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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. !
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.
It is with a heavy heart I have to inform you that the Delirious West 200 Miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) has been postponed until October due to a 2 week snap lockdown after 10 months of COVID free restrictions. On the bright side I now get to run the race twice in the space of five months, October and then February 2022 to get the infamous ‘double plugger’ trophy. Always the optimist. Unfortunately I now find myself about as fit as I’ve been in many years with no races and a new addiction, trail running. Not a bad thing but the trails, the good ones, are at least an hour away so my runs now take two hours extra for the journey and also another hour for photos and just enjoying being on the trails, taking it all in so to speak. Thus a 3 hour trail run equates to about 6 hours of real (non-runners) time. As you can imagine No1 Wife and my many Daughters are none to impressed. It is lucky of course that No1 Wife has created her own social circle of friends after I started to hibernate and hide form a social life about 10 years ago. My many Daughters are now old enough to prefer time with their friends or electronic devices to spending it with Dad , so I’m onto a winner .
Delirious 2020
Right so Delirious is put back to October I now concentrate in my next race , the inaugural Herdy’s Frontyard, ( https://www.herdysfrontyard.com.au/ ) another last man standing event. I’ve been racing for over 20 years and without doubt the most fun I have ever had, with a bib on my chest, was Birdy’s backyard in August 2020, Herdy’s sister event. The concept is simple, it’s a 6.7k loop and you need to complete the loop and get back to the start line on the hour , every hour. The event continues until there is only runner left who then has to complete on their own to win, everybody else is a DNF ! It’s a brainchild of the great Gary Cantrell AKA Lazarus Lake, he of the Barkley Marathons fame. For a feel of the Barkley marathons watch this great Youtube video, inspiring stuff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDZdsqbcGTU
Best fun you will ever have with a bib on…
Birdy’s was really in the middle of nowhere around a beautiful lake so the scenery was stunning, if you search on birdys in the search option on the blog you’ll find a few posts with photos. Herdy’s frontyard is around a lake but this time it’s in the middle of Perth so there should be some spectators who will add to the atmosphere. I’m sure the organiser, Shaun Kaesler, will also have a few more ideas up his sleeve to make the event more memorable, which I hope includes at least one coffee van on 24 hour standby ! So for all Perth runners on Friday March 26th you need to get yourself down to Herdsman lake to either compete or spectate. There will be well over a hundred runners and with Birdy’s last two runners, Phil Gore and Michael Hooker, racing the event promises to go well into a second day and maybe even a third. Around the world these races have gone over 60 hours so you never know what to expect, of course in this instance it really does take two to tango as the winner can only run one more loop than the person who comes second, unfortunately.
For this type of event I highly recommend a massage gun, the running answer to eternal youth. If you haven’t got a massage gun you really are missing out. I use a gun from an Australian firm (made in China of course?) but, as with all things, you get what you pay for. In the 10-15 minutes you have at the end of each lap (assuming all goes well) you need to hydrate, get some nutrition, rest the legs and get on the ‘gun’. Worked for me last time when I was able to hit the magical 24 hours , which equates to just about 100 miles, give or take a few hundred metres apparently. For Hirdy’s I am going for broke, however long that may be ?
Next Sunday is the 15th running of the 6 inch ultra trail marathon, 46-48k , http://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com/ , (it varies depending on the trail condition and course changes?) of serious fun and so much better than Christmas shopping, actually anything is better than Christmas shopping truth be told, even Goldmine hill the seriously nasty 3k climb at the start of the race. Note to self when I’m halfway up that mother of a climb think to myself this hurts but nothing compared to the alternative ! (see previous sentence about Christmas shopping!) I think entries are still open so if you’re reading this and it’s pre December 19th get yourself an entry.
I
I’ve written a few posts on this race over the years and have attached a few links here for your viewing pleasure.
Looking back on all those posts it just hits home how much fun the 6 inch trail ultra is and also the memories we have made together which are priceless, most of them involve some sort of mishap to Jon with Bart’s normally enjoying it more than most. At the moment Bart’s still has a faster finishing time than Jon and with Jon attempting the 18 inch this year that is unlikely to change. Yes you did read that right, Jon is going to attempt to start his race on the Saturday afternoon, run from the start to the finish and then return to the start just before the official start of the race and then run back with the racing pack. Thus running a 18 inch ! I mentioned this to Jon as a thing over coffee and muffins at our weekly Yelo morning run , as a throw away comment. As soon as I said it I could see Jon’s mind go into overdrive and it was on. He’ll probably end up running nearly 150km over the course of the weekend, with no stops of note due to time constraints and having to be back in Perth for the Sunday afternoon for his kids. ! Truth be told this has YouTube documentary written all over it but no one else is made enough to paly along and it’ll be totally self supported. His logic is it will be good training for the Delirious West 200 miler in February where he will attempt to go back-to-back wins. ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ )
Been watching some seriously good videos on You Tube this weekend.. check out this on on Ricky Gates as he runs unsupported across America, that’s over 3700 miles. Outstanding job Ricky, inspiring. Made me go out for a 10k run, also unsupported
In an effort to test my email forwarding is working I have attached a post I wrote in 2017 and rereading it the same things ring true today. We still talk about Jon’s height and weight challenges, Mike’s VO2 score and Mark now has a training plan from Raf ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) rather than Matt Fitzgerald. Oh and Donald Trump may get reelected, funny how things just don’t change ?
There has been a few forced changes though. We have lost Phil and Zac to the motherland and the T-train has started to run 24 hours a day, so has started his own training company, https://www.tonysmithruncoaching.com/ . I hear he is very good, somesay.
The reason behind the post still rings true of course, running is a social sport and to achieve your best you need to surround yourself with like minded people and also better runners so you can aspire to catch and compete with them. A runner creating a tribe of ultra runners is Shaun Kaesler and the Ultra Series WA , also known as Tribe and Trail. ( https://www.tribeandtrail.com.au/ ) What Shaun is creating is magical, bringing together like minded people and turning them into ultra running machines achieving so much more than they ever thought possible. Watching him at work is a thing of beauty and his success is building event by event. I have never met anyone quite like Shaun and his love of what he does really is inspiring. For any runner in WA (or SA now with the Heysen 105 https://heysen105.com.au/ ) you need to get onboard the trail revolution. ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ )
Right that’s it, enjoy the post from 2017 , it made me smile.
Looks like Perth has more than one coach !
Time is getting away from me lately. My twice daily posts have morphed into daily and now weekly posts. Life is getting in the way it seems. Although this may have affected my ability to get to the keyboard you’ll be glad to hear I’m still putting in the kilometres, some things really are sacred. After Darlington half last weekend I managed to drag myself out for a recovery run in the evening, after first posting about the race of course, priorities.
The recovery run on the same day as the event is normally an exercise in pain management and this one was no different. I struggled, and I mean struggled, to hold anywhere near 5min/k average and my right ‘hammy’ , which is as fickle as a Donald Trump voter, was threatening to let go the whole way. Luckily it survived long enough to get me home and immerse myself in deep heat. (Much to the kids disgust of course, some people just don’t appreciate the soothing smell of Deep Heat at the dinner table, these non-runners are a funny bunch?) The next day was no better with recovery run #2 at lunchtime, much to the amusement of Jon and Mike who recover a lot better than me obviously. Both of them look forward to the recovery run after a race as they both save something so they can tease me with a pace just outside what I can achieve before slowing down to let me catch up, before repeating the process. Got to love running humour ? This lack of pace continued until the Thursday morning progressive where I managed to salvage some pride with a half decent hit out before a similar run in the afternoon. On the second run I actually nailed a perfect 10k progressive for the first time in months. I’m blaming the company I keep on the Thursday morning run where we get to sub 4 pace far too early in the 14k distance leaving you nowhere to go at 10k but slower; well for me anyhow. It then stops being a progressive and turns into a 5k tempo. (I’ve written a few posts on progressive runs and their benefits, if you search on the word ‘progressive’ you should get access to them.)
After Thursday my confidence was restored and even ran a good double up on Friday to prepare me for my first Park Run of the year. I have certainly advocated the park run on this blog many times and I firmly believe this is a must-have for all wanna-be runners of all distance. The 5k is long enough it will test you (and bite you in the backside if you go out too quick!) but not long enough that you can’t race it and still put in a good training week.
On Saturday I wasn’t expecting to much but with the help of my mate Andy went off like a rocket and managed a 3:09min/k first kilometre (when will I learn?). I did manage to hold 3:20min/k for the next 2k but let myself down a bit on kilometre four with a 3:29. I kicked for home and registered a 3:20 but the damage was done in kilometre four and I missed a PB by 8 seconds. No problem, I wasn’t expecting one and I felt good for the duration. A bonus was grabbing the Carine 50-55 age group record (from Andy funnily enough, remember him at the start!) to go with my 45-50 age group record. Also managed a top 10 finish nationally among all the ‘age grade’ champions for the park run courses. When you get to 50 it’s all about age grades and groups. (Sorry Mark Lee but it’s all us old timers have left to chase, quality twenty year old runners are now something we read about, not catch!)
Carine Park Run, first lap. Holding on to a slender lead….
Sunday came and luckily we had decided in the week to go with the Mark Conway plan (which Mike is copying , you didn’t hear that here.) and run a 20k easy, for no other reason than we were all a tad jaded after Darlington and fancied a shorter-long run. Due to family commitments I couldn’t start until 6:30am so we all decided to meet at Yelo at that time and either start from there or at least meet the rest of us and continue (if you needed a few extra kilometres.) My 9 year old Daughter did find this amusing as the main reason for this delayed start was her and here were 10 runners changing their lives because of her. We’re a funny lot runners, but accommodating, thanks lads.
So off on the short 20k run we went, ten of us started which normally calls for road closures in Western Australia. (We did pass Mark Lee running in the opposite direction dressed like a Christmas Tree which amused the group greatly ..?) Ten is a good number because it takes about 10k before you actually run out of the ‘initial banter’, this can be stories from the week regarding anything the group would find of interest. Truth be told there are a few subjects which are mandatory of course. Jon’s height and weight are also discussed early as well as Mike’s VO2 max score, add in Mark C’s training plan from Matt Fitzgerald and you’re good for 5k minimum. We then discuss politics for at least 2-3k but lately because of Donald Trump this has started to last a bit longer and normally involves a lot more laughter than previously. (American voters, c’mon, it is a joke isn’t it…?) My training plans are then fair game and also discussions about possible posts. Add in a few Phil quotes and before you know it you’re turning around for the run home.
This of course is when the real running happens. The outward journey is social, we’ve generally not met since the previous Sunday so we have a lot to catch up on. I mean as runners we live very full lives. We sleep, worry about our weight, distance, ‘niggles’, pace, alcohol intake (well my group for some reason doesn’t seem to be too worried ?) and then, well that’s about it really but all of this needs to be discussed at great length. Add in potential races and I’m surprised we have time for anything else bar eating muffins, pancakes and drinking coffee.
So back to the journey home. I must admit without the T-train lately (he’s still injured from the ADU 100K in January.) the last 5-10k has been a tad pedestrian. Tony would always push the finish and we often found ourselves at 5k tempo pace at the end of a long run. Luckily this is considered one of your ‘go to runs’ (a long run, fast finish) but I always felt the T-train just enjoyed putting us all through then ‘ringer’ at the end of a 30k, lovely guy Tone. (maybe we don’t miss him?….) Today was no different and I up’d the pace and split the group as we all moved towards Yelo and the final goal, a berry and white chocolate muffin and coffee combo. (see below!)
The holy grail of running…Yeo muffin and coffee combo.
Being it was only 20k the end came around sooner rather than later and we all continued the conversations we had started 90 minutes previously outside Yelo, The topic of conversation didn’t really change much, (and never does truth be told but that’s the point isn’t it?) Jon’s weight and Mike’s VO2 score were discussed and Phil came out with some more gems which funnily enough were mostly already on the internet. This brings me to the reason behind the post. (Finally I hear you all shout !) … The Sunday long run is more the one time when you can let your hair down (excuse the pun in my case!) and just run with good friends who love the same things you love and then at the end celebrate the whole ‘running thing‘ over good coffee and ‘tukka’. If it does you good as well then that’s a bonus but it’s not the real reason we all run long on Sunday, there’s something far more important , running with your mates. (It is also important to know Mike’s VO2 score and Jon’s current weight battles but that’s secondary, I think?)
The boys, Mark L., Mike, Phil, Al, Jon and me, Mark C. and Zac.
A friend of mine , Rob Donkersloot, has just started a new business focusing on one of the most overlooked part of a runners artillery, the mind. As I have mentioned many times I am a big believer in the Tim Noakes ‘central governor’ theory, that is the body is capable of so much more but the mind protects us by limiting what resources we have at our disposal, mainly by using a runners worst enemy, fatigue.
Luckily for you he has spots available at the moment and I would highly recommend anyone who is serious about their running to get on board. His website is :- https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ and you will not be disappointed. Rob is a highly respected member of the Ultra community and was President the of the Australian Ultra Runners Association for many years. ( https://www.aura.asn.au/ ) He has completed many of the longest and most grueling ultra marathons all over the globe. He tends to select the ones where you are unsupported and run for days rather than hours, thus allowing him to use his strength, the mental side of running.
From an article in Runner World by Mackenzie Lobby in 2009.
We’ve all heard the old adage about running being 90% mental. Turns out it might be true, and scientifically proven to boot. Tim Noakes, M.D., author of Lore of Running, has long argued that it is the brain that allows or limits endurance performance rather than the body. His “central governor” theory postulates that “the brain is there to look after you and to make sure whatever you do, you do it safely,” as he puts it.
Noakes says that the brain holds us back from pushing past a certain point. “There’s a control mechanism to make sure that you reach the finish line not in a completely, utterly wilted state,” he claims. “You always have a little reserve.” Or as some would interpret this, you can always push a little harder.
While past running research was preoccupied with the physiological side of endurance performance, a small group of researchers recently set their sights on examining the role of the brain. Not only does this research emphasize the idea of mind over matter, it also demonstrates that the brain can be trained to allow the body to physically handle more. After considering the research, we went in search of examples of competitive runners who have figured out ways to overcome the limits our brains put on our bodies. They offer sound advice on methods to coach your mind, not just your muscles.
Confusing Mental Fatigue and Physical Fatigue
Consider the following scenario. You’ve had a long, hard day. Your kids are nagging you, your boss is riding you, and there’s a sink full of dirty dishes and a mile-high pile of bills waiting for you at home. Managing to get in a run, much less a track workout or tempo session, seems like a monumental task.
Researchers at Bangor University in the UK set out to examine why it is that mental fatigue can lead to the perception of physical fatigue during exercise. Dr. Samuele M. Marcora and colleagues compared two groups. While both groups were to complete a high-intensity cycling exercise, one group was given a challenging, but sedentary, 90-minute computer test beforehand. The other watched “emotionally neutral documentaries” for 90 minutes.
While physiological responses to the exercise did not differ between the two groups, the perception of physical effort was much higher in the mentally fatigued group (the ones who did the computer test). The perception of physical fatigue translated into those participants reaching their maximal level of perceived exertion, and thus giving up, much sooner.
Researchers confirmed that VO2 max, cycling economy, and anaerobic threshold were not influenced by the mental task. Most interesting, they note that “overall, it seems that exercise performance is ultimately limited by perception of effort rather than cardiorespiratory and musculoenergetic factors.” Therefore, the brain gave up and subsequently sent signals to the body to also cease, even though the body showed no physical signs of complete exhaustion.
Tricking the Mind to Allow More from the Body
This sort of research tells us that the brain is the boss. It orders the body what to do and what not to do. Another way to interpret this is, that if we can find a way to coax the brain out of cowering in the face of stress, our bodies will subsequently follow. A study out of the University of Birmingham, England, demonstrated that it is possible to, in a sense, fool the mind into allowing the body to work harder.
These researchers showed that cyclists who swished a carbohydrate drink containing either glucose or maltodextrin disguised with an artificial sweetener during a workout were able to ride harder and longer than those who swished water disguised with an artificial sweetener. This was despite the fact that none of the participants actually swallowed either of the liquids, nor did they know if they were swishing the carbohydrate solution or plain water. In addition, the two groups rated the level of difficulty to be the same, even though the carbohydrate drink group worked harder.
A functional MRI demonstrated that certain areas of the brain lit up when the carbohydrate drink was swished, those areas being connected to emotion, motivation, and reward. It was as if the carbohydrate-sensitive receptors in the mouth communicated with the brain, which then sent a signal to the body to tell it that it would be getting more calories and thus could work harder, regardless of the fact that no calories were actually consumed. This demonstrated that it is possible to trick the brain to allow the body to go further and faster.
Brain Training
We often assume that a decrease in performance is the result of physical fatigue—that less oxygen reaches the muscles, lactic acid builds up, and our legs tire. This doesn’t, however, explain instances when you feel you have nothing left, but then manage a surge on the backstretch or rally in the last mile of a marathon. If your muscles were truly shot, that last push would be impossible.
What it comes down to is training, or tricking, the brain to allow the body to go harder. The brain can be taught to give the body more leeway by incrementally pushing past that perceived maximal level of exertion in training. The same way you train your body, you must also train your mind. Noakes suggests, “If you want to be competitive, you have to learn how to deal with the discomfort. A lot of the heavy, good physical training is about training the brain to cope with discomfort.”
There are plenty of examples of people who have figured out ways to shelve distractions, life responsibilities, and the run-off mental fatigue in order to run and race well. In chatting with several accomplished runners who are or were billed with overcoming much greater roadblocks than the average elite, a number of tricks of the trade surface.
Running Priorities
Since we don’t all have the luxury to be able to devote our entire lives to our training the way many of the pros do, we must find ways around the stresses of everyday life. This means making running a priority. Noakes asks, “What are you going to give up? You can’t just keep adding. The brain doesn’t have infinite reserves.”
Bob Kempainen, who ran the 1992 and 1996 Olympic marathons, has a reputation for being one of the most mentally tough runners of our time. By decompressing his rigorous medical school program to six years instead of four, Kempainen was able to simultaneously train for both Olympics and complete medical school.
He explains, however, that other aspects of his life were put on the back burner: “You have to put up with going out to train when you’re tired or when you’ve got things pulling you in different directions, whether it’s social opportunities or passing on a promotion because it would be more work hours. There’s always something that you have to give up. You have to be pretty committed to the sport.”
Getting into the Routine
Once you’ve moved your training up to the top of the priority list, making it a part of your daily routine can help combat unmotivating messages the brain throws at you. Chris Raabe, winner of the 2009 Grandma’s Marathon and a religious 150-mile-a-week runner, knows this well. On top of that heavy mileage, he is also a full-time patent examiner for the Patent Office in Washington D.C.
He explains, “If training is a focus that you have, it’s important to eliminate the distractions as much as possible and make sure that your training is a part of your routine. If you ask me what I’m going to be doing at 5 a.m. on a Wednesday two months from now, I can tell you I’m going to be going out for a run. It’s something that I’ve decided I am doing at this time.”
It is this unquestioning devotion that runners such as Raabe display that seems to be the key to living the double life as a competitive runner and a mere mortal. He says, “if I’ve had a rough day, for me, it’s just what I do. I don’t really think about it. Mental fatigue doesn’t come in quite as much because I’m not thinking about it. It’s just, this is what I do at this time.”
Sheri Piers echoes these sentiments. Piers, 38. is a full-time superwoman, juggling a career as a nurse practitioner, coaching a high school boys cross country team, and tending to her five children, not to mention running upwards of 120 miles a week. The 11th place finisher (2:37.04) in April’s Boston Marathon shows that it is possible to talk the brain into letting the body go further and faster even when the brain waves the white flag.
Like Raabe, she says, “It becomes something you have to get done. The alarm goes off and you get up. I just do it. It’s part of a routine. It doesn’t matter if it’s 20 degrees below. I’m going out running. It’s just the way it is. It’s not even a question.”
Raabe agrees that if you are running once a day, putting it on the front end of your routine is usually best. “You avoid problems. Automatically that’s the first thing you do when you get up.”
Piers has a similar routine: “We get up at 4:00am and get the workout in before the kids wake up because we have to. If we want to do it, that’s what we have to do.”
Practice Makes Perfect
Indeed, no one effortlessly falls into this type of schedule without a little practice, but it does seem to get easier with time. Raabe suggests, “The more you are exposed to a stress, the lower your response is to that stress.”
Noakes adds that when you willfully subject yourself to stress, such as training and working every day, “you become better able to cope with all the stresses in your life.” He adds, “Training increases your self-belief and your confidence in what you can do.”
With practice, you become more convinced of your ability to handle mental stress. Piers explains matter-of-factly, “if you believe you can do it, you just do it.”
These runners have truly put the research into practice. We know that the mind has great influence over the body. Lucky for us, academicians have also discovered that the mind can be manipulated and trained to send specific signals to the body. The ticket to success appears to come with structure and focus. No one said it would be easy. But that’s certainly not why we’re distance runners.
As you can see from the image below (from Strava, you do use Strava right ? … http://www.strava.com ) I’ve been working hard on my Bionic Runner lately as I come to terms with more down time due to a troublesome Achilles. The Bionic Runner is, IMO , the closest you’ll get to the running motion without actually running. As the image below my Strava screen grab shows, the Bionic has been built for runners and, trust me, it’s a hard workout , which can get even harder with a head wind ! I have been building up the distance on the bionic and , over time, increased to fifty kilometres and two hours. Trust me my first outing on the bionic was an experience, I had just brought the Elliptigo and hadn’t even heard of the Bionic Runner. When I tried it I was hooked. It just felt so much like running compared to the Elliptigo, which is still a great alternative but more a forward and back Elliptical motion. (funny enough) The Bionic has the ‘airplane wing’ motion more akin to running and a lot harder, which is the point of course. Both the Elliptigo and the Bionic have they place in a runners arsenal and for recovery they are just about perfect. No impact but working most of the same running muscles you need to keep honest and best of all they are both just so much fun, albeit you will have to over look the puzzled looks of pedestrians.
Not much running but lots of Bionic time.
Unfortunately the Bionic was plagued by poor Chinese manufacturing problems and went out of business a few years ago. There are still examples on Facebook if you want to try one ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/1507045689572412 ) but bear in mind spare parts are nearly impossible to get hold off and the second and third generation do tend to break in half. ! Have a trawl through the facebook page and you’ll get the general idea.
The Elliptigo on the other hand has gone from strength to strength and still sponsors Meb Keflezighi and Dean Karnazes. It has added two or three new models to its armory lately and is another great alternative to running when you are either injured or for second recovery runs. They take away the risk of injury when you are tired. Have a look at their website ( http://www.elliptigo.com ) I sold mine to my good friend Mark C. last year when I moved closer to the city and couldn’t justify two stand up bikes. I must admit to regretting my decision and will probably treaty myself to another one in summer. The GO in my opinion is built for longer distances, where as the Bionic is about shorter, harder workouts. Both have their place in my garage it’s just about persuading No1 Wife of my runners logic, this could prove difficult.
Meb (Boston Winner and Olympic Marathon runner) on the ‘Go’.
The image below is from my recovery period after a nasty calf tear, my first real injury of note. My time on the GO allowed me to come back strong and run a 2:49 at the Perth City to Surf Marathon, after 12 weeks out. I had 7 weeks on the Elliptigo before returning to running and this certainly beat 7 weeks of no cross training at all. In that time I was unable to run but could use the Elliptigo and work the running muscle quite happily and , as I said earlier, it really is so much fun.
A Jon Pendse classic…
Another alternative to the Ellpitigo and the bionic is the Cyclete Trail Runner. ( https://cyclete.com/ ) This bad boy looks the business but it more expensive and by the text copied from their website below harder to get hold off. Probably only accessible for my American Cousins giving the exchange rate for the Australian Dollar at the moment (I think we’re just below the Zimbabwe dollar in worthless currency nobody wants table !) and the cost of shipping. Note: The Elliptigo produces a trail like GO now which is similar to the Cyclete but half the cost.
Mines the cheaper Australian version, but then we are ‘battlers’…
Demand for Cycletes has dramatically exceeded our expectations – we are now sold-out for 2020.
DUE TO UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND FOR BICYCLES, SOME COMPONENTS I USE ARE BEING RATIONED WHICH MAY CAUSE DELAYS – Some components may require substitution. Specifically Ergon GP5 grips are unavailable GP1 will be substituted.
Each Cyclete 2020 Limited Edition is designed and made to order in Marin County California led by Steven Ascher.
Your Cyclete purchase is made in 3 installments of $1665 as follows:
The process of building your Cyclete begins when we receive your refundable deposit of $1665. Steven Ascher will contact you personally to welcome you to the Cyclete community and answer any questions you may have, discuss tire and gearing selection as well as accessories like fenders.
Your second installment of $1665 is due prior to painting your frame in your selected color. At this time you are committed to the build of your Cyclete and your payments become non-refundable.
When your Cyclete is completed your third and final installment of $1665 is required plus additional charge for accessories, shipping and any applicable taxes / duties will be collected.
Current lead times are 4-6 weeks
Have fun selecting your color! The pictures shown are renderings. While we have worked hard to provide a good representation, your Cyclete Trail Runner will certainly look different. The color will have greater depth and variation.
We are looking forward to building a Cyclete just for you.
NOTE: The Cyclete is not intended for children and has a maximum rider weight of 250 lbs.
Right that’s it for the moment. With my achilles on the mend I’m hoping to make the Light Horse Ultra 12 hour race on September 13th ( http://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) , for anybody in Perth this is a must do event, it really is something special. The laps are relatively short , under 3km, which means to run through the start and stop area relatively often and with the extra distances this year there will be lots of company. The 24 hour starts at 6pm Saturday 12th September, with the 12 hour event starting at 6am Sunday 13th. There’s also a 6 hour and 3 hour event. Shaun Kaesler always puts on a great event and this one is one not to be missed. Due to our hard borders anybody outside Perth has got no chance of making the start line unless they can get into a quarantine hotel this week, at your cost. The event is good but not that good, stay at home !
Unfortunately I seem to have injured my Achilles just as the racing season starts to hot up in sunny Western Australia. I knew I was in trouble about 14 hours into my last event, Birdy’s backyard Ultra. ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/event/birdys-backyard-2/ ) The looped course has a section on an uneven meadow with the option of running on an angle near the fence, being the quicker option, where as running on a flatter service was the more ‘runner friendly‘. Over time I had started to move towards the fence and because of that started to put my already tired Achilles under more pressure. On one lap I was chasing Justin and as we came out of a gate I tried to accelerate off my left leg to catch him so we could run together for the next few kilometres. This proved to be my undoing as I felt that familiar tearing in my lower leg. I had felt a similar feeling when I blew my calf a few years ago, so instantly knew I had a tear.
Luckily I hobbled about for a few steps but was then able to run with only small discomfort. This allowed me to get back to the start and tape up my Achilles with Rock Tape and neck a few more Voltaren tablets. This was enough to get me through the event and I actually finished pain free.
Of course once the Voltaren wore off that evening my ankle swelled up and I knew I was in trouble. Of course Dr.Google has the answer and I have self diagnosed, as every runner does, with Achilles Tendonitis / Tendonosis. I have decided to spend as much time as possible on my Bionic Runner and dose myself up with Voltaren for 7-10 days. After this we’ll see if I ‘m able to run albeit slowly and only for a short distance.
Of course my marathon a week Sunday (August 30th) is probably out the window unless I have a Lazarus like recovery , confidence is low. I am prepared to sacrifice this event for one of my goal races this year the Light Horse 12 hour. ( http://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) This was my first DNF last year, ever, and I’m determined to put in a good effort this year to banish those DNF demons. Before this injury I was confident of putting in a good total but now I’ll be happy just to run the full 12 hours.
Injuries are sent to test us and as we get older they seem to come knocking on a more regular basis. I had a really good run of no injures initially but the last few years have torn a calf muscle, overcome a nasty case of Plantar Fasciitis , a Baker’s Cyst and now it looks like Achilles Tendonitis. I get the injuries, it’s the loss of fitness and starting again that really hurts. Lock down for me has been the prefect time to really concentrate on my training program and I was just getting back to 2016 fitness levels and, with the help of my massage gun, was loving my running again. With a 12 hour event in September, a marathon in October, 100 miler in November, Ultra in December, 100k in January and finally the Delirious in February my race calendar is fully booked. This bad boy of an injury could put paid to a few of those or worse. That’s running I suppose. Every time you put on your running shoes you roll the dice and eventually you get snake eyes.
On the bright side my injury allows me to post on the subject and if anybody, reading this post, has the symptoms below I have the article helps.
Common Disorders of the Achilles Tendon
What Is the Achilles Tendon?
A tendon is a band of tissue that connects a muscle to a bone. The Achilles tendon runs down the back of the lower leg and connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. Also called the “heel cord,” the Achilles tendon facilitates walking by helping to raise the heel off the ground.
Achilles Tendonitis and Achilles Tendonosis
Two common disorders that occur in the heel cord are Achilles tendonitis and Achilles tendonosis.
Achilles tendonitis is an inflammation of the Achilles tendon. This inflammation is typically short-lived. Over time, if not resolved, the condition may progress to a degeneration of the tendon (Achilles tendonosis), in which the tendon loses its organized structure and is likely to develop microscopic tears. Sometimes the degeneration involves the site where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel bone. In rare cases, chronic degeneration with or without pain may result in rupture of the tendon.
Causes
As “overuse” disorders, Achilles tendonitis and tendonosis are usually caused by a sudden increase of a repetitive activity involving the Achilles tendon. Such activity puts too much stress on the tendon too quickly, leading to micro-injury of the tendon fibers. Due to this ongoing stress on the tendon, the body is unable to repair the injured tissue. The structure of the tendon is then altered, resulting in continued pain.
Athletes are at high risk for developing disorders of the Achilles tendon. Achilles tendonitis and tendonosis are also common in individuals whose work puts stress on their ankles and feet, such as laborers, as well as in “weekend warriors”—those who are less conditioned and participate in athletics only on weekends or infrequently.
In addition, people with excessive pronation (flattening of the arch) have a tendency to develop Achilles tendonitis and tendonosis due to the greater demands placed on the tendon when walking. If these individuals wear shoes without adequate stability, their over-pronation could further aggravate the Achilles tendon.
Symptoms
The symptoms associated with Achilles tendonitis and tendonosis include:
Pain—aching, stiffness, soreness, or tenderness—within the tendon. This may occur anywhere along the tendon’s path, beginning with the tendon’s attachment directly above the heel upward to the region just below the calf muscle. Often pain appears upon arising in the morning or after periods of rest, then improves somewhat with motion but later worsens with increased activity.
Tenderness, or sometimes intense pain, when the sides of the tendon are squeezed. There is less tenderness, however, when pressing directly on the back of the tendon.
When the disorder progresses to degeneration, the tendon may become enlarged and may develop nodules in the area where the tissue is damaged.
Diagnosis
In diagnosing Achilles tendonitis or tendonosis, the surgeon will examine the patient’s foot and ankle and evaluate the range of motion and condition of the tendon. The extent of the condition can be further assessed with x-rays or other imaging modalities.
Treatment
Treatment approaches for Achilles tendonitis or tendonosis are selected on the basis of how long the injury has been present and the degree of damage to the tendon. In the early stage, when there is sudden (acute) inflammation, one or more of the following options may be recommended:
Immobilization. Immobilization may involve the use of a cast or removable walking boot to reduce forces through the Achilles tendon and promote healing.
Ice. To reduce swelling due to inflammation, apply a bag of ice over a thin towel to the affected area for 20 minutes of each waking hour. Do not put ice directly against the skin.
Oral medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may be helpful in reducing the pain and inflammation in the early stage of the condition.
Orthotics. For those with over-pronation or gait abnormalities, custom orthotic devices may be prescribed.
Night splints. Night splints help to maintain a stretch in the Achilles tendon during sleep.
Physical therapy. Physical therapy may include strengthening exercises, soft-tissue massage/mobilization, gait and running re-education, stretching, and ultrasound therapy.
When is Surgery Needed?
If non-surgical approaches fail to restore the tendon to its normal condition, surgery may be necessary. The foot and ankle surgeon will select the best procedure to repair the tendon, based upon the extent of the injury, the patient’s age and activity level, and other factors.
Prevention
To prevent Achilles tendonitis or tendonosis from recurring after surgical or non-surgical treatment, the foot and ankle surgeon may recommend strengthening and stretching of the calf muscles through daily exercises. Wearing proper shoes for the foot type and activity is also important in preventing recurrence of the condition.
In March this year I started to work from home as COVID19 started to make it’s presence known around the globe. This new way of working is perfect for the stay at home athlete to really add some serious fitness metrics. As you can see from the image below I entered lock-down in March just about as unfit as I had ever been in the last 2 years. This was down to a number of factors including losing my running mojo and coming off some bad racing results including a DNF at the Delirious West 200 Miler. ( http://deliriouswest200miler.com.au ) Truth be told I had fallen into this running hole at the end of 2019 after a second dose of man-flu. Now I know any Women reading this post, basically my Mum!, will have no sympathy for man-flu but let me tell the risk is real and it is a killer , albeit maybe more a few days feeling very sorry for ourselves. Anyhow I was left with little or no energy and lost the will to train, just before a 200 mile race over four days. I kidded myself it was all mental and I could walk the Delirious but in the end the inevitable happened and I DNF’d after 17 hours. In my defense there was a few other contributing factors, like not eating and drinking enough and my Quads completely seizing up, as I have also said an ultra is an eating and drinking competition with running between aid stations thrown in to justify the event.
Anyhow, I digress, in March when lock down hit I was working from home and came across the idea of massage guns. I had heard good things about these items so treated myself to one. Well, what a difference it made. Using the massage gun after every run allowed to me to start the next run with fresh legs, no longer did I hobble out of bed in the morning and stumble towards the door, I was like a Gazelle, leaping out of bed and bounding to the door. I found I could stride out again and my love of running returned which is pretty obvious from the chart below.
Lockdown fitness boost.
Another change I made was to spend more time, every Friday, hitting the trails for long runs and boy we have some great trails in Perth, all within a 30 minute drive from the city. These runs were all about time on feet and just enjoying being out there, running in its purest form. (Of course we all have our GPS watches on so we could show everybody where we’d been ! ) These runs rekindled my love of trails and over the ten or so Friday’s I spent on the trails I had some great times. (I took a GoPro on some of these runs so if you search in my last 10 or so posts you find a link to some of them or use this link to get to my Vimeo page :- https://vimeo.com/manage/422054940/general ) There are many benefits of trail running but , for me, the main one is the extra all over body workout you get as you are continually watching your step, due to the terrain, and unable to fall into a ‘road running‘ mode where it’s just step after step in the same stance. After a good trail run your quads and hammys are normally screaming as they recover from the extra work they have been put under, you may even wake up the next day with a six pack albeit probably temporarily.
The usual suspects. Adam, Rob and Jeff.
I have added my training before Delirious in February from Strava ( you do use Strava right… http://www.strava.com ) and the last 6 weeks and it’s pretty clear the change in intensity. First up is the 6 weeks before Delirious, in February, where I was in very dark place, training wise, mainly due to constantly tight hammys, making running unpleasant. I did virtually no running in January, although in my defence I was recovering from man-flu picked up in the first week. I made a token effort the week before the event but, by this time, it was probably, definitely, too late. Funnily enough my hammys survived the event but my quads gave up big time and after 17 hours and 112k I DNF’d . Speaking to the race winner , Jon Pendse, he said he was in a similar position later in the race and was saved by someone offering him a massage gun. Once he used the gun he was good to go again and wound up winning !
6 weeks pre-Delirious , not pretty.
Compare the pre-massage gun to the post massage gun training below. No days off and lots of double days, even a training half marathon (1:36) on a Saturday followed by a training full marathon (3:11) the next day. It really is chalk and cheese, the difference. As well as the extra workload you are able to get through you also start each run feeling fresh and this is where the massage gun is vital. The reason we run is we love running and if you take away the love then running becomes a chore and this is why , eventually, so many people give it away. Their mind is still willingly but their body lets them down. I see now that is what was happening to me earlier in the year, I was constantly fatigued and because of that unable to really enjoy my running. I remember lots of times sitting in my changing room at work wondering what I was doing, after another terrible run. Trust me it’s not fun when you question the reason you do what you use to love to do.
Post massage gun I am back to the running machine I was 3-4 years ago, albeit slower of course but the passion is there and that’s whats important at this stage in my career, that is the end. I realise my days of PB’s are well and truly behind me but age group wins are still there for the taking and also the joy of racing is still there to be enjoyed.
It’s been a busy few weeks.
So which massage gun to choose ? Well the choices are endless and vary vastly in price. Personally I went for an Australian product so I could return it if I had any problems, this is just my choose of course. The best thing to do is google ‘Best Massage guns for running’ and then give yourself the rest of the day to go though the options, or longer ! Of course , as always, price will probably dictate your choice but , as with all things, you probably get what you pay for so be careful.
Let’s pretend that you’re a sore runner training for one of the world’s first marathons in ancient Greece. You visit a practitioner to heal your weak-feeling muscles. He places a plank of wood on your sore spot and, using your body as a stabilizer, begins sawing away. The hope: that the resulting vibrations reach your muscles and help alleviate pain.
That was the beginning of vibration therapy, and while it sounds a little horrifying, the intention was scientifically sound. We now know that the technique helps build strength and speed, improve flexibility, and loosen stiff muscles, says Matthew N. Berenc, director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute. And, until recently, this was largely done through bulky platforms found in gyms (rather than tools with dangerously sharp edges—phew). If athletes wanted to get strong, they stood on top of the vibrating Power Plate machine and performed dynamic exercises like squats and lunges. When recovery was the goal, they draped a leg over the platform as it buzzed. Either way, the vibrations stimulated muscle fibers and the nervous system, priming the muscles for quicker reaction and greater strength and power output.
But let’s be real: Unless you’re a hardcore athlete, these machines often collect more dust than users. They also require a trip to the gym. That leaves a clear void in the market, which companies like Hyperice, TimTam, and TriggerPoint have recently filled. Their devices—mini jackhammers and vibrating foam rollers—can be used whenever, wherever.
The Buzz on a Little Buzz
When our bodies are exposed to vibration, muscles automatically twitch against it, says Michele Olson, Ph.D., an adjunct professor of sports science at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. It’s a defense strategy: Too much vibration can damage our organs, so muscles contract to dampen the blow. But low levels of pulsation can help muscles maintain their function and prime bones to lay down new cells while casting off old ones. So there’s a balance to be found and, for at least the last decade, that was achieved primarily through whole-body therapy (e.g., using a Power Plate).
The problem is that the research on whole-body vibration therapy has been mixed. A small study found that running economy—the energy needed to put in miles—increased after eight weeks of whole-body vibration training. But other research compared whole-body vibration to resistance training in endurance runners, and the results were equal. So it begs the question: Since you’re already doing strength-training, is it necessary to add more to your routine?
Some experts answer with a tentative “yes,” if vibration is delivered in a localized fashion. An exploratory study found that in recreational athletes, using a vibrating foam roller increased pain tolerance more than a traditional one did. Plus, when vibrations are applied directly to a muscle, certain proprioceptors (sensors in the muscle) cause tissues to relax and loosen, Berenc says. For runners, that could lead to an increased range of motion. Preliminary research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that when 19 people used the Hyperice Vyper, a vibrating foam roller, from their ankle to their knee, they experienced a greater increase in ankle range of motion than those who statically rolled.
When to Pump Up the Pulse
Manufacturers will tell you that at-home vibration therapy is great before, during, and after a workout. And while science still has to establish this for sure, there is a case to be made for each.
Before your workout, Berenc says, you can benefit from post-activation potentiation—a fancy way of saying your muscles are primed to work harder. “When the muscles work to control the vibrations, they recruit a high number of muscle fibers,” he explains. This way, when you start running, your muscles are already prepared and your stride could be more efficient, he says.
In the middle of a sweat session—say, in between sprints around the track—Jason S. Wersland, chiropractor and founder of TheraGun, says that quick, targeted vibration could signal glycogen to flood to a muscle. “It brings new blood and stored energy to the muscles, while also keeping you loose and limber so you can finish a workout feeling strong,” he says.
Berenc thinks it’s smart to vibe after you run, especially if you’re hitting the pavement five to six days a week. Running more often means more repetitive movement, which Berenc says should be counterbalanced in a way that allows the tissue to relax so that you can maintain range of motion. Ten minutes of vibration therapy each day is plenty to accomplish this; you can target three or four areas of the body each session to keep boredom at bay.
No matter when or how you use the device, though, most experts agree that it can’t hurt to give it a try. At the very least, you’ll get a mini massage—and we know those are awesome.
Pro tip: Newbie vibers should start on the lowest setting and gradually build intensity, limiting use to one or two times a week—and only vibing for 30 minutes max at a time—to avoid overuse injuries, says Berenc. “As your muscles become used to the stimulus, you can increase how often you use a device,” he adds. Pay attention to how you feel, and adjust accordingly.
Recently we had the 6th running of the ‘runner versus train‘ Choo-Choo race. The concept is simple, you leave North Dandalup station then run 33k (35k?) over mostly trails to Serpentine station to catch the 10:21am train back to the start. The game is deciding how late you leave North Dandelup. Over the years the record for the latest departure time was around 7am but this year, due to part of the course being shut and thus 2k shorter, we decided to try and break the sub 3 hours and leave at 7:22am. It was Mark’s idea and although I was onboard Jeff was none the wiser to our plan having never ran the Choo-Choo before. So we let the last few runners start their journey and held firm, waiting for 7:22am to come around.
One of the last groups standing, holding firm just before first light. This group left just after 7am.
Jeff was a tad confused when the last group left just after 7am and myself and Mark continued to pontificate and make no effort to move away from the station. Eventually we let him in on our plan but he was less than excited, expecting a relaxed amble from one station to the next , stopping for selfies and rose smelling. He knew if we left at 7:22am it would be on for young and old and if you stopped there would be a good chance the train would be well gone when you eventually arrived at Serpentine Station. Of course he was in a catch 22 situation as the last group had left and he had no idea where he was going , so would need us for directions. There was much head shaking and grumbling but all this served to do was to gee up myself and Mark , who then took great pleasure in talking up the challenge ahead. We can be a cruel lot us runners !
The first sub3 group, with one very unhappy China man !!
So at 7:22am precisely we set off for Serpentine Station, giving ourselves 2 hours and 59 minutes, assuming the train was on time. From past experience I knew we could make the 35k version of the course in 3 hours, including a 5 minute drink stop. Having a nasty 2k loop taken out due to storm damage would probably give us 10 minutes , so we should have 10-20 minutes to play with. As I said earlier Jeff had not ran the Choo-Choo before , where as myself and Mark were old hands and knew what to expect. As you can see from the graphic below the run starts with about 8k of serious hill, as you rise onto the scarp. It then undulates, mostly uphill , until the 25k mark at which time it’s all guns blazing to the best finish ever !! Knowing this is coming it allows you to do the numbers in your head factoring in the fast finish. Jeff did not have this prior knowledge and at every kilometre got more and more discouraged as our pace dropped due to the terrain ahead of us. Again Mark and I did nothing to alleviate his angst and just kept on, knowing we were on track but not divulging this to Jeffrey.
Choo-Choo elevation.
The run itself was pretty uneventful as we had the GPX of the route on Mark’s Garmin (what did we do before GPS watches ?) so the couple of time we wondered of course we were made aware by the watch and we turned around and continued on the right track. Not having this would prove to be the undoing of a few runners because although the course is predominately on the Mundi Bindi bike trail ( https://www.mundabiddi.org.au/ ) eventually you have to leave the trail and return to the road and ultimately the train station. Some runners missed that turn and ended up in Jarrahdale , luckily the two runners in question where able to blag a lift to Serpentine and still made the train in time, after running over 40 kilometres, outstanding job ladies. Some runners thought were less fortunate and my mate Adam was unable to make the train in time, missing it by nearly 10 minutes. He was given a left back to the start and had to endure a slow clap as he arrived , rightly so of course. He was eventually allowed to take food from the tukka table but there was grumblings of discontent from the runners who had completed the course, these was talk of banishing him to a separate part of the park, as I said earlier we are a cruel lot us runners .
The best Deli in Serpentine.
You’ll notice in the image above no sign of Jeff, we had left him to his own devices about 5k from the finish as it was every man for himself at that stage and me and Mark fancied a Mocha before the train. Jeff did make the Serpentine Train station show below (far right) but was still smarting over the whole affair and will probably leave a lot earlier next year, a lesson learned.
All the runners bar the 5 DNF and TB who cut it very, very late (as usual!)
The Australind Train on it’s way to Bunbury via Serpentine Station, 10:29am; 8 minutes late I seem to remember.
The train ride itself is a bit of an anti-climax due to a number of factors. One, it takes an ‘as the crow flies ‘ approach to travel between the two stations, funnily enough, and two, it is a lot quicker than us runners ! The journey itself takes about 12 minutes for the 18km or so distance. Thus you just about sit down , get comfy, before it time to get up again and leave the train, not even time for a cup of tea from the buffet (which was actually shut this year anyhow?) No worries, we had organised for everyone to bring tukka for a post run debriefing because we all know that runners love talking about running as much as running.
Irwin and I enjoying the moment just before the train arrives.
I need to give a big shout out to Irwin Swinny who kick started the Choo-Choo this year after a leave of absence in 2019. He set up the Facebook page and, with his influence, we had a record turn out. With Irwin’s help I feel this event can go from strength to strength with more and more people experiencing the stress of racing a train. He has an excellent podcast, Stimulate Run, that is well worth a visit ( https://anchor.fm/irwin-swinny ) ,you’ll be surprised who you can listen to.
Best thing about running , is talking about running after you finish running , over cake ! Look’s like I’m doing all the talking for a change ?
So at the moment the record for the last to leave will stand at 7:22am, albeit with an asterix for the short course option. We later found the 2k loop we missed was runable it’s just not part of the Munda Biddi anymore as this is built mainly for bikes. Sam Hoffman ran the fastest time for the day albeit stopping his watch when waiting for his running partners. Still outside the course record set in 2018, 2hrs 27mins by Allister Caird, an average of 4:11min/k. At that pace you could chance your arm and leave at 8am and pry the train is a few minutes late, not that would be a story worth telling !!!!
Footnote: After this adventure my good friend Amy (wearing purple in the picture above) decided she would do the Choo-Choo in reverse. This meant catching the train from Perth to Serpentine, running to North Dandalup and then hanging around at the local servo’ station before catching the train from North Dandalup back to Perth, in the afternoon. Of course you could kill time by running longer , the possibilities are endless. Amy did report that there is a lot more elevation running it backwards and the hill up the scarp is a killer. Of course this then lends itself to a double Choo-Choo but the logistics would be quite complicated. It it to be noted one runner ran from Serpentine to North Dandalup , starting before 2am , and then ran the Choo-Choo. (well done Chemie Banger) I’m calling this a Choo-choo-choo; ultra runners always find a way to push the envelope, I suppose that’s the point ?
This weekend it’s the annual running of the runner versus train and all are welcome. The facebook page is a good place to start if you need to find like minded runners and need company or information :- https://www.facebook.com/events/1288649481324896
The concept is simple, we are runners after all, simple folk. All participants self seed by leaving North Dandalup train station giving themselves enough time to complete the 35k trail to get to Serpentine train station by 10:21am, to get on the only train of the day, returning to the start. Miss it and you’re snookered , faced with a 18k walk of shame back to the start on the road or a 35k return run on the trails, making for a big day out !
Over the years we have never had anyone miss the train but it is to be noted on the first running a runner was discarded and ordered back to the start when the group realised they would be unable to catch the train if they continued at their current pace. Unfortunately for the aforementioned runner they was not trusted with the car keys and thus had to wait, in their running gear, for the rest of the runners to return via the train. Needless to say there were words exchanged apparently. Please note I was not part of this inaugural running and can only blame Simon Coates for what transpired. He will gladly tell the full story if requested.
Over the years the latest we have left North Dandelup is 7am and we have always finished at Serpentine in good time for a Brownes Mocha but this year there is talk of a 7:30am departure, I may be able to bring that back to 7:15am but this will leave no margin for error. Normally we complete the 35k in around three hours, with a 10-15 minute water stop.
The trail is well marked and part of the Mundi Bindi trail so keep a look out for the signs and you will not get lost, well probably not; the GPX file is available on the facebook page. It’s best to buy you train tickets online but note you cannot buy them on the Saturday apparently, no worries you can buy them on the train of course, so bring cash. The train from Serpentine to North Dandalup is a disappointingly quick, event after taking so long to run the course, but the train cheats of course by going in a straight line , as the crow flies so to speak. This is probably a good thing for the rest of the passengers as we are not the most sweet smelling people after three to four hours of trail running.
So to sum up , come along this Sunday , start whatever you want but be at Serpentine for 10:21am for the train back. Bring food and we’ll all have a picnic at North Dandalup station before returning to Perth, or Serpentine to pick up stragglers ?
Train timetable
Make sure you go North or you’ll end up in Albany,.
Choc milk time at the Deli, job done.
I’ve attached the 2018 post on the event to get your juices flowing…
Right a quick post on the 2018 man versus train race where we leave North Dandalup train station and run the 35k to Serpentine train station and catch the only return train back to the start. Miss the train and you have a 18k run on a busy road or a 35k trail run back to North Dandalup. !!
The Serpentine train leaves North Dandalap at 10:20am so we decided this year to leave a tad earlier than previous years due to the various running injuries we were all embracing. Calf strains, Achilles issues, carrying too much weight (I’m not sure this is an injury Barts!) and good old Plantar Fasciitis to name a few. Thus at 6:40am we set off up the scarp, mainly due to Bart’s insisting we get a move on as he really wasn’t ready for a 35k sprint to the finish. He had got lost last year when he was dropped halfway up the scarp and had to run a lonely thirty or so kilometres to the finish. This year he was determined to stay the course and refused to leave a key hidden on the car so if he got lost he knew I’d have to find him and my lift home. Little did he know I had arranged alternative transport if we ‘lost’ him. In the end he made it and ran a large proportion of the run with us, complaining most of the way of course. I don’t think Bart’s like any hill in any direction, up or down, as both seem to set him off on a tirade of abuse. This from a man who loves trail running ?
The photo below shows the starting line up for 2018 taken at North Dandalup train station, funnily enough we were the only people about early on a Sunday morning in the country. I managed to persuade five ‘newbies’ to join us and supplied all of these with a GPX file of the course as I didn’t want them to suffer the same fate as Bart’s from last year, bless him.
So off we went up the scarp, which is a road section and probably one of the hardest sections of the run as you’re in danger of getting collected by mad country drivers cutting corners. Thankfully this year it was very quiet and I don’t remember seeing any cars, which is unusual, they were probably all still in bed after the West Coast Eagles, a local footy team, managed to sneak into the Grand Final the day before. As you can see from the elevation below the start is a challenge but the finish is ‘to die for’. It was a this point last year we lost Bart’s (the start not the finish.) and history repeated itself with Mark, a new runner from Brisbane, dropping off the pace early and, in Choo-Choo tradition, left to fend for himself. I felt a small amount of guilt but this was quickly forgotten when I realised the task ahead and I had supplied Mark with a GPX file of the course , so he had no excuse to get lost.
Choo-Choo run elevation. It’s all about the finish….
The conditions this year was perfect and we had given ourselves more than enough time to finish by leaving probably half an hour earlier than the year before. This certainly made the journey less stressful than previous years and we settled into a good rhythm with enough pace to complete the task at hand but not enough we couldn’t natter away discussing a plethora of topics and generally putting the world to rights. We as a group splintered early which seemed silly truth be told as it wasn’t a race and there seemed no point running a few hundred metres infront of each other. I ran with Jon, because he had the GPX route loaded into his Garmin 310, and Liam for conversation. (with Bart’s always a few hundred metres behind us complaining about something?) The three of us eventually caught up with the two Mark’s at the ‘drinks stop‘. I say drinks stop in italics because there was no drinks. Simon had hidden a carton of water and a box of Gu’s behind a tree but it seems these country people are resourceful with good eyesight because there was no supplies to be seen. Not a problem though but it did the make the last 5k or so a challenge as we were into the ‘dead zone’ (over 32k) with little water and no nutrition, a good test of your bodies capabilities to survive on it’s won internal fat resources I suppose. Luckily the last 10k is predominantly downhill so you can sort of ‘fall‘ to the finish line. ( It is to be noted this year Trish refused to bake for us which made the return trip to Dandalap a bit of an anti-climax as the reward of Trish’s baking (which is awesome by the way) would not be there to greet us, in the end we made do with McDonalds pancakes but thrust me they ain’t the same!, anyhow I digress.)
After regrouping with the two Mark’s the group of five set off to the finish and the conversation continued to improve with numbers. The highlight of the last part of the run was most of us falling prey to the only puddle on the whole course, how does that happen ? Mark C,. attached it with gusto (he’s Scottish you know and use to large expanses of water !) and nearly went in, this made me more cautious but it was to no avail and I ended up in the same situation, soggy socks and shoes for the last 10k or so.! Once we started to descend of course it was ever man for himself and Mark C. probably set the record for the fastest kilometre with a 3:10 down the steepest part of the hill. He was very excited and reported feeling a runners high as he snowballed down the hill at speed, more probably he was just totally knackered as we had all just ran just about 35k on a few sips of water.
It’s hard to put into words the run itself as it really was just about the perfect day. A good distance, beautiful trails and great company rounded off with Brownes Mocha and a danish at the Deli. Chuck in a train ride where the guard announced to the whole train of our adventures as we boarded and departed and the day really couldn’t of got any better. Talk at the Deli (see below) centred on next years departure time as we had plenty of time to relax at the deli before the train, well most of us that is. If you remember at the start I mentioned Mark from Brisbane getting dropped at the 3k mark, you’ll see he’s not in the photo below. We all thought he was gone and I had even arranged at the Deli to let him know we’d drive back and pick him up, save him the 18k walk back to the train station. Well he made it with 3 minutes to spare, albeit the train was late as usual so he could have probably stopped at the Deli for a danish.
At the Deli after a Brownes Mocha and a Danish, life really is that simple sometimes! (Notice no Mark from Brisbane)
As you can see from the photo below taken at Serpentine train station Mark is back into the fold and happy to be there, he currently holds the record for cutting it closest to missing the train, probably beating Trailblazers record set a few years ago. I’m sure Jon can get closer with a bit of effort ? Honourable mentions must go to Allister Caird who set a course record running the route in 2hrs 27 minutes, thats a 4:11k average, sub 3 pace for a hilly trail run, Boom! He could have left nearly as hour after us and still made it. Nigel also went well considering he twisted his ankle at 15k and ‘hobbled‘ to the finish in good time, a big call as if the ankle had given way completely it would have been a long night on the trails. Of course Mark gets a mention for running the whole route by himself under the stress of a potential long walk back to the car. He looked relaxed when he finish and puts his time down to this was his first trail run back in Perth, he’s from Brisbane you know. Bart’s also went well after we dropped him just after halfway, we actually dropped him earlier but always made sure he could see us, sort off. At least this year he ran the whole course after his miracle run last year.
At the hub of Serpentine, the ‘bustling’ train station. That’s a lot of smile , while I’m putting on my best ‘just finished 35k grimace’ face…
Right that’s the Choo-Choo for another year. I’ll try and drum up some more enthusiasm next year as if you live in Perth you really need to do this run. We all agreed we’d leave later next year but the departure time is personal to your ability and general fitness and also if you want that added bonus of really ‘racing a train’ and trying to cut it closer than Mark, from Brisbane’s, valiant effort of three minutes to go. Up for the challenge ? All aboard…..
I
