they don’t read this ?)

 

Legends , one and all.

 

 

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Racing trains is so much fun .. Choo Choo 2021

One of the last groups to leave at the start

The Choo Choo run has been going for around 10 years, a Simon Coates idea,  but its been more of an underground run until last year when Irwin Swinny put out the word and the runners came, in droves. This year was no different and what a turn out.  When we arrived at North Dandelup train station it looked like a car park at a mall in Christmas, cars everywhere. I have no idea what the locals thought, I reckon we doubled the population of Dandelup that morning ! (Funnily enough I have no idea why the station is called North Dandelup, trust me there’s no South, West or East Dandalup, it really is a one horse town and probably a pit pony at that !)

The image above is not the passenger train returning to Perth but an commercial train, probably mining,  with about 100 carriages, estimated ! It was starting to get light before the last carriage passed us. In Australia we do big trains ! Great selfie by Mark to capture the image by the way.

This year we aired on side of caution and decided we were all nowhere near our fitness levels of last year so left just past 7am , giving us just over 3 hours for the 33k trail run. In our defence it had been raining for like weeks and the trail was going to be soft underfoot. No record breaking times this year and this seemed to be the case for all runners, it wasn’t a case of racing a train more like running between two train stations comfortably. This will need to be addressed next year with fines for arriving too early at Serpentine, maybe arriving 10 minutes or more before the train will attract some form of forfeit !

We were the last to leave and had a good group consisting of myself, Mark, Cedric, Tom, Mitch and ultra Jon. (I say ultra Jon as this is the bigger,  and happier,  version of marathon Jon, who is lighter and always grumpy!)  The group set off at a good pace and this was to continue for the whole journey.

The first hill as the sunrise peaks over the top…the hill is a lot steeper than it looks in the photo  !

The start of the journey is a 6-7k uphill climb as you move from the bottom of the scarp to the top. This is mainly on road and being in the country you will be taking your live in your hands as country drivers make Lewis Hamilton look pedestrian.  I suspect most of them are returning home from a ‘quiet night‘  , which probably involves drinking their own body weight in spirits ! You need to be very wary and always have an exit plan which would normally be a quick dive into the nearest field ! I was feeling brave so took a photo as the sun rose over the scarp, as always the photo never does the scene justice.

 

We continued on at a good pace until we had the compulsory photo at around 26k, you’ll see the same shot in all my posts on the Choo Choo runs, we are stickler’s for tradition. (or just boring as my many Daughters would say?)   Funny story at this point, in the first few years of the Choo Choo Simon Coates use to leave water here but one year we turned up and it had been stolen ! What are the odds,  on a Sunday morning,  someone driving by and spotting bottles of water hidden in the undergrowth and then taking them ? ! Only in the country…

The compulsory just over half way photo.

After the compulsory water stop (if there is any water?) it’s probably the best running part of the route before the drop off the scarp which is worth the attendance fee alone. If you have anything left in the legs that drop into Serpentine is a thing of natural beauty. By the time I arrived at the top of the hill I was goosed so stumbled down at just over 4min/k pace, the guys had left me in their wake and were recording low 3min/k’s , at the end of a three hour run ! This more than makes up for the morning climb up the scarp three hours earlier risking life and limb with the Sunday Formula One drivers !

After a slightly hair raising run from the bottom of the scarp to Serpentine via the local main road it was time to regroup for the compulsory Serpentine General Store photo before ambling to the train station.  As you can see a lot of very happy runners, refueled on chocolate milk, crisps and just about anything with carbs or sugar. Albeit we had to leave some space for the post tukka get together at North Dandalup Station, it’s tradition.

 

Next to the train station where we had another traditional photo before boarding the 10:21 train to North Dandalup, late as always by about 10 minutes.  Next year I may factor in this 10 minute buffer and really make a big effort at leaving very, very late, albeit I’ll probably drop a car at the station in case I miss the train as there is no way I’m missing the post run food smorgasbord.! It’s basically the previous shot but at a train station rather than outside a deli.

 

Waiting for the train…

 

Finally the best photo of the day by a country mile, Transperth had reserved one of the two carriages for out 9-10  minute journey from Serpentine to North Dandalup, how good was that !!! Gold , you couldn’t make that up !! It was the coolest 10 or so minutes of the whole day, imagine that you’re own train carriage with your friend , priceless !  I reckon next year we could be in trouble as I’m not sure they’ll put on another carriage for us runners but you never know unless you join up and see for yourselves. Keep an eye out on facebook and an ear to the ground and be part of the coolest free trail run globally…Choo Choo 2022 ! All aboard….

If there’s one photo to sum up the day , this is it !

 

 

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It’s man vs machine…again. Choo Choo run 2021.

July 25th 2021 is the date when runner and train go one on one in a test of nerve. How late can you leave North Dandalup train station to arrive at Serpentine train station and catch the one train back to the start at 10: 21am, on the Perth to Bunbury Australind train? .  To get to Serpentine there is the small matter of just under 36k of serious trails on the  Munda Biddi track, or 32k if you take the short cut due to some trail work?  (The latest departure time of 7:22am last year took the shorter trail option.) There’ll be a GPX loaded onto the facebook page nearer the time but its basically the Mundi Biddi trail but remember to get off at Scrivener Road to come down the scarp and not just keep running to Jarrahdale, funnier things have happened !

So if you’re interested book your ticket online https://transwa.wa.gov.au/tickets-times/train-timetables although you can buy tickets on the day , but please note you cannot buy tickets on the day before, remember this is the Bunbury line , the Internet is still to be invented in Bunners’ .  You’ll need a ticket from Serpentine to North Dandalup on the only train going between these two stations at 10:21am, from Serpentine, Sunday 25th July.

 

All the runners bar the 5 DNF and TB who cut it very, very late (as usual!) )

Then it’s all about turning up at North Dandalup train station and leaving at whatever time you feel comfortable to be at Serpentine before 10:21. It is to be noted the local deli at Serpentine sells some seriously good food so I’d factor in a few minutes there before the train arrives… As with all previous years if everybody could bring along a plate so we can all spend some time recounting stories of woe and triumph at North Dandalup before the long drive home.

 

The best Deli in Serpentine.

 

The Facebook page for 2021 is now live :-

https://www.facebook.com/events/4286590841391596/?active_tab=discussion   feel free to add posts, comments or brag about what time you’re leaving, remember for this format it’s he , or she, who leaves last , and makes the train , that is the official Runner vs Train Champion 2021 (There is rumour of a trophy..somesay, this will be confirmed on the Facebook page nearer the time)

 

To get you in the mood here are the last few years posts on the event, worth a read.. there have been some classic stories, so much laughter and a few runners missing the train and coming back to the ‘walk of shame‘ while we all tuck into the post race tukka back at the start.

 

So I’ll see you on the 25th at North Dandalup train station  around 7:30am or later….. ?

 

Choo Choo 2020 :- https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/07/13/choo-choo-2020-this-time-the-train-managed-to-beat-a-few-runners/

Ch00 Choo 2018 :-  https://www.runbkrun.com/2018/09/29/man-versus-train-again/

Choo Choo 2017 :-  https://www.runbkrun.com/2017/09/15/choo-choo-run-2017-man-against-train/

Choo Choo 2016 :- https://www.runbkrun.com/2016/11/15/the-choo-choo-run-an-exercise-in-living-on-the-edge/

Best thing about running , is talking about running after you finish running , over cake !

 

 

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The return of a legend… the Kep Ultra V2.

The Kep Ultra is a legendary race started by the Godfather of WA ultra running Rob Donkersloot , he off https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ , where Rob teaches the runner all about the mental side to ultra. The Kep  ran for 6 years from 2009 through to 2014 before the local council and red tape brought it to a close. It then became a thing of legend with local ultra runners talking about it  but never really understanding its roots in the WA Ultra Community, it was the first real WA ultra of substance. The original website is still live and it’s worth a look , https://kepultra.com/  Some serious WA ultra legends in that list of results.

So this legendary race was due for a reboot and Shaun Kaesler and the USWA team  ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) were up for the task, and the Kep V2 was born. ( https://kepultrav2.com.au/ ) Due to the amount of volunteers needed for this event, down to the numerous road crossings, the new format was a 100k or 75k out and back course, rather than the original point to point.

 

Entries are open for 2022 if you fancy a trot…

 

I’d entered the race on a whim , why do I keep doing this ?, after recovering well from the Lighthorse 24 hour ultra two weeks earlier. Of course entering is the easy part, finishing is the harder task ! My training had been going well with the next A-race the Irrational South in June, ( https://irrationalsouth200miler.com.au/ ) the Kep was to be my last long run , with the added bonus of a medal, what could go wrong?

Training went well enough for the Kep but a few days out I started to second guess myself , really trying to understand why I’d entered a 100k race three weeks before the Irrational South 200 miler. I was even doubting myself on the way up the start at the Mundaring Hotel  but decided I’d run the first half and then grab my poles and casually cruise the second half, good pole practice for Irrational. Leaving it late I got to the start with about 30 seconds to go, totally unprepared truth be told , and off we went.

The start was a ‘soft start‘ as Shaun called it due to noise restrictions, the locals like their lay in apparently and 50-60 noisy ultra runners was deemed far too much for a Saturday morning. It was a case of 1-2-3 go, quietly !   There were drop bags available but I decided to take a backpack and carry my nutrition , which was about 8-10 gu’s, with aid stations available for hydration fill ups and lollys.

The Kep is basically 15k down hill, then about 37k uphill before turning around and returning to the start. This means after the half way you have a relaxing 37k back down the way you came before a 15k climb to the finish. I knew I’d need to save something for the final 15k rise and was hoping my poles would make it easier.  The plan was to enjoy the first 15k, get into a good rhythm , struggle through the 37k to halfway and then cruise home with poles, simple really. This way I broke the race down into four smaller races, something I recommend any ultra runner does, lots of mini-goals rather than the one finish goal which can be a long way off at the start of an ultra.

 

A camera, quick ‘ham it up!’….with Dru and Shaun behind me racing the 75k and Bart’s coming along for the ride !

The race started well and I got into a small bunch of runner including Dru, running in sandals !, and the mastermind behind the Ultra Series WA , and a true bloody legend, Shaun Kaesler.  Shaun had run the Lighthorse 24 hour,  like me , a few weeks earlier and had enjoyed his first event for sometime (as he is normally either the RD or organising stuff) so much he entered the 75k Kep.  Given his busy life training had taken a back seat of late but he is a tough mother and , like me, had decided on a whim to take on the Kep. He was running well and the kilometres drifted away, even had a cameo appearance from Bart’s on his Saturday long run.

Getting to the first aid station was a breeze, remember as I mentioned earlier it is basically all downhill, and then we started the climb to the halfway point at 52k. Not much to report here really, Shaun and Dru turned at 22k as their course was slightly different to mine and Bart’s left me a few kilometers later.  I was probably running 6th , albeit the 100k field was only 10 strong.  It really was a training run and I was just concentrating on getting to halfway in a reasonable shape and picking up my poles for the 37k downhill section.  Jen Millum, the sole female 100k runner, and Dylan Bentley were ahead of me and I used them as markers to keep me honest and set my pace to the halfway point.  I even got a rush of enthusiasm  as I neared the halfway point and managed to sneak past them both, knowing we’d regroup at the next aid station. There is elevation but no large climbs as such, just a gradual grind uphill on a good running service.

 

Various shots throughout the day, if I have poles it’s on the way back ! All smiles with Mick at the second to last aid station,

The halfway point at this new version of the Kep V2 is a nice place to be, you know you have a mainly downhill 37k ahead of you and probably enough to get your over the last 15k ‘hump’ to the finish, add in poles and I was ready to explode to the finish ! I left Jen and Dylan in my dust and even caught and passed Mike Head to move into 4th place and a possible podium. Tony Smith was way ahead so a win was out of the question, he eventually finished sub 9 hours, setting a time that I reckon will be very hard to beat. Two of his athletes, Graham Dixon and Michael Snart,  eventually finished second and third both running low 10′ hours.  Coming down the hill Mike caught me at around 22k to go and although I saw him at the last aid statin at the bottom of the last 15k climb I would not catch him. Eventually finishing 5th in a time of 10:39 for the 105k course.

Showing off my new bling, the finish line and Bart’s , who came along for his Sunday run a day early?

So what did I take from the Kep V2 ? It was another hard race, mentally tough, long time in the saddle and some good elevation. Good points was just starting and finishing as a few minutes before the start I was wavering, also the poles were a God send and I now feel more comfortable using them for an extended period of time. They will definitely be coming out late on the first day of Delirious in October. ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) It was also good to run a 100k so soon as the Lighthorse Ultra and Herdy’s, again running on tired legs will be a good skill to have running 3-4 day events later in the year.  Not so good points was I could tell the legs were hammered and ultimately I would pay a heavy price for this race.

Once I finished there was the obligatory photo with the bling and a kilometre walk back to the car before returning the Mundaring Hotel for a bloody good sausage and mash meal, great conversation with fellow runners and some verbal sparing with the Vegan runners on the benefit of steak and chips. Shaun has done a great job organising anther great event to add to the USWA (Ultra Series WA) catalogue and there’s even talk of a 50k next year after Shaun won the event, albeit he didn’t broadcast it actually existed and had an entry of one, himself ! ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) I’m sure Rob approves of this new format and the legend of the Kep is definitely now alive and kicking and it will once again be the measuring stick of the Ultra scene in WA moving forward.

The 20/20 of ultra running is here. Get onboard….

First we had the concept of running ultras in small loops, a prime examples is the Lighthorse Ultra ( https://lighthorseultra.com.au/ which is a timed event over 3/6/12 or 24 hours , over a 2.5k loop.  We then fell in love with the Backyard Ultra where the race is a 6.7k loop on the hour every hour, until there is only one runner left standing. ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/event/birdys-backyard-2/ ) Now the Ultra Series WA,  together with Vlad Ixel and Bix Nutrition,  ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/  ) have started the Great Trail Relay, kicking off in Perth  August 28th ( http://thegreatrelays.com.au )

Vlad Ixel, a running demi-god (and can walk on water as this photo shows) and the main man Shaun Kaesler persuading Phil Gore to run another 30 or so laps at Herdy’s!

Vlad Ixel is a trail living legend , as his website will clearly show , https://www.vladixel.com/about-me , it was Vlad who first came up with the concept of a team ultra where teams of 2 or 4 run a 2.5k loop for a distance of 100k. Doing the math it would means 20 laps each for a duo or 10 laps each for a quad team.  These events went gangbusters in Asia and are sure to do the same thing in Australia. There is talk of a road version in January 2022.

What makes this event so special is the comradery of running in a team but also the other teams around you and the whole party atmosphere of the event village. Because you are forced to wait your turn, be that one 2.5k loop in a duo or three in a quad , it gives you time to really soak up the feel of the event, a running carnival.  You can use the time to prepare for your next loop, take on board nutrition or hydration or give other teams around you a ‘gee’ up , the possibilities are endless. The best part is you are not alone on a trail with your thoughts,  not that this is a bad thing but once in a while it’s actually nice to race an ultra with a bit of company, these type of events give you company and then some !

As the title suggests if a point to point Ultra is a 5 day test, a backyard ultra would be a one day test and this Trail Relay is the 20/20 of Ultra running.  Something going on all the time and if you blink you’ll miss something.  Let’s face it the last time you ran a relay was probably at school and how much fun was it !  For this event each team will have a baton with a timing chip in it allowing you to see where you are in the field and this encouraging some healthy competition throughout the event, not just at the front of the pack.  This is where you will be able to see exactly who you’re racing.

From the website :-

 

Like a cobra , ready to strike !

You’ll also find this image on the website for the event which shows you can also have a nap if you so prefer inbetween racing allbeit in the image above I was about to leap up and continue racing at Herdy’s , honest ?

I have already entered a team of four and as it’s two weeks after the Birdy’s Backyard Ultra I have named our team the Broken Birdy’s as we’re all running Birdy’s and will probably not be a fit state to race it. This could be your chance to give me and the boys a good toweling, what more incentive do you want to race?  All joking aside this event will take off and if you are going to enter make an effort and do it now. It’s the weekend of the Perth City to Surf which unfortunately has been cancelled. The loop is in the beautiful Jorgensen Park in Kalamunda which is the starting point for the bib track , so I’m sure the loop will be testing.

I’ve been racing for over 20 years and I can honestly say these looped events are without doubt the most fun I have ever had. I’ve ran 45 marathons and many, many  ultras but looped ultras/races are the best by a county mile. Personally for me the backyard ultra concept is my favourite but this event will be even more fun I reckon, being part of a team and also the whole atmosphere of  hundreds of like minded people doing what we love together, while being able to eat good tukka and sup on quality coffee, sounds like heaven to me !

I can’t leave without yet again thanking Shaun, Axel and the team at USWA  for putting this event on, these guys are the makers of dreams and have created unique events that allow us,  as runners, to really see what we can become if you have someone that totally believes in you.  We are truly blessed.  ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ )

 

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Lighthorse 24 Ultra, Lest We Forget.

Right the Lighthorse Ultra , 3/6/12/24 hour. This was my first ever DNF, assuming you can DNF a timed event after you start?, in 2018 when I got caught up in Jon’s run of his life so far , running an incredible 140km’s for 12 hours. I was left to lick my wounds after 3 hours as I drove home a broken man. You can read all about my tales of woe in this post. https://www.runbkrun.com/2019/06/01/what-you-learn-from-a-dnf/

Last year I redeemed myself when I placed third in the 24 hour event running 192km, although there were a few moments I was close to pulling out and I reckon it was only the fact I made my Wife drive me to the start and take the car home that saved me, the post is worth a read..  ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/09/19/24-hour-redemption-ultra/ )

Coming into the event this year I was in some good form after just running over 315km at Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra 5 weeks earlier but the only possible fly in my ointment was it was only 5 weeks earlier.  I had put together  3-4 weeks of triple figure weekly distance but no speed work to talk off. I went into this event with a ‘it will be what it will be ‘ attitude and of course I knew sometime during the 24 hours there would be mental challenges to overcome. This was another reason to do the Lighthorse, give myself another big tick before the Irrational South 200 miler in June ( https://irrationalsouth200miler.com.au/ ) a risk but one I thought worth taking.

The event is held close to Anzac Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served”.  As the images below show it is a day to remember their sacrifice and many times throughout the event the sight of these small figurines was enough to give you the energy needed to continue on.  Shaun had put together an event which really does bond the runner to the past and remind them of the sacrifice that was made for them by our Anzacs, inspiring stuff.

 

Lest We Forget.

 

So to the race itself. As the images below show it’s all fun and games for the first few hours and you need to remind yourself it’s a 24 hour event. Running just over 5min/k average feels so easy but you know achieving this pace the following morning,  into the afternoon, will be impossible, of course it doesn’t stop you carrying on regardless. Not much to report for the first three hours before the sunset sneaks in and it’s time for the night time mental battles. I say mental battles because at night is when the mind starts to play games in an effort to slow or stop you. Running long is so much more mental than physical and at night doubly so. I always call the 2am – 5am the witching hours as this is where you are your weakest and this is when the mind starts to play with his good mate fatigue and try to stop you in your tracks. I always take solace from a David Goggin’s (https://davidgoggins.com/  ) quote where he states  when you are at your lowest and you think you are finished , unable to continue, he reckons you are about 40% of your potential. The final 60% is there, available, but you have to want it bad enough to release it.  I would certainly need this quote in the next few hours.

First few laps, full of beans and plenty of smiles. Phil, the eventual winner, looking apprehensive.

Last year at Lighthorse my running time was just over 18 hours. The rest was spent trying to sleep, and failing, or time sitting in my chair doing ‘stuff’, be that eating, complaining about <insert subject here> or just not running. This year was about more time running and less resting. Unfortunately I made a rookie error when it comes to ultra running, I tried new nutrition on the day of the race, this was to be a nearly fatal error for my racing goals.

The day before I made my normal visit to The Running Centre ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) to see Sam, Amanda and the team and get my provisions for the event, this has turned into a bit of a tradition and the guys at TRC are always good value.  On this visit I spied new Maurten Gels with Caffeine. ( https://www.maurten.com/ ) Now I am a big fan of Maurten and now with added caffeine, what could possibly go wrong ? Well it seems quite a lot. I was taking one gel roughly on the hour but by 10pm my stomach was not happy and I was feeling very, very queasy.  So much so it stopped me in my tracks and it was time to bring out the onesie. (A sleeping bag with arms and legs from Aldi, good, different https://www.aldi.com.au/)  After last year when I shivered in my sleeping bag for 90 minutes I was hoping the new onesie would see me cocooned in my own heating chamber, not to be. I had underestimated my soaking wet running gear and basically just lay in my own sweat freezing, no change from last year then ! Rob was my support for the event and I asked for 30 minutes initially and then another 20 minutes as I was in no state to get back out into the cold and dark. When I did eventually arise from hour of laying in a prone position,  freezing cold, I had to put on a rain coat as well as my thermal, running shirt and running waterproof jacket.  I was still so , so cold but managed to warm up by the end of the loop and started to tick off the laps.

As in the previous year I was determined not to walk on the course but use my resting time at the gazebo. Because the loop is so small this approach is do able but the only down side is you pass ( or not as the case may be!) your comfortable , reclining, chair and gazebo far too regularly, meaning the temptation for a quick sit down is always there. You say to yourself three laps before a rest and then all of a sudden you’re passing your gazebo , the light is on, you can see the chair and all your goodies and you think, ‘maybe a few minutes won’t hurt!’…. This has proved to be my undoing because I think this year I was 18hours and 58 minutes moving time, a slight improvement from last year but this probably accounts for a similar distance.

Into the night and boy it gets cold ! Jon came down to gloat ! This was probably the only real food I ate the whole event….

As I have said earlier running through the night in these events is the most difficult time and when you add in an upset stomach and freezing conditions you have all the reasons you need to pull the pin and scuttle off home, tail between your legs. Many times during the night I was tempted to make myself sick but was worried if I started down that road I may be unable to stop and that would lead to severe dehydration, not an option when you’re not even halfway through the event. So it was on with the Aftershokz Aeropex headphones and back to the 1970’s I went, my happy place. Apart from changing my headtorch every few hours the night was uneventful. I promised myself another snooze just before sunrise knowing if I could get to sunrise the whole event changes as the images below show you why. Thanks to Joanne Oosterhoff who captured the moments beautifully.

Photo credit Joanne Oosterhoff

 

Photo credit Joanne Oosterhoff

As you can see from the images below I certainly cheered up when the sun eventually decided to peek over the horizon and start to heat up the surroundings.  It was a nice change from the previous evening when at one point the mist made it virtually impossible to see where you were going, very strange.  You’ll also notice my support crew out like a light,  albeit in Robs defence he had been with me most of the night and just returned from a top 3 finish in the 3 hour event. I spent my time logging the laps with breaks every other lap for some hydration and a SIS GU ( https://www.scienceinsport.com/au/ ,  ) these are more liquid than the Maurten so slightly more palatable.  I knew I wasn’t eating enough but had enough energy to run each loop without walking although I was probably spending too long at my marquee. Slowly my total distance crept up, I hit 100k in around 12 hours and set myself a target of 100 miles (160km) for the event, not too much of a stretch goal but I wasn’t in the mood for thinking of bigger numbers at that point.

Enjoying the sunshine while Rob’s enjoys some sleep. !

Although the sun was up I was still suffering with stomach issues and relying on more liquid than solids but still lapping in the around 5:45min/k average , comfortable. Moving towards late afternoon I was three laps up on my nearest rival for third place and closing in on my 160k target. It is at this point I made another rookie error which would make the last 4 hours of the race challenging, to say the least. As the temperature started to rise it was time to change out of my skins and into some shorts after a good leg massage. After doing this I put in a good burst as my legs felt great and was sure I would be even further ahead of my rival for third place. Imagine my surprise when Rob checked the field and found Sergio and I were both on 152k, I was dumbstruck, how could this be ? Rob asked if the ankle bracelet was faulty and looking down I realised I had forgotten to put it on after I had changed out of my skins ! This was the low point of the day, instantly I knew I had 4 more hours of racing ahead of me to keep my podium finish and at a time where I was really beginning to suffer after putting in a big burst to break my opponent. At the time my friend Mark C. was with me and he drove to the local service statin to grab a bag of ice and a litre of orange juice, at my request. These items probably saved my race, I used the ice virtually every lap adding it to a neck tie and also my arm sleeves, the OJ  was just something I could keep down and had enough sugar to keep me moving forward.

As expected the last 4 hours was a slog but I managed to eek out a three lap advantage and then never let it go, running until the final few minutes of the 24 hours. In the end I ran an unofficial 196km total, a 4k PB , officially 187.5k.  Totally stoked with the end result, nearly matching my first 12 hours and working so hard for the third place. Must admit to a few tears when I finished, this feeling only a runner will understand, the release of  pressure of the whole event builds up and add in some seriously hard racing at the end, finishing really is special.  As I have said many times these ultra events strip you bare , there is no hiding and you discover so much about yourself each time you run one. The only caveat of course is one day you are going to go to the well and it will be empty, I’m glad to say today was not that day.

Will I go back and do this race again ? If you’d asked me this a day or two afterwards I would have said an emphatic no but now , after typing this, I’m not so sure. Because while I sit here at my keyboard and try and pen what I felt I realise how special it is to push yourself  past what you think is achievable. To reach out past the 40% that Goggins’s reckons is the limit for most people and see what the other 60% looks like, this is something special and this is what keeps you coming back. Several times during the race I was finished, 10pm lying freezing cold with stomach issues, 3pm in the same situation but even colder and more fatigued and finally 4 hours to go and knowing I would have to race every minute due to forgetting my timing bracelet. These are three occasions when I could have easily stopped, packed up my gear and gone home but on each occasion I chose to continue on, I chose to move past the 40% that limits most people in their daily life’s, I chose the path of most resistance.

The reward for all my hard work, a unofficial distance PB , a nice shiny medal and another great trophy to add to my one from last year for the same position. Both of these sit in my study and whenever they catch my eye I smile , remembering the pain I put myself to earn them and boy did I earn both of them. On a side note we had a COVID outbreak while the race was being run so at the end we all had to wear masks, go figure ? Made the presentations interesting.

Presentations with the RD, the Male winners and my mate Jason, who ran a stormer ! (With masks after a COVID lockdown in the middle of the event!) \

Final few images below are the washing from a 24 hour race and my two trophies with all the regalia, I earned these bad boys but that’s the point isn’t it ? Looking at that image it does look like there could be room for maybe one more, maybe ? Giddy up…

To the victor the spoils, albeit third place, and a mountain of washing !

 

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The secret to sub 3 marathon success, it’s all about the numbers.

I have said many times on my blog running is an honest sport, put in the time in training and you will see results. The longer you can spend running the bigger the results and if you start to run tailored sessions, i.e. tempos, thresholds, fartleks etc, the quicker the results , as long as you also keep the distance high.  Ralf Baugh, the owner of the Running Centre   ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) and former professional duathlete, has been keeping data on his 90+ sub 3 marathon runners training habits. It makes for interesting but predictable reading.
Ashley Phelps, a finely tuned sub 3 machine. !

Marathon Training & Performance: Sub 3h Dataset

Since commencing personalised training programs in 2009, the Front Runner coaching team has been primarily focused on assisting both recreational and competitive runners competing in events ranging from 800m to the Marathon, as well as Full and Half Ironman Triathlon.

Over time, the tracking of data (through GPS and online training software) and personalised exercise prescription based on the runner’s individual goals and training history, has allowed for empirical data to be compiled from our ever-growing database of motivated and goal-driven runners. As our database grows, we continue to observe certain trends in the data that help guide our coaching team towards more accurate and effective exercise prescription.

As well as a strong scientific element to data tracking, working with a team of nine engaged coaches all with individual experiences and qualifications has enabled an excellent structure to develop hypotheses on further improving exercise prescription. With the popularity of the Marathon continuing to increase in recent years, we have updated our dataset from 2018, focusing on those runners who have broken the magical 3h barrier.

 

3 of our Sub 3h Marathoners: Toni (2.43), Miki (2.55) & Yi-Jin (2.59) during the 2017 Perth C2S HM

As of March 2020, 91 Front Runner athletes on an individual exercise prescription have bettered the 3hr marathon. The aggregation of this many athletes at a high recreational marathon standard, in combination with monitored training prescription, has allowed us to identify some strong data trends. We hope that awareness and knowledge of this data will continue to help our Front Runner community progress towards their individual goals, as well as educated fellow runners and coaches interested in enhancing performance in recreational Marathon populations.

Through Training Peaks software, we analysed the data based on what we believe are two key principles for successful distance running and how they related to Marathon performance (goal time):

  1. Anaerobic Threshold: Measured as their best 10k race time within 12 months of their goal Marathon
  2. Volume: Peak 4 week mean volume within the final 3 months of their goal Marathon

A 10km race is a practical estimate of the anaerobic threshold (the upper limit of how well the body can sustainably use oxygen for energy – read more HERE). The lower the 10km time, the higher the anaerobic threshold and the more effectively the runner can utilise oxygen for aerobic metabolism.

The peak mean volume the runners were able to sustain for four consecutive weeks in the lead up to their Marathon is a practical indication of their muscular endurance. As running is a weight-bearing activity, covering 42.2km’s requires significant muscular endurance. Four consecutive weeks were chosen to ensure the volume was a sustainable peak and not a once-off.

Of the 91 Front Runner athletes to have officially broken 3h for the Marathon, objective data was available and collated from 65* of these athlete’s performances. *multiple sub 3h Marathon’s from the same athlete have been included.

Figure 1: Each runners 10km pace & Marathon pace was plotted against their weekly volume (n = 65)

 

Figure 2: As training volume increased, the difference between 10km and Marathon race pace decreased.

 

Full Data Set 

n = 65
Volume (km/week) 10km time Marathon time
Min = 66 Slowest = 40.30 Slowest = 2.59
Max = 170 Fastest = 29.26 Fastest = 2.14
Mean = 120 Mean = 35.01 Mean = 2.43

 

Males Only

n = 58
Volume (km/week) 10km time Marathon time
Min = 66 Slowest = 40.30 Slowest = 2.59
Max = 170 Fastest = 29.26 Fastest = 2.14
Mean = 120 Mean = 34.51 Mean = 2.43

 

Females Only

n = 7
Volume (km/week) 10km time Marathon time
Min = 77 Slowest = 38.30 Slowest = 2.57
Max = 145 Fastest = 34.40 Fastest = 2.34
Mean = 119 Mean = 36.29 Mean = 2.47

 

Sub 2h 20min

n = 2
Volume (km/week) 10km time Marathon time
Min = 150 Slowest = 30.32 Slowest = 2.19
Max = 170 Fastest = 29.36 Fastest = 2.14
Mean = 160 Mean = 30.04 Mean = 2.16

2h 20min = 2h 29min 

n = 6
Volume (km/week) 10km time Marathon time
Min = 140 Slowest = 32.30 Slowest = 2.29
Max = 170 Fastest = 29.26 Fastest = 2.22
Mean = 159 Mean = 31.23 Mean = 2.26

 

2h 30min – 2h 39min

n = 13
Volume (km/week) 10km time Marathon time
Min = 90 Slowest = 35.54 Slowest = 2.39
Max = 160 Fastest = 31.12 Fastest = 2.32
Mean = 136 Mean = 33.52 Mean = 2.35

 

2h 40min – 2h 49min

n = 22
Volume (km/week) 10km time Marathon time
Min = 90 Slowest = 37.15 Slowest = 2.48
Max = 165 Fastest = 33.20 Fastest = 2.40
Mean = 121 Mean = 35.11 Mean = 2.44

 

2h 50min – 2h 59min

n = 22
Volume (km/week) 10km time Marathon time
Min = 66 Slowest = 40.30 Slowest = 2.59
Max = 140 Fastest = 34.50 Fastest = 2.50
Mean = 94 Mean = 36.59 Mean = 2.55

Breaking the Sub 3h Marathon (2h 55min – 2h 59min)

n = 15
Volume (km/week) 10km time Marathon time
Min = 72 Slowest = 40.30 Slowest = 2.59
Max = 140 Fastest = 35.36 Fastest = 2.55
Mean = 97 Mean = 37.14 Mean = 2.57

 

Primary Observation

The clearest trend from the graphs on figure’s 1 & 2 is the reduced vertical gap between the trend lines for 10km and Marathon pace as you move to the right – i.e. the MORE volume you run, the LESS difference between your 10km and Marathon pace. We therefore conclude the following: for recreational runners chasing a sub 3h Marathon, your anaerobic threshold will determine the ceiling of your Marathon (i.e. the faster you can get over 10km, the faster your potential Marathon time) and your peak volume will determine how close you can get to that ceiling.

This presents a trade-off as such where runners who spend a lot of time increasing their 10km time at the expense of their weekly volume may find their Marathon may not improve. Alternatively, runners who chase the highest volume possible at the expense of specific training that will improve their 10km time, may also limit their Marathon performance.

Each runner will be different, bringing their own strength & weaknesses to the table. Therefore, to achieve your Marathon goals, we recommend consulting a qualified and educated coach who can provide you with an individualised program that contains an optimal distribution of training load across the week, that is periodised towards your end goal.

 

Additional Thoughts

  • Specificity: Sustainable volume appears to correlate more closely with predicting Marathon performance than 10k time. This reflects the conditioning and the fatigue resistance of the musculoskeletal system, in addition to the fuelling changes in the cell that may relate to low intensity running specifically.
  • The Complete Runner: The 10km & Marathon have similar attributes but different limiting factors, meaning relative success in one event doesn’t directly translate to the other event. To best enhance your Marathon performance, it is our belief that focussing on both volume and threshold increases is crucial to successful Marathon performance.
  • VO2 Max: Training repetitions at VO2 max (i.e. above threshold – see HERE) appear to increase the relative risk of injury in recreational Marathon runners due to their fatigued training status. The perceived exception to this is if the athlete had track running experience from their youth.
  • Strength Training: Resistance training that is targeted to the individual is the best asset for Marathon runners to remain consistent with their training. This is achieved by reducing injury risk under the high training loads associated with the Marathon as well as increasing their running economy (reducing energy cost @ Marathon pace). Adherence to strength training programs is most common post injury, however should be maintained where possible when in Marathon training (2x per week to improve strength, 1 x per week to maintain current strength).
  • Biomechanics: Functional running drills and strides (see our YouTube channel HERE) that are performed 2-3x per week (as a W/U pre workout OR post easy runs) appear to be effective strategies for improving running economy in Marathon runners.
  • The Group Effect: Group runs for easy aerobic volume sessions correlated with significantly greater adherence to their training program than prescribed but self-directed easy volume sessions. This advocates the role of “jogging groups” as an integral part of a balanced training program for recreational and advanced Marathon runners and not just group training for interval sessions.

 

We trust you enjoyed our insight into Marathon training and performance. If you wish to know more about this topic, or anything to do with your running training, please get in touch with our expert coaching team who are ready to assist you towards your next running goal! Please email us HERE or see our website HERE

Looking at my training over the years I peaked naturally around 2013 , without a coach,  setting many PB’s , virtually every race, for a period of 12-18 months before a bad Bunbury Marathon result in 2014 propelled me into a  slump for over 6 months before I teamed up with Raf in early 2015. Over the next 12 weeks I started to run a lot more and added double days,  as well as more tailored sessions concentrating on hitting a quicker pace.  A possible stress fracture meant I didn’t achieve the result I was after,  albeit still ran a top 10 finish at the Perth Marathon , but the lessons Raf taught me allowed to me run a stellar 2016 achieving many PB’s , times I thought beyond me after 2015. I continued this form in 2017 until I picked up a nasty case of plantar fasciitis, this unfortunately was the death knell for my days of PB’s at the shorter distances, upto marathon pace.
The main take away from training with Raf was distance is king but also a tailored approach to training  building each week and with every run a building block towards the final goal. The best part of being coached is you don’t have to think about your next run, it is there in black and white infront of you (or these days in Training Peaks), there is also nowhere to hide, so you are accountable. Initially this can be confronting because, in my case, I always felt my training didn’t reflect my racing times, i.e. my times were quicker than my training would suggest I was capable of, this meant Raf would give me targets I would fail to reach.  Over time though I improved, weekly really, and my pace started to quicken, I even began to enjoy the quicker sessions, my improvement was measurable and there for all to see.  A favourite of Raf is the 3 * 5k with a 3 minute rest between laps. Initially I was running over 18 minutes for each repetition but after 6 months all my times were sub 18 minutes, a massive improvement, as I said earlier,  accountable and measurable.
Father time has put an end to my Marathon and quicker PB’s , probably, and I am ok with this, I have achieved so much more than I ever thought possible. These days I enjoy the challenge of the Ultra marathon , trail running and backyard ultra’s , races where mentally you can still be competitive with the field. This does not mean I have given away the shorter distances and I have plans to run sub 3 marathons for many more years but my wiggle room is certainly getting less and less each time I put on the bib and toe the start line, wouldn’t have it any other way….

 

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Runaway Weekends, what a great idea.

Two good friends of mine, Bart’s and Rob,  have started a little adventure company where they will take you on tours of Rottnest Island and , eventually, Collie. The first tour kicks off two weeks before the Rottnest Marathon,  so is perfect for those runners who need to acquaint themselves with the Island before the big day in June.  For a small fee of $450pp you get accommodation, food and as much running as you can handle, as well as Pilates and other entertainment over the course of the weekend.  You’ll need to cover the cost of transportation to the Island which will probably be by the Rottnest Ferry.  There is only 18 places available as it’s all about taking a small group and just having fun together, too many people and you’ll lose that intimacy.
Runaway Weekends, only downside it’s only a weekend !

I’ve attached the itinerary from the website below. ( https://www.runawayweekends.com.au/ ) , lots of running, eating and drinking coffee by the sounds of it, a perfect weekend as far as I’m concerned. Bart’s and Rob will be excellent hosts and as you can see from the photo below I have personally spent a lot of time with these two reprobates and loved every minute of it.  You couldn’t find two better hosts for a weekend away. The boys were on Rottnest over the Easter break,  sourcing out trails,  and they come back very excited , so it bodes well for some scenic runs. There are some seriously beautiful trails on Rottnest and to really enjoy then it is best to get a guide as without one you’ll end up wondering about lost or just miss the good trails completely, hence the tour.

Boys on the trails…The Bib track in this photo. Ignore the cost , it is $450pp. 

 

They have been very busy and as well as creating the idea for the weekend they have also created a website and a Facebook page, I would presume they had some help !  Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/runawayweekends   You need to fill out the contact form on the website with your details and the boys will be in touch personally , I told you it was intimate.

 

A Facebook page is also available.. the boys have been busy !

 

Finally I’ve attached the flyer that is available on the Facebook page , gives you an idea of what to expect.  If you are serious about the Rottnest Marathon in June this year or just want a great weekend away with likeminded people this is the tour for you.

 

Please note I am not in any way a part of this venture and am writing this post in the hope of a free coffee from Bart’s but after knowing him for well over 10 years I think the possibility of this happening is slim to no chance ! The one caveat , finally, about the coffee is beware of Bart’s and his Dome loyalty card, he is well known in our running circles for loving his Dome coffee and even more loving his free Dome coffee. If he does persuade the group to stop for a coffee at Dome I guarantee he’ll be the first to the counter , loyalty card in hand and you’ll all be buying coffee while the staff stamp his card, priceless.

 

One more caveat before I finish, this weekend is not about pushing yourself to your limits or locking yourself in the pain box so you can return a better person. No, this tour is about like minded runners doing what they love,  in a relaxed atmosphere,  while immersing themselves in the beauty of the surrounding and finding new friends, creating memories and just generally having a runaway weekend.

Rottnest flyer.

 

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Herdy’s backyard ultra, probably the run of my life… so far.

 

Herdy’s frontyard Ultra , https://www.herdysfrontyard.com.au/ , the sister event to Birdy’s Backyard Ultra , https://www.birdysbackyardultra.com/ , just about the run of my life I reckon, so far. Went into the event hoping to improve on my 24 hours at Birdy’s backyard ultra last August, with 36 hours being a stretch goal and 32 hours being enough to get bragging rights with the boys , taking out my mate Jon’s 31 hours at Birdy’s.

I figured 24 hours would be easier at Herdy’s due to the 4pm start, this meant you got to the night running early when you still had some company and energy, at Birdy’s due to the 10am start you got to the night running after nearly 10 hours on your feet. This took out a lot of runners, also Herdy’s would be warmer which was lucky as we weren’t allowed tents or caravans.  Getting through the night is a major hurdle for a lot of runners but if you can get to the sunrise you’re good for another 7-8 hours minimum, it is huge. Hirdy’s would give runners a good opportunity to do this and rack up some serious time on legs. The course itself was an unknown for this time of event, sure I’ve ran it many times but not for long distance and the worry was the hard limestone, combined with bike path and trails would be hard on the legs unlike Birdy’s which was mainly trails, albeit testing in places.

Some photos of the early starts and the DNF trophies and the winners trophy..

Anyhow at 4pm Friday afternoon myself and 146 runners set off on lap 1 and the event was started, when it would stop was up to the last two runners, who ever they would be ? The smart money was on the Birdy’s last two runners Phil Gore and Michael Hooker, both gifted young athletes in their prime. Michael Hooker was clocking 31 minute laps early and didn’t waiver bar lap 4 when there was $500 up for grabs for the fastest lap. He moved up through the gears and dropped a 22 minute lap , averaging just over 3min 20 seconds a kilometre, in the dark , on an undulating course, unbelievable. Needless to say no one tried to better that time during the event, well not on foot anyway?

Pre-Start with Rob, Scotty and Nancy and early photos pre-first night.

I had set up camp with Rob and Scotty and the reclining chairs came out together with a few bags of spare clothes for the event and an esky filled with all sorts of yummy treats and some serious food recommended by my favourite Dietitian David Bryant.  I highly recommend David who is currently training for the Triathlon event in the para-Olympics, he is a wealth of knowledge but above all recommends eating good food, and food which is actually ‘normal’. Check out his site for more details http://www.catalystdietitian.com.au/about.html I had used David’s guidance for the Birdy’s event and made 24 hours with no issues. My friend Nancy joined us who was just running a few hours as she had competed in a grueling long distance swim the previous weekend and had family engagements to take care off the next day.  As you can see in the images above she was a natural at this event and easily ran a distance PB before being called away to take care of her young family. Nancy will be back and I feel has a big future in this type of event if she chooses to concentrate on it. Scotty also ran a massive distance PB and also pulled in sponsorship from Osborne Mazda , which , with the event breaking the Australian Record was, in hindsight, a good move.  Finally Rob got his goal of running 15 hours and breaking 100km, again another distance PB and he’ll be smashing the 100 mile target at Birdy’s in August. He had to put up with some serious gamesmanship from Bart’s during the build up to the event as he had not been training as well as he could have,  due to various reasons,  and this result has put the onus back on Bart’s to back up at Birdy’s in August. It’s always good for some good old fashioned rivalry among good friends, makes the conversation at Yelo after our Thursday morning progressives so much more interesting !

 

First lap and , full of beans, Rob and I grab a top three finish.

 

As well as everybody bar one runner DNF’ing , Shaun also created a special prize for the first DNF, Dead f**king Last so to speak, Thomas Grobar was the excited recipient as he was the last to finish the first lap albeit in his defense he had a broken toe and never expected to complete a lap in the time frame allotted. Well done Thomas, kudos for even tuning up and getting round one lap.

Thomas with the DFL trophy and Wayne and Shaun, legends !

The first three laps are in daylight and as the sunsets you get some beautiful light in the trail section of the course. As you have just started the event these first three laps are more of a social run than a race and getting in under 40 minutes is a breeze, giving you plenty of time for eating and drinking and generally enjoying the whole vibe of the event village. On the first lap myself and Rob cruised home around the 5min/k mark for a top three finish, if only every lap could be so easy.  As you can see from the image above it’s all smiles early on….

First few laps in daylight, racing the sunset, all smiles.

Once the sun set it was on with the head torches and into the night we went, round and round the lake. With the 4pm start it meant a large proportion of the field was still running into the early evening which made for great company as a snake like line of head torches weaved their way around the loop. The atmosphere at the event village was electric with excited runners returning and going about their business,  aided by attentive support crew eager to do their bit, it really is a team event. With 5 minutes to go Nancy Sinatra is blasted from the event PA’s, these boots are made for walking, what else? and the  activity kicks up a notch as everybody fumbles for their last few items before scurrying to the start line.  A siren for two minutes and then again for one minute before the final 10 second count down and off we all go again, into the night. Friday night really was a special time, so much going on and so many excited runners and crew, magical.

Friday night was perfect running conditions, so much fun.

Throughout the night runners dropped out , happy with their result and all saying they’d be back for more, in fact I don’t think I heard one runner grumble about the format or conditions , it was such a positive place to be. There were a lot of runner new to this format, as there had only been one previous event last year , but to a runner all said they would return and beat their current distance. It is that type of event, unlike any that have come before, it really is like one big team all working to a greater good, all wanting the best for their fellow runners and encouraging them to continue and just do ‘one more lap‘.  There isn’t that competitive feel about the event, each runner is testing themselves against what they believe they can achieve, even when it’s down to the last two runners both need each other to continue.  That is the appeal I suppose, well it is for me.

Rob smashes a missive PB before DNF’ing and retreating to his onesie with a well earned coffee.. I cruised through Saturday morning…

Friday night was spent running with Margie Hadley , amongst others, and man we laughed. Everything from saving Margie from elephant eating Herdsman Lake mini frogs, spiders that were big enough to put a saddle on and ride at the Melbourne Cup and Margie having no idea where her Husband was born. The things you talk about when you have 48 hours to kill. Other highlights was watching Thomas nearly run into the same spider’s web  every lap and then seeing that same spider on Friday and then Saturday night, he felt like part of the family.!  Every lap was eventful and due to the banter each one disappeared quickly and before you knew it you had ticked off another hour with sunrise fast approaching.

Sunrise is a massive boost in these type of events, if you can get through the night you will easily run another 6-8 hours after sunrise just on the boost from the sun alone. Of course it is always darkest before the dawn and the witching hour for any ultra runner is between 2pm and 5pm. Get through these three hours and you can bank another 3-5 hours just on the adrenalin rush.

This was the case Saturday morning and once the sun rose so did every ones spirts. Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day, little or no wind to speak about and the temperature was perfect in the morning before warming up but never so much as to be a problem. I had spent a lot of time in the local hills, post Christmas,  so was heat acclimatised , so although I was ok with the temperature I hear some people did suffer.  That being said the crew did a great job keeping me cool with Ice Packs and each lap they got their routine better and better. Big tip here for runners hoping to attempt one of these races, get a reclining chair. Worth its weight in gold trust me, lets your crew go to work while you give the legs a well earned break. Of course I’m assuming you have a crew , if you don’t you need one. These sorts of races are like a gran prix , as well as the driver and the car you need a pit crew or nothing keeps moving. Towards the end of the race you cannot think straight, actually you can think full stop no matter straight, when this happens a crew takes over and gets you from the finish line to the start line.  In my case, later in the race, they carried me between the two points , with a quick sit down to shovel food and drink into me. ! Do not under estimate the crew in this type of race, they are indispensable.

Enjoying Saturday..

The goal Saturday was to make it to 4pm and the 24 hour, 160mile mark. I had hit this target at Birdy’s and regretted  leaving to get home and babysit the kids as my current Wife was going out with friends. Truth be told Karen did say I was ok to stay later in the race  but I had mentally set a 24 hour goal and when I reached it I was happy to leave. I was determined to go one better at Herdy’s and leave nothing in the tank, how ever long that took.  As I said earlier reaching 24 hours at Herdy’s , in my view, is easier because you start late afternoon and run through the night early, with company. At Birdy’s starting at 10am means you hit the first head torch lap 8-9 hours later and then have 10 hours to get though when you are tired.  It is also a lot colder,  which is massive when you stop every hour.  Once we hit sun rise at Herdy’s the rest of the day was plain sailing, there was still around 20-30 runners so company was there if you wanted it and it helped having rabbits to chase if you so desired or alternatively there was solitude if you so  desired.  I used this time to reacquaint myself with the best sounds of the seventies, no everyone’s tastes but some classics just put a smile on my face and allowed me to drift away, lap by lap.

 

First milestone reached, 24 hour club. 100 Miles….4pm Saturday.

Once I hit 24 hours at 4pm Saturday the goal was 32 hours to go one better than my good friend Jon Pendse , who had ran 31 hours for a third place at Berdy’s.  Jon had turned himself into an Ultra running God the last few years but recently had felt the pull of the concrete and quicker marathons, to such an extent he had a free entry but declined to start as his BMW was getting serviced on Friday. I’ve heard some excuses to miss races but a car service is a new one on me.  It would be a big ask as I would need to run to midnight which meant once again running in to the night but this time with a lot less activity on the course and around the event village.  The village had turned into a ghost town in the early hours of Sunday morning, funnily enough,  and before long we were down to four runners. It was lap 34 I think when the race changed completely.  Margie had not gone out , unbeknown to me, and Michael Hooker, the unbackable favourite, came back to the start and pulled out due to stomach issues. I was also suffering from ultra stomach, when you have eaten so much processed food in the form of carbohydrates and sugar you just can’t stomach anything.  You know you need to eat but nothing is edible and this can be your downfall, remember the Porsche with an empty fuel tank, you just stop  ! Anyhow, on lap 34 it was a two horse race and my plans to sneak away quietly went out the window.

The last 2k of the loop through the trails is pretty special..

Once it had sunk it I was in a two horse race I settled down and just started to grind out the laps. We tended to run alone , Phil and I, and I was thankful for my Aftershokz Aeropex headphones ( https://us.aftershokz.com/products/aeropex ) and Spotify. My crew at this point consisted of Mark and Gary with a cameo from Gareth, while his six pack of Ginger Beer was available,  Darren and Adam. All encouraged me to keep on going when I started to crumble in the early hours of Sunday morning. As with the previous night the plan was to get to sunrise, everything would be so much better when the sun came up. I’d stumble into the finish coral , stagger to my chair and then let the boys go to work on massaging the legs and getting as much nutrition and hydration as they could into me. Once I heard Nancy Sinatra I was up and into the start coral for one more lap. This was repeated until sun rise when I must admit things did get better before Shaun , the owner of the company putting on the event, started to talk about breaking Western Australian and then Australian records. The goal was 41 laps for the West Australian record and 46 for the Australian. After that 48 hours would be the next goal before 50 and so on, you get the general idea. These numbers seemed alien to me as I had never contemplated anything with a four in front of it, ever.  36 to me was a massive stretch goal and once I achieved it I found it difficult to refocus on where I was, I decided to just keep on moving forward, one lap at a time.

Saturday night, probably around the 32lap mark, It's starting to get real. Four left at this stage I think. Phil, Margie, Michael and I.
Early Sunday morning, probably around the 32 lap mark, It’s starting to get real. Four left at this stage I think. Phil, Margie, Michael and I.

The next major milestone past 24 hours is the 36 hours or 150 Mile club. Myself and Phil would be the first to enter this exclusive club at Herdy’s in its inaugural year. Phil would have one more club to enter before the race was finished while , for me, this was to be the last club I entered this time around. As you can see from the image below the crowd support had thinned at three in the morning, funny that.  This was all about to change when the sun came up, big time ! The second night when you ae basically alone with your thoughts on the course is where you need to really dig deep. Night running takes away all the external stimulus , it’s just the head torch beam ahead of you. This can also be a calming effect of course and with my spotify as my co-pilot I was able to drift away,  one song at a time. This made a big difference and I highly recommend headphones , podcasts and music for night running in this situation. I relied on music this time but next race I’m bring out the Goggins if I think of quitting… ! ( https://davidgoggins.com/  )

150mile club… 36 hours, just the two of us.

The image below is probably my favourite of the whole event. It shows the grim determination of running through a second night and facing the new dawn after running for nearly 40 hours. No crowd support yet, just our crew and the race officials. The sun was not fully awake and the mood was one of trepidation. No words were spoken , we just ambled up to the start line , looked forward into another lap and waited for the tape to come down before we once again raced the clock around the lake. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, this picture is worth so much more, no smiles, no dancing, just the realisation of what laid ahead.

 

Sunday morning, probably just after sunrise, the lull before the storm really. Around 38 hours.

Sunday was hot, there’s not getting around the fact. The loop was evenly split into three parts. The first 3k was open,  with little shade,  on bike path initially and then hard,  white crushed limestone . This was , for me, the hardest section of the course. It got hotter and hotter as the day wore on and the limestone path got whiter and whiter, luckily I had my goodr sunnies, ( https://goodr.com/  ) Dirk’s Inflation Station model apparently, very cool.  You then reach a bridge and this leads to a 2k section of pretty flat but open bike path before you meet the main road and enter the last 2k of offroad trails. The trail section is my favourite as at various times during the day you were just bathed in the most beautiful light and , for a moment, you could have been anywhere in the world.  There was a shower at the pony club where we had set up camp and this proved invaluable on Sunday as the temperature began to climb.  Keeping your core temperature as low as possible is paramount to continuing in this event. The lower the heart rate the longer you are going to be able to continue, keep adding the right fuel in the form of nutrition and hydration and then its only sleep depravation which will eventually scuttle you.

I knew this to be true as I had been hallucinating since Sunday night.  A herd of Elephants on the lake in the early morning which was just the reflection of the full moon through the foliage but oh so real for a few minutes. Various figures hiding behind signposts that would disappear as I neared them and leaves which would turn into crabs when studied closely.  Even though I was certainly hallucinating I didn’t feel tired, a few no doz tablets probably helped but I was wary of taking too many, but I knew the lack of sleep would eventually catch up with me. I’m not sure if hallucinating is a bad thing or a good thing really. I enjoyed the visions while always knowing they were just that but on the downside I knew these would come at a price. No matter, on I went, one more lap.

Sunday morning and into the early afternoon and things are really heating up now…

Through out the day Sunday word had got out that me and Phil were still running and every time we finished the event village seemed to get fuller and fuller. Even Channel 7 interviewed me as we neared the Australian record of 45 laps. It’s amazing how one can perk up when a reporter and camera are thrust into your face. I must have been semi coherent as I made the evening news, well some part of what I said made the news. As well as the crown growing my support crew also started to grow, hell my Wife even came down for the last few laps. I cannot thank my crew enough they were so good at getting me from the finish line back to the start,  albeit with me complaining the whole way and towards the end not really understanding what was going on.

Running gives you so much and one of the most important things is it surrounds you with like minded people,  who morph into good friends. I am blessed with the crew you see in the image below, I count all of them as true friends and am so , so lucky to have them in my life. Of course I never tell them that, remember I am a child of the seventies and we like to hold all our emotions close to our hearts but I love these guys… right enough of that.. on we go.

My crew that sort of assembled itself over the last day. Can’t thank them enough… so proud of these people.

Right, Sunday late morning into early afternoon. Laps 40 – 45, as you can see from the images below the sun came out, the crown came out and me and Phil just kept on doing our thing, one lap at a time. Each lap I promised Phil it was my last but each time either my crew or Shaun would persuade me just one more lap. Once I got on the lap I was still making the hour cut off with plenty of time to spare but each lap was taking something from me, physically and mentally.  I had promised Shaun I would get to the West Australian record at lap 42, so three laps to go.  The turning point for me was probably lap 38 when Shaun has offered Phil and I some serious financial incentives but all I wanted to do was go home. I remember I told Phil to go on and basically sat on a log , in the shade, about 1k into the loop. I was going to sit there until I knew I wouldn’t make the hour cut off and DNF.  Then along came my friend Trevor Van Aurich , on a Sunday afternoon run, he listened to my tales of woe and I think chatting to Trevor allowed me to vent my frustration at the situation enough that I got back on my feet and started to shuffle, then walk,  which turned into a slow jog before eventually picking up a waiting Phil a few kilometres along the loop. We made that loop and I was was now all in for the Australian Record at a minimum. Having a target allowed me to focus on finishing, three more laps, two more laps, one more lap, finally I could see an end. As I said earlier I never once imagined winning the event, Phil was too strong and I was just happy to be able help get a few more laps on the board in his push for 48 hours.

 

Sunday morning and things are heating up…

At lap 45 I had to change my clothes. Severe chaffing in areas where only a man knows the feeling had just about destroyed me on the previous lap. Thanks to Wayne and Amanda I had new shorts and virtually a whole tub of sudocream on board, and Michael gave me a white running top to help with the heat.  I was still running like John Wayne though at the start of each lap, funny to watch now.  I would stumble off the start line like an OAP while Phil would explode like a gazelle and disappear into the blue yonder, being chased by this balding, bearded old runner who looked like he had spent far too long riding horses ! I managed 46 laps to get the Australian record before being told one more lap and then my job was done, music to my ears.  I had no idea where I was truth be told at this stage, I just wanted to stop. So lap 47 was my last. I came in just under 50 minutes but it was a struggle, I had managed to run through the heat of the day and into the early afternoon but I was spent and had been for probably 5 or so laps.  Shaun had a word with me and told me I had done enough for the tribe and Phil and lap 48 was for me but I was gone, mentally I had used everything to get through lap 47 and there was nothing left for one more lap, nothing.

Last few laps… and Channel 7 interview.

So lap 48 I stepped over the line and asked for the DNF bell and rang that bell for all it was worth, I was finished. Phil was left to run lap 48 on his own and get into the 200 mile club and win the event, well deserved. He could have gone on and I am under no doubt will go on with the right assist, I had done as much as I could. All I had to do was collect the last DNF trophy from the  Emma, the lovely Race Director, a few choice words to raise a laugh and then retire to my chair, a beaten but ultimately happy man. The event had been so much more than I could have ever hoped for and as I type this post I’m so excited for the next one , Birdy’s backyard, in August. As my Wife commented after the event she had never heard me be so positive about a race so soon after it, no comments about ‘never again‘ and ‘I’m retiring‘, which is the norm these days after grueling events. No, a backyard ultra is different, even when you are destroyed you yearn for more and just one more lap.

The last DNF trophy…. standing next to the winners trophy… about as close as I got !

 

So for all the readers that have managed to wade through this monster of a post I have saved the best to last. My top tips to excel at a last man standing event.

  1. Break down the loop into smaller sections. For Herdy’s this translated to section one from the start to the bridge at around 3k, then the section from the bridge to the road, around 2k  before the final trail section to the finish. Thus rather than a start to finish, one goal,6.7k, you have three smaller sections to work towards and thus you’re never more than 3k from achieving a goal. At the start the laps seem to disappear in the blink of an eye but towards the end of the race a loop can take forever so breaking it down means you hit targets quicker and can use these smaller goals to keep moving forward as they are more achievable.
  2. Hydration and Nutrition is pivotal to success. As we all know an ultra is an eating and drinking competition with running between aid stations. With a last man standing event you get the opportunity to run further than you ever thought possible but to do this fuel is so important.  A Porsche without fuel will not move, similar to Michael Hooker’s challenge. The engine was firing on all cylinders but bad fuel put an end to his race.
  3. Crew is so important. You cannot possible win this event without a motivated crew. Phil has a cast of thousands helping him and my crew grew and grew but the usual suspects got me from the finish line to the start line in my semi-conscious state. Without them I would have crumpled many hours earlier.
  4. Whatever gets you through the next, it’s alright.  John Lennon hit the nail right on the head with this one. When the suns out the world is a beautiful place to be , at night it’s lonely, cold and dark. So many competitors charge the daylight hours but when night falls they are tested and buckle, watch out for the witching hours 2-5am , this is where you are at your weakest and the little voice inside your head at its loudest.
  5. Change of clothing , shoes and socks. I learnt a very painful lesson during Herdy’s, change your shorts often or wear cycling shorts and have a tub of sudocream or Squirrel’s nut butter. Even typing this my eyes start watering. !
  6. Get a comfortable reclining chair and a quality sleeping bag / onesie.  You crew need to be able to get to work while you relax and a reclining chair is a must , don’t scrimp on this as you’ll spend a lot of time in it ! Also in the evening it will probably get cold, a good sleeping bag or onesie is another must have, you can’t have your temperature yo-yo’ing between your running temperature and your ‘resting in your comfortable chair’ temperature.

 

True Herdy legends…and Frank.

Finally a big thankyou to Emma, the Race director, all her crew (and there was hundreds!) and Shaun , the pied piper to the Ultra Series running catalogue. These people are just so awesome and their hard work makes what myself, Phil and all the runners achieve possible. They are the true heroes of this event.  Also special thanks to my crew over the two days, you know who you are and what you did, I am eternally grateful.  Wayne and  Amanda get a special mention for just being themselves, so genuine and also for the ‘pit stop’ at 45 laps to change my shorts, you will never know how good that felt! Michael Hooker also gets a massive thankyou for being so supportive after he had dropped out earlier in the event when looking so strong. Michael would have been so disappointed at dropping out when he was hands down the favourite for the event and running so well. It takes a special kind of person to put that disappointment behind them and get on board to help a fellow competitor.  Next to  Phil , the deserved winner of the event, your calm during the chaos of Sunday morning and afternoon was liberating and once we got on the loop your encouragement was enough to get more to the finish. I look forward to when you have an assist who can take you to the next level of this sport which I’m sure you’ll be able to step up to.

Couldn’t leave without thanking No1 Wife, Karen, who came down for 15 minutes and stayed for many hours on Sunday worrying about me (and increasing the life insurance hourly!) . My  family allow me to follow my dreams and any sacrifice I make for them was more than paid in full for this event. They understand what I do and allow me to follow my passion and achieve goals like Herdy’s. I am a very lucky man.

 

Some random DNF images, notice one thing, they’re all smiling ! This event is infectious.

 

 

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