Marathons

How not to run a marathon, Melbourne 2022.

Melbourne tram, iconic image.

The last couple of years my focus has been on ultra races, in fact my last 18 races over that period have all been ultras. My last marathon was the Perth City to Surf in August 2019, just breaking the sub three hour mark finishing in 2 hours 55 minutes and change.  I had entered the Melbourne marathon on a whim earlier in the year and I was determined to try and continue my sub three streak currently standing at twenty nine marathons over a ten year period. Seemed like a good idea at the time but then the ‘No time to die‘ backyard ultra was introduced and I had to run it to get the Grand Slam of backyard Ultras. (Running all four of the UltraSeries backyard ultras in one year)

The only down side to this challenge was the backyard ultra was two weeks before Melbourne, essentially my last long run.  Normally a last long run is around 32km maybe a tad longer but not the 33 hour , 224km backyard ultra I ran. Deep down I knew this would come back to bit me and coupled with just about a total lack of marathon specific training I knew I was in for a torrid time, at best.

Right lets start at the beginning, well actually before the beginning,  at the hour and half before the start with myself and Adam cocooned in the VIR room (Very Important Runner) . This is a $100 extra you can pay to get a nice warm room in the MCG at the start with fruit, tea and coffee and the best bit, toilets without a queue a mile long.  You are then escorted to the front of the pack just before the start and then afterwards back to the room for a massage, light lunch and a shower ; and yes, toilets.  Probably the best $100 I have ever spent.  The image below is myself and Adam preparing to enter the VIR room up the VIR escalator, I told you it was a good deal.

Melbourne VIR entrance with Adam. No Barts and Jeff, too tight to spend the extra $100 !

The view from the VIR room was pretty special too, the MCG stadium in all it glory just before sunrise. This VIR option is the gift that keeps giving I tell you.  As the sun rose we were escorted out of the calm of the VIR room into the chaos that is a major marathon start line. It was good to get the option to start with the preferred starts, the fast runners , just behind the Kenyans. Adam and I noted the location of the three hour pacers and then some last minute stretching before the gun went off and it was on for young and old.

MCG pre-start, view from the VIR room.

The VIR room was also full of most of the Perth runners loyal to my good friend Tony Smith, him of Tony Smith Coaching. ( https://www.tsrunclub.com/ ) Tony has built an empire the last few years and his one goal is helping achieving theirs, a very humble but driven character Tony , as are his coaches.  Over the years we have had many tussles and trained many, many  hours together and laughed a lot and I mean a lot, easily done with like minded people.  His coaching business is growing but he still maintains a hands on approach and is genuinely interested in all his runners.  I love the image below as it shows us getting ready and I have many of these over the years. Tony is still running incredibly well and ran sub three for the marathon.

 

The T-train and I, two old warriors preparing for battle, again !

Right lets get to the interesting bit, the race debriefing. As the split below shows I basically tried to stay with the sub 3 bus and did so until 10k when I was kicked off and then struggled to the finish. Truth be told it was what I expected after running the No time to die ultra two weeks prior and as I always maintain you can’t hide from a marathon. I struggled from the start and a toilet stop at 5km didn’t help as I was then chasing the three hour pacers, when I eventually caught them around the 10km  my head gasket blew. As I said earlier its been three years since I’ve ran a marathon and in that time I have done no specific marathon training bar a few token efforts in the last few weeks.  My legs hadn’t recovered from the backyard ultra a few weeks previous but I was hoping I could run sub3 on past glories, a ridiculous concept really and at 10k all the cows came home and the piper was there with his hand out, he wanted paid big time.

I’ve very rarely been in this position before as I always train for the event I enter, be it a 4km sprint to a 200 miler adventure. This was always going to be a challenge and depending how the legs had recovered would determine the time in the pain cave. It looked , at 10km into the race, my time in the pain cave would be extensive, and very deep. It is in situations like this you need your past experience to decide a new strategy for the way forward, because you need to keep moving forward.  I decided I needed to get to halfway and then mentally I would be in a better place. At the moment I was running away from the start line, at halfway I was running back towards the finish line, a world of difference. I would then also give myself a pace target for the journey home to the MCG stadium.

From the 10km mark to halfway is good running , initially around a park and then along the beach front in St. Kilda, conditions were perfect.  I struggled to the halfway mark with runners constantly passing me but once there gave myself a target of pacing around the 4:40min/km to 5min/km , if I could keep this pace I would be able to get back to the MCG around 3 hours 15minues, a respectable enough time. From 21km to 28km I was able to maintain my new goal pace amd as we turned for home felt confident I could reach my new goal albeit I could see the 3hour 10min bus approaching quickly. With hindsight I would have been better off starting with this bus as I could have probably held on to the end, but was happy with my decision to roll the dice and pay the price, so to speak.

After the 3hour 10 bus went over the top of me we merged with the half marathon runners who were running considerable slower than me, it was actually nice to pass a few runners for a change as I had spent the last hour or so getting passed myself, constantly. We were then separated briefly before the marathon runners got to run the hills in Tan park while the half marathon turned for home.  The tan park has a few nasty rises, not really hills as such, but with less than 5km to go you can see the end so mentally you just need to switch to finish mode and it all becomes do-able. Coming out of the Tan Park the job is done as there is a 2-3km downhill stretch to roll into the MCG, albeit playing ‘frogger‘ with the now really slow half marathon runners.

Once you enter the MCG the magic of the finish engulfs you, the stadium is a 100,000 seater , four tier monster of a venue to finish in. The holy grail of Cricket and Australian Rules Football and it is an honour and a privledge to run on the sacred turf. I made an effort to smile for the camera and not look at my watch until I was well past the finish to get a good photo, albeit at 55 finding a good photo these days is becoming more and more difficult, thankfully we have photoshop and filters.

As you can see from the splits below they tell a sorry tale of reality kicking in around the 10km mark and then a slow and painful slide down the pacing chart from 4:15min/k to 5:00min/k. Halfway at 1:32:27 means a positive split of thirteen minutes in the second half, not ideal.  On the bright side, is there one,  I stuck to my second half plan, give or take, and couldn’t have give any more on the day.  It was good to finally run marathon number 46 after such a long time away.

 

The splits tell the sorry story.

After the finish it was back to the VIR room for a light lunch, massage and shower, how good is that ? I even managed to sneak Jeffrey in so he could enjoy the business class conditions.

All smiles in the VIR room after the event with the T-train.

As you can see from the image below taken from the VIR room conditions were perfect and the finish is just so special. The MCG is hallowed turf and just to run on it is worth the entry itself, magical times.

So after a snooze at the hotel it was time to all meet up at the Transport bar in Federation Square for a post event beer. I always treat myself to a Guinness or two after a race but today one was enough. Tony and a few of his runners joined Adam, Liam, Barts . Jeffrey and I and we talked for hours about the days adventures, time disappeared very quickly. There was so much laughter as we all had our own stories to share and these adhoc catch-ups are just so good, lime minded people enjoying each others company, what more is there ?

Christened the medal for my friend Jeff Hansen who lost his battle with Leukemia earlier in the year, it was a tradition he and a few of his close friends started. Jeff was a Race Director at the Delirious West backyard ultra , and the Mundy park run (his baby) and is seem interviewing me in the video clip below. He was admired and loved by the running community in Perth and beyond. Missed every day.

 

The dunking of the medal for Jeff.

So the Melbourne marathon has reignited my desire to go sub 3 , and maybe quicker, but before I can do that I have many ultras to finish culminating in the Run Brittania 1,000 mile race July next year. ( https://ratracerunbritannia.com/ ) After that though it could be time to put on the short shorts , drop the ultra puppy fat and start racing marathons again and who knows maybe stay on the sub three bus for longer or even beat it, funnier things have happened.

Finally as always I give a shout out to three of my favourite products…  fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered.  It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.

 

Fisiocrem is a must have in your ultra box of tricks…

Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ )  The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products)  can be difficult to digest later in the event.  From the website :-

As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority. 

In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance. 

In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born. 

BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work! 

BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!

Great hydration.

What can I say about HumanTecar,  ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !

 

 

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Running the length of the United Kingdom, what could possibly go wrong ?

The most EPIC race I could find.

Next year I have entered the inaugural running of the Run Brittania Ultra, yep , I’m going to run the length of the United Kingdom from Lands End to John O’Groats.  To say I’m excited is the ultimate under statement, I feel like a small child on Xmas Eve, only 100 times better. This race, over 35 days, yep, 35 days, one more time, 35 days, is going to be so, so cool.

From the events website:

This is a major physical and logistical undertaking, the entire distance is still fairly seldom attempted on foot in one sitting – and rightly therefore constitutes an enormous lifetime achievement for any runner or walker.

We’ve put together a truly stunning 1000 mile, 70, 000 ft elevation adventure that spans the entire length of this great nation, but not as you have ever seen it. Our route has been put together with painstaking precision, encompassing a real ‘runners line,’ largely avoiding busy roads and packing in huge chunks of off-road terrain. It is a swashbuckling tour-de-force through 4000 years of British History and landmarks, taking you on a journey through the very soul of this storied Isle. We have also managed to weave together several of the UK’s most famous and enjoyable long-distance paths, including major sections on the South West Coast Path, Wye Valley Way, Offa’s Dyke, Clyde Walkway, the Great Glen Way and all 95 glorious miles of the West Highland Way.

The entire distance is still fairly seldom attempted on foot in one sitting – and rightly therefore constitutes an enormous lifetime achievement for any runner or walker.

According to the website it has a difficulty of 5 , which I assume is the most, hell if it was a 1-10 scale I reckon it’d be a Spinal Tap 11.  ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOO5S4vxi0o ) Did I mention the 35 days , albeit I think four of those days are for rest , recovery and massage ?  That’s an average of 50km a day or just over a marathon , doesn’t sounds a lot but I’m sure towards the end,  when you’re running through the Scottish Highlands, fatigue may play its hand.  For some reason Rat Race ( https://ratrace.com/ ) decided to go from Lands End to John O’Groats  meaning you take on the hardest part, i.e. Scotland!, at the end. I’m sure it’s all uphill as well ! Maybe they should think about doing a Comrades and reversing the direction each year,  though having to find the 8,000 pounds entry fee annually could be a hard conversation to have with your family.  Actually I hope my Wife doesn’t read this post , she tends to ignore them, so I can blame our lack of family holidays on the ‘nasty Russians causing inflation and crashing the stock market’, not me entering one of the most expensive foot races on the planet.

 

To get a feel for this smorgasbord of hurt check out the itinerary below. Doesn’t seem that bad when it’s written down in front of you and it all looks very nice with the beautiful British sunshine and tail wind caressing you home. I have a feeling there may be dark, dark times when you question your own existence on this planet and I would expect nothing less.  Of the 40 starters I would expect more than half to drop by the wayside just because of the various and numerous things that could derail you, injury, hydration or nutrition issues, alcohol poisonings, mugging, kidnapping , death , the list of possibilities is endless. On the bright side because it’s a stage race I’m assuming we’ll be avoiding too much night running and given the time of year the daylight hours  will be at their maximum; it’s actually ran over the summer solstice which is good. Maybe a slight detour to Stonehenge to do a few laps around the attraction when the druids are doing their thing, do they still sacrifice virgins on the longest day or is that a myth ?

They’re broken down the event into five 200 milers, give or take,  with a day rest before each one, simple really. I’ve ran three 200 milers so far in my illustrious (?) career and always felt pretty good at the end of each one but as for going again after a days rest, four times, not so sure. I don’t suppose anybody is really including the organisers. There will be forty runners who are determined to find out come June next year. Over the event I’m hoping to make some lifelong friends as you tend to do on these type of events, they tend to bring people closer together, united in hurt.  It’s hard enough for most people to contemplate anything past a marathon and a 200 miler is always met with the ‘they’ve invented cars now, you know that right’. With Run Brittania they’ll probably resort to ‘they’ve invented planes now, you know that right’ , bless ’em.

Truth be told it’s a good point, a 1,000 miles is a bloody long way anyway you look at it, with most of the course being trail with some serious elevation thrown in for the hell of it. There will be some seriously great scenery especially at the start as run along the cliffs in Cornwall,  as well as the Scottish Highlands towards the end of the journey. I’m sure Wales will offer up something special as well.

Another big reason for entering this event was it starts in my old stomping ground. I grew up in Penzance and only left after finishing University in my middle twenties. I was then drawn to Aberdeen for work before emigrating to Australia in 2001. I am very excited about the first day running from Lands End past what I consider to be the two best beaches in the country, Sennen and Gwenver. It was here I spent my youth surfing the Atlantic swells that hit the coast after marching over the pond from the States. Great waves, great memories and a misspent youth.  I hope to retire to this part of the world when no 3 daughter finishes her education in 3-4 years, dust of the surfboard and start watching ‘Big Wednesday’ again on a weekly basis. I use to love my surfing as a youngster and only gave it up due to the sub-zero temperatures of Aberdeen  and the crowds of Perth.  I will return but I have a few more running goals to achieve before I give away competitive racing, with this event being the first of many.

 

Running shoes,  I will be using Altra’s of course, ( https://www.altrarunning.com/  ) unless Hoka ( https://www.hoka.com/en/us/ ) offer me a sponsorship deal, I normally use the Altra Olympus range and I have brought many version 4’s and am looking forward to the new edition that has just dropped.  I have also brought two pairs of Mont Blanc as they were on sale at Running Warehouse,  too good an opportunity to miss.

 

But before Run Brittania I have a smorgasbord of racing to complete starting with the inaugural No Time to Die Frontyard Ultra in Adelaide, the third backyard Ultra in the four event series, in three weeks.   ( https://nttdfrontyard.com.au/race-information/ ) The series culminates with the Hysterical Carnage Backyard Ultra in early November. ( https://hystericalcarnage.com.au/ ) Between the two events I intend to run the Melbourne Marathon for a fifth time, hoping to continue my sub 3 marathon streak currently sitting on 29 in a row, as well as the Feral Pig 100 miler a few days before the Hysterical Carnage.  As you can probably make out for me it’s all about racing, it’s why I do what I do. I love the training and daily running but I need the goal to aim for, and that means a bib on my chest, don’t judge me.

I suppose that’s why I’m so excited about Run Britannia, it’s 35 days of racing , back to back, for a competitive runner like me it’s a dream come true albeit there is the opportunity for the dream to turn into a nightmare very quickly but that’s the beauty of the event, the unknown.  The organisers are all about getting as many runners as possible to the finish line , it’s not a race as such and just finishing will be ever runners goal but you can bet there’ll be a spreadsheet somewhere with daily totals which will add up to a cumulative time, you would have to surely ?  More importantly how will I get the run to show as one long run  over 35 days on Strava ? I think I’ll go down the route of saving one day at a time and then stitching them altogether for the mother of long runs ! That in itself will be worth the entrance fee.

 

 

 

I will certainly be using these three products for the event…  fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered.  It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.

 

Fisiocrem is a must have in your ultra box of tricks…

Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ )  The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products)  can be difficult to digest later in the event.  From the website :-

As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority. 

In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance. 

In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born. 

BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work! 

BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!

Great hydration.

What can I say about HumanTecar,  ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !

 

 

Feel free to follow me on Strava.


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

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Birdy’s backyard ultra 2022

I have ran Birdy’s Backyard twice before and both times I had reasons to finish early. The first year, 2020, I was under struct instructions to be home early afternoon the day after the start, so I had a 24 hour limit. This was a pity as I struggled through the night but for the last few laps felt fresh as a daisy and my last few laps were by far my quickest.  I often wonder if this was my central governor ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_governor ) realising I was limited to 24 laps and reduced the feeling of fatigue as it knew I was close to finishing. No need to protect the body when the end is in sight ? Race report attached  ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/08/16/most-fun-you-will-ever-have-in-running-gear/ )

In 2021 I had the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) a few weeks after Birdy’s and decided that this was my A race for the year , demoting Birdy’s. I decided that I would go further than my previous attempt but not too far as to risk injury or long term damage pre-Delirious. Added to this there was a course change due to the amount of rainfall we experienced pre-event. Parts of the course were flooded  and these were replaced , unfortunately the new course was far harder due to the mud and soft going underfoot. It meant we were probably four to five minutes slower per lap which over time added up. Very quickly fatigue played a part as you were just returning to your seat before you were up again and off on another lap. The mud eventually sucked the life out of you.  In the end I managed 28 laps but was pretty goosed towards the end..  ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/08/30/birdys-backyard-ultra-wow-just-wow/ ) It was a smart decision as I ran a great race at Delirious finishing in just over 83 hours but more importantly having a great time ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/10/31/redemption-worth-waiting-for-day-1/ )

So 2022 I was in two minds, I had just ran the Unreasonable East 200 miler ( https://unreasonableeast200miler.com.au/ ) and had other events coming up that would need my full attention. Because of this I downgraded Birdy’s to a B-category race and set my goal to 36 laps. This would give me 150 mile club membership for all three of the current Ultra Series backyard ultras. (I have a pb of 47 laps  for Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra and 37 laps for Hysterical Carnage) Of course if I thought I could go deeper I would but I wasn’t prepared to break myself to do it.

Friday morning, early, pre-race.

The week before Birdy’s we had had a very wet and windy spell that seemed to go on forever so we were very lucky to wake up to perfect conditions Friday morning as the image above shows. The Lake looked magical and there wasn’t a breath of wind, it wasn’t even that cold. This has been the same the two previous years , at the start anyway, and it is such a great way to start the event. With a 10am start time everybody is just so relaxed and the food van was there to serve quality bacon and egg toasties and great coffee, life was good.

This year the boys were all training for the Melbourne Marathon so had a decided that the Perth half was a more marathon training type event and so stayed in Perth. I drove down alone but had Rob to help me as he was also working with Phil Gore. Veronika was game for a very long run so also joined me. The Penrith three were back together, we had all gone to Unreasonable earlier in the year staying in Penrith, hence the nickname.  Rob Donkersloot, from Mind Focused Running, ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) is a great crew, so relaxed and with so much experience, he is the voice of reason in the chaos that is a BK Ultra.  He was also working with Phil and the two of them will certainly push the boundaries of what is possible in these events for years to come.

The Penrith three, Rob, Veronika and I

Right 10am, lap 1 and we are off. I took the GoPro out for a spin for the first lap, the one and only time.  As you can see from the image below there is a lot of smiling going on. This continues for the fist few laps as the course was pretty dry and quick and finishing 6.7km in an hour is relatively easy. This gives you lots of time for socialising between laps and this is one of the draws of the event, every lap you are basically in the lead , standing with the event favorites albeit briefly normally.  It takes on a carnival like atmosphere and everybody retreats to their marquess to go about their pre-start routines, on the hour , every hour. Of course some are a lot more organised than others with Phil Gore, spoiler alert the eventual winner, being probably the most organised. Phil and his team has taken this format to another level with a detailed spreadsheet stating what is expected of him for each lap. That will show him when to change, what to eat and when to sleep. He just goes through the spreadsheet one line at a time until there is nobody else left and then he runs one more lap to win, it really is that simple. He has now won the last five events he has entered only losing the fist one as an assist while setting an Australian record.  We are very excited to see how he fares against the rest of the world October next year at the World Championships in the States.

First lap , leading the charge, GoPro in hand.

The good thing about a 10am start is you get seven laps in the light and  with the ambient temperature we were treated to perfect running conditions, Shaun Kaesler even managed to get in 10 laps before he was required to help with RD duties.  ( Felix , the race director, and his bother Simon had both came down with COVID a few days before the event so Shaun stepped into the breech, again!) It was good to run a few laps with him. There were surprisingly few DNF’s early as I think people just pushed themselves further than they thought and also were just having to much fun.

Although there were few DNF’s early there was one DQ on lap 1. Unfortunately for Frank the first lap was live streamed on the Facebook and Lazarus Lake was watching, the Godfather and inventor of the format. Frank had forgotten his water bottle so stepped back into the corral to collect it after leaving with the runners, this is against the rules , no outside assistance and no returning to the corral or start line after leaving. Frank made a big song and dance about returning for his water bottle and this was picked up by Lazarus who got in touch with the race directors and insisted he was disqualified.  As you can imagine Frank was less than impressed but eventually saw the funny side and ran over 10 laps anti clockwise , out with the event,  receiving high fives and words of encouragement from the runners. He is still maintaining he could have won it which,  given his vintage, he is over 70, is hard to believe. ?

 

Chatting to the Ultra Series owner Shaun Kaesler.

The Birdy’s course can be broken down into three smaller sections. I use this technique on all backyard ultras. For Birdy’s the first 2km or so is very runnable, mainly on crushed limestone, past the caravan graveyard to the bridge. The next section through the meadows is the hardest of the three and requires more concentration with a couple of creek crossing involving a small leap, which is perfect for pulling hammys or twisting ankles.  Once you get through this section there is the swamp section which is my favourite because there are two sections where you have to walk and also the terrain is just great fun to run on, you know you are also close to sitting down and a rest.  Breaking the loop down helps as you can achieve three goals a lap rather than one, small steps, big gains. Later into the event these smaller goals make completing the laps so much easier compared to waiting for the finish each time, it can be the difference between making a lap or not.

Running through the swamp area Friday afternoon, still smiling.

The image above is me probably early Friday afternoon, not a cold enough yet for gloves or a beanie and still smiling as I come out of the swamp and head towards my chair for some hydration and nutrition. Get the eating and drinking strategy right and you will go far in this event, get it wrong and the fuel tank empties quickly and you come to a grinding halt. I see it so many times , runners cruising along one second and then a DNF, all down to stomach issues. Luckily I have always been blessed with a iron stomach and can usually find something to eat, even when I don’t feel like it. Weetbix is a good go-to food when all else fails, add sugar and it can get you through the next lap easily. I usually carry a 500ml soft water bottle filled with either plain water, bix, poweraide or maurten that I sip on while I run. I also make sure I have main meals when my body expects it, i.e. a good breakfast, lunch and dinner. As you’re not running that quickly you can eat more than you normally would,  pre-run, and if you have to walk sections of the lap to help with the digestion so be it.

Three amigos early on Friday…

Myself and Phil had our own t-shirts created by the guys at OC Clothing ( https://occlothingco.com.au/ ) and Chris also got in on the act with his own design. Chris is a very talented artist but maybe not so talented at T-shirt design, or at least colours. It’s an acquired taste I suppose.  The three of us certainly stood out ? Add in the red shorts and we are making a statement, not sure what we’re saying but we’re making a statement. Funnily enough I lost my BK shirt at this event last year ?

Friday afternoon, just before sunset.

The event starts at 10am and with perfect conditions there wasn’t much of an attrition rate early on with most of the runners making the first sunset, which was stunning as the images above and below show.  I have said this a few times already on this post but we really were blessed with perfect conditions. Again the following week , post Birdy’s, the heavens opened and half the course was underwater so it would have been a return to the slower, mud dominant course, I’m not sure how Shaun does it but he seems to have made a pact with the devil ? As the sun set the whole course lit up and my photos do not do it justice of course, damn you iphone 11.  Of course the price you pay for this wonderous lap is then eleven hours of darkness as day gives way to night.

Running through the night has its advantages and disadvantages, the main disadvantage is the cold, it really does get very cold very quickly. Not so much when you’re running but when you sit down each lap you certainly feel the cold as your body, covered in sweat, cools very quickly. Double blankets help but eventually you have to leave your cocoon and make your way to the start, for one more lap. I always find the first couple of kilometres can be testing but after that I was never worried about the temperature, truth be told it wasn’t as cold as the first year and this was probably down to the cloud cover.  Another challenge can be running over the middle section of the course from the bridge ,  through the meadow to the swamp. This becomes more technical in the dark and also add in fatigue and you have the recipe for a good fall. This year I avoided a fall but there were a couple of near misses on the second night.  This also adds to your lap time as you need to tread more carefully and are also tired and thus you have less time resting, fatigue then builds and voila , you’re out.

Another reason we lose a lot of runners through the night is we hit certain milestones that encourage runners to quit. The first one is 100km at 15 hours, which is early morning,  around 2am. This is the start of the witching or DNF hours as I call them , between 2am and 5am. These three hours you are at your weakest because your body expects sleep. Add in a milestone and all of a sudden it’s ok to ring the bell. If only these runners lasted a few more hours they would run through the dawn and the sun boosts every runners resolve and I reckon you’re good for another 5-6 hours minimum. That then puts you around the 21 hour mark with the 100 mile goal in view. This is how you go deep in a backyard ultra, milestone after milestone , after milestone. Similar to what I described with breaking down the lap into three separate sections, to go deep in a backyard ultra you give yourself a reachable goal, reach it , reset and then repeat, simple really.

Friday evening sunset.

Come the evening the team at UltraSeries WA  really excelled and put on the bright lights, literally. It was a magical time with a Xmas like feel as the image below shows. The first night was also notable for the hundreds of head torches crawling their way around the course, I just wish I took a photo to show you the effect, it really was very cool.  The second night is the complete opposite with a handful of head torches and you find yourself alone with your thoughts deep into the lap, which is fine as I always have my shokz headphones turned on ( https://shokz.com/ ) and either Taylor Swift or a best of the seventies compilation serenading me forward.   Note I did try and listen to David Goggins but he is an acquired taste and in the end I gave up and put Taylor Swift back on, a lot more palatable.

Early into Friday evening, xmas has come early.

Most backyard ultras are the same for me . I enjoy the first ten or so laps when you can comfortable cruise into your chair with fifteen minutes plus to spare. I struggle between ten and high teens when it becomes harder and normally you’re running though the night.  Once I get out of the teens I can comfortably make my way to 24 hours and after that running in the daylight is easier up to sunset. It’s the second night where I can struggle, funny that, and I have made the middle thirties three times now without breaking through to the forty hours plus. I need to work on this as if I can get to the second morning I know I can get to 48 laps and this is my holy grail of backyard targets.

The Caravan graveyard, as we call it.

 

The 24 hour , 100 mile club. 10am Saturday morning.

I have ran six backyard ultras now and managed 24 hours minimum each time, I will keep this tradition going as long as possible. Each backyard ultra more runners are joining me in this club and soon 24 hours will become the goal for so many more, the 3 hour time for marathon runners equivalent.

Phil and I Saturday morning.

Spending time with the legend that is Phil Gore, a backyard ultra in Australia is a format when all runners continue for as long as they can and then Phil runs one more lap and wins. He set a new Australian record at Birdy’s finishing 55 laps which only stood for less than two weeks before Ryan Crawford ran 59 laps at Clint Eastwood backyard ultra.  Phil and Ryan will meet at the Satellite Championships in October so am expecting the 60 lap ceiling to be destroyed. Phil is probably the nicest runner you will ever meet, so humble but so talented, a powerful combination.

Down to the final 9 , late afternoon Saturday.

 

 

 

The final 6, 150 mile club, lap 36.

At lap 36 I knew this would be my last lap. It was 9pm and I’d finish at 10pm , 36 hours after I started but more importantly I’d get into the 36 hour club for my third backyard ultra event. As I mentioned at the start of this post this was not an A race and 36 hours was always the end goal. Could I have made it through the night ? Not sure, I knew there was a storm coming , and it did big time, and laying in the back of my Prado , after I had DNF’d while the storm raged, was the right decision. A course PB to add to my 24 and 28 hours previous attempts and it bodes well for next year when maybe I can finally get to 48 hours at this event ?

I had ran with Carl Douglas on this lap and he was sufferings with a calf issue and also decided to pull the pin after lap 36, thus we were both 4th male equal or 5th overall.  Both of us had ran a course PB and both of us have our eyes on bigger goals in the near future, Carl is chasing a Big’s backyard Ultra World  Championship entry  ( https://www.bigsbackyardultra.com/ ) while I still covert  48 laps , just not sure when?

 

Another sunset, Saturday evening.

Pretty proud of this image, beats the Friday night version by a country mile I reckon. Can’t wait to get my iphone 14 , when it comes out , and my photographs should get even better. Taken from the bridge looking onto the sunset. When the sunsets and rises you could literally spend the whole lap taking photos, so beautiful.

 

Things starting to get very lonely on Saturday night.

 

Carl and I collecting our DNF spoons after not starting lap 37.

So that’s Birdy’s 2022, mission accomplished,  I think ? . 36 laps is a course PB by eight hours and although I could have probably ground out a few more I wouldn’t have made it through the night and sometimes you need to pick your battles.  2022 has been a very busy year so far , after a very busy 2021, so I need to sacrifice some races. As I have stated before I am happy to run more races but not give them my all, compared to targeting a smaller number of events. I live for the racing and to this end am happy just being out there with a bib on my chest rather than chasing goals,  albeit if a course PB or time does come into view I’ll do all I can to snare it, it is racing after all and I’m still a competitive little bugger !

Right next event is five weeks away, another frontyard ultra in Adelaide, ‘No time to Die’ ( https://nttdfrontyard.com.au/ ).  This should be a flat and fast course and depending on weather conditions could be one to go long on ? A lot will depend how I pull up after Birdys but with the humantecar compression bandages I was running three days after the event.  (see details below).  These compression bandages are magic and I used them after Unreasonable East 200 miler and was running the day after the event, at a good pace., I’m a big fan. If you have an ultra coming up or are currently doing long training runs you need the bandages and spray, great product. ( https://athleticus.com.au/ )

 

As always I would like to highlight products that helped me through the race and should be in your armory for backyard ultras… fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered.  It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.

 

Fisiocrem is a must have in your 200 miler box of tricks.

Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ )  The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products)  can be difficult to digest later in the event.  From the website :-

As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority. 

In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance. 

In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born. 

BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work! 

BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!

Great hydration.

What can I say about HumanTecar,  ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !

 

 

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Unreasonable East 200 miler, done and dusted.

The last 200 miler in the Triple Crown Down Under was perhaps the most testing. A 200 miler in the Blue Mountains had never been attempted before and Shaun Kaesler, owner of the Ultra Series WA and SA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/  ) had to jump through more hoops than a circus clown to get this bad boy of the ground.  There were course changes right up to registration due to park closures and I lost count the number of times I uploaded the GPX file onto my watch and Gaia. In the end though we all converged on Glenbrook for registration and race briefing on Monday 20th June. The 200 mile race was due to start Tuesday at 11am (120 hours cut off) , with the 100 mile version starting Friday afternoon (44 hours cut off) . I had spoken to Rob Donkersloot, ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) my crew for the event, about a possible finishing time and he reckoned 80 hours would be a good effort.  Personally I was hoping to finish before the 100 milers started late Friday afternoon.  This really was not the main objective though, due to the unknown nature of the event I was more concentrating on enjoying the journey and finishing with a smile on my face. No pressure, just enjoy the whole experience.  Of course once we got going and after a few days into the race you start to give yourself targets, makes things interesting and it is a race after all.

The 11AM kick off on Tuesday allowed myself, Rob and Veronika to sneak off to our favourite cafe in Penrith where we were based, just outside Glenbrook. The High Street Depot was an oasis of quality food and coffee in sunny Penrith and I reckon we went there at least 6 times, and I had pancakes maybe five times.

A late start meant one last breakfast pre-race in our favourite Penrith cafe, High Street Depot.

This is why I run Ultra marathons and specifically 200 milers, quality pancakes consumed with no guilt what so ever ! High Street Depot, Penrith, if you are ever in Penrith go , the food is incredible. ( https://www.yelp.com/biz/high-st-depot-penrith )

High Street Depot, best cafe in Penrith.

 

An oasis of calm in a sea of chaos, Rob Donkersloot.

I was very lucky to get Rob to crew for me as he has a wealth of experience and has crewed for podium finishers at locations as diverse as the Death Valley ( https://www.badwater.com/event/badwater-135/ ) and the Coast to Kosciuszko ( https://coasttokosci.com/ ) to name a few big events, while also finishing some massive ultra’s himself.  His calming influence is the perfect partner to my ‘excitable‘ personality.  He also makes a mean cup of tea, with three sugars of course,  which is paramount to success when I run ultra marathons. After helping me to , surprising, victories in the 24hour Lighthorse Ultra and Kep V2 100km I was in good hands.

Shaun had come up with an unique idea where all runners are professionally photographed (by the Eventurers https://www.facebook.com/groups/2503403049690798/user/100064028886011  ) before the start of the event and then straight after finishing thus capturing them at their highest (pre-event)  and lowest (post-event). A great idea and it certainly worked in my case. The pre-start below show me excited but also apprehensive about what is about to befall me , the post event just shows me absolutely goosed.  If you have chance go to the facebook page and check out some of the shots, they are awesome. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2503403049690798 )

 

Right to the race. There was over 40 competitors for the 200 miler and we all lined up nervously for the starting photograph. Lots of laughter belied a nervous energy boiling just below the service. As this was the inaugural running of the event no one was 100% sure of what they were about to face, WA runners more so as all we had to train on were ‘hills’ at best, no mountains. The elevation was going to be a challenge as well as the temperature.  Amongst the WA runners were five runners aiming for the triple crown, completing all three 200 milers in the same calendar year.  Rob, Sarah, Raquel and Aimee would all complete the three peat while Nicola succumbed to the cold near the halfway point, coming from Broome this was always a risk. She’ll be back I’m sure and slay the beast that is the Unreasonable East and I look forward to watching her do it !

 

West Australian runners, Myself, Rob, Harmony, Sarah, Aimee, Nicola, Peta, Veronika and Raquel.

Right to the race. There were over forty runners in the 200 miler and nearly 100 in the 100 miler, massive numbers for the inaugural running of this event and I’m sure these numbers will more than double next year and beyond. The image below is the 200 milers all nervously smiling for the cameras, in most cases, or is that more of a grimace contemplating the journey ahead. ? It is a nervous time the start of any ultra event because you do what you can to take out all the various problems or issues that can derail you but you know if it’s not going to be your day the event will find a way to torpedo you. You get in the best physical and mental state you can and hope the hydration, nutrition, conditions and any other variables fall your way. No one is ever guaranteed a finish in an ultra, nobody.

Surround yourself with like minded people…..

Unlike other 200 milers when your crew is normally at every aid station in the Unreasonable I would only see Rob sporadically throughout the event. The first time I would see him on day one would be at Wentworth Falls, nearly 100km into the event. Drop bags were available at each aid station  but I was confident I could get to Rob with the food and drink from the aid stations and a number of bars and Gu’s I would carry in my backpack.  I would then see Rob again at Katoomba where he allowed me a 90 minute sleep break, he estimated I’d reach Katoomba around 5am with his Ultra pace prediction spreadsheet and it was bang on, actually it was bang on all event and myself and Sarah would often ask Rob what time we would be at certain aid stations and invariably  he was right.

Before jumping ahead of myself at Katoomba there’s important pieces of the jigsaw that need explaining. I had decided to run with Veronika for the first day as she was normally quicker than me at the start of these events, Adam and I always start these races very relaxed and often find ourselves near the back of the pack on the morning of day two.  For me the hardest part of any 200 miler is the first day and night, if you can get to the morning of day two you are in with a very good shout of finishing. This is then exponential for the next day or two as you near the finish, you just get into a routine of constant running and your mind and body react accordingly. Personally I finish on day four like a train as I believe the mind realises you are close to the end and releases more energy rather than trying to protect itself by convincing the body it is fatigued.

 

 

Aid Station locations.

 

Unreasonable East 200 miler Gaia map iteration #no idea really, but a big number !

With this plan in mind Veronika and I set off down the hill from Glenbrook , over the weir and into the first 14k loop clockwise before rejoining the trail to The Oaks. On the return we would run the loop in the opposite direction and this would have tested runners towards the back of the pack hitting this part of the trail in the dark. It all sounds easy at race briefing but add in over 100 hours of running, extreme fatigue and darkness and you have no idea what’s up or down , forget which way the bloody clock goes ? There’s a story there but I’ll save it for later in the piece.

Hamming it up for the photo about two kilometres in.

The photographers for the event , The Eventurers ( https://theeventurerstravelphotographers.com.au/ ) were/are amazing and they are responsible for the photos of me running , how good are they , very good. ! They even got me looking semi-reasonable off the ground in the image below, outstanding work. Please note this was probably 10k into the event and the last time I would ever be able to leap so high, trust me.

Early in the race I was still able to jump to a reasonable height.

Another  image of Veronika and I as we move through to The Oaks aid station. Funnily enough we went past a naked hiker just after this photo, apparently it was naked hiking day , still wasn’t expecting to see naked hikers. Albeit I also encountered a naked hiker in the Delirious West 200 miler in February this year, albeit it was a lot warmer.  That’s two in two events, maybe I cursed or blessed ? Veronika seem quite enameled and actually started a conversation with the young fella, I just kept on moving , head down.

Still on the first 14k loop, smiles all around, with Veronika.

Image below is two very happy runners at the first aid station, The Oaks. 24km into the race, gorging themselves on great pancakes and Anzac biscuits. The aid stations really stepped up to the mark and the selection and quality of the food was just gourmet like. These events are so special in that all the volunteers will do whatever it takes to help you achieve your goal. it really is a team effort and when you succeed they also bask in your glory and rightly so.  Especially on 200 milers the shifts some of the volunteers do are biblical, sometimes they are out on the course longer than most of the competitors and this goes double for the race directors. These guys start weeks before the event and finish days afterwards, you need to be able to handle days and days with very little sleep and still be able to function, seriously hard core. !  Sometime I feel we runners have the easy part to play, all we do is stumble from one aid station to the next where we are treated like royalty and waited on hand and foot.

First aid station, The Oaks. Veronika and I indulging in great pancakes, gotta’ love ultra’s..

 

The only downside to starting at 11am is it gets dark very quickly, add in it was the winter solstice and you have more darkness than daylight, great timing Shaun ? This meant we hit the second aid station, Woodford,  at dusk (46km into the race) and hurriedly put on our head torches before continuing into the night and making our way to Knotts Hill,   14km later at 60km. We would then do a 13km out and back loop getting back into Knotts Hill around the 86km mark before making our way to Wentworth Falls and the first sighting of our crew at 99km.  As we left Woodford we were joined by Sarah Niven, a WA runner who was one of the five runners gunning for the triple crown. Sarah had spent some time in New South Wales before the event and ran with the Blue Mountain Runners so knew the course. This was great news as I had not ran the course and had little or no idea of where I was going without constantly checking the Gaia app on my iphone. I latched onto Sarah and ran with her until Friday morning with less than 30km to the finish when I left her as I was worried , in my sleep depraved state,  I wouldn’t be able to finish.

Finding Sarah was gold, not only was she running the race of her life she was also so positive and this positivity rubbed of on all around her, mainly me ! We were perfectly suited pace wise and the conversations flowed in between me indulging in my audible app on my iphone listening to Matthew McConaughey talk about his life or Taylor Swift on my spotifiy.  Sarah is a nurse who chooses her placements depending on their location and the running and biking offered in that location, she then explores the area in her van and generally lives the life most runners dream about, thus she has some great stories. The miles just disappeared unfortunately this wasn’t the only thing that disappeared. Veronika was struggling to keep up with Sarah and I on the out and back from Knotts Hill and as she came in as we were leaving. This would be the last we would see Veronika bar crossing later in the race, remember it’s an out and back  It’s a pity Veronika couldn’t have hung on for longer but in these type or races you have to run at your pace and it’s difficult to continually run with the same person, in my defense I left her with another couple of runners under strict instructions to look after her.  Veronika would finish late on Saturday evening after a massive effort as she was unsupported which is another level of mental toughness. Rob stated before the race that he thought this was just about impossible unsupported, she proved him wrong but she certainly suffered for the privledge.  She is still battling third degree frost bite even now two weeks after the event, as I said so tough.

Coming into Knotts Hill, Tuesday evening.

Knotts Hill cooked some seriously good ham and cheese toasties, now I don’t think I have ever eaten a ham and cheese toastie, not being a big cheese fan but in an ultra,  after nearly 12 hours of running,  you eat what is on offer and I know a ham and cheese toastie is full of the calories and carbs that I needed. It was bloody gorgeous and we left requesting the same when we would return three or so hours later. This certainly helped us run the out and back quicker than we normally would have, remember an ultra is all about the food in the end, actually it’s all about the food in the beginning, middle and end ! Funnily enough the ham and cheese toastie tasted even better three hours or so later and we put this down to the cheese aging well in this period, or us just being more and more hungry. Probably a bit of both.

As this was an out and back we bumped into most of the field, initially the front runners and then the back of the pack,  as we turned and returned to the aid station, and another round of ham and cheese toasties. Everybody looked great and we stopped for a few photos and many high fives with our fellow competitors. The first night there is a carnival atmosphere before the fatigue of further nights turns it into survival,  primarily, albeit with quality tukka.

Knotts Hill with some old fashioned heating.

As the image below shows the temperature dropped in the evening and this was expected. As part of the compulsory gear you had to carry a thermal vest and pants, as well as a good quality waterproof jacket.  In the image below I’m wearing my thermal top and a running top,  as well as my reflective top (also compulsory gear), also my  favourite beanie which unfortunately went missing. with my new gloves at Katoomba (my kids hated my beanie so they’re stoked it’s gone?, I reckon they bribed Rob to mislay it?)   It was cold when you sat at aid stations but when you were moving this was enough, we really did have perfect conditions, no wind to speak off the whole time and sunshine all day bar a sprinkling of rain on day one that was a minor inconvenience at worst.  The week after Unreasonable there was mass flooding in the Sydney area and the event would have been cancelled.

 

Knotts Hill on the way back, it’s an out and back leg.

After Knotts Hill Sarah and I put on a spurt and caught a few runners coming into Wentworth Falls. It was less than 13km to this aid station and after gaps of 24km, 22km, 14km and 26km , this was a small leg. The night was clear, still and perfect for running with a good surface , we gorged ourselves and made Wentworth in good time.  The only downside was we passed the Falls at night and unfortunately we did the same coming back so it was the one of the only parts of the course I never saw in the light . The same can be said of the halfway point , Black Range and the three river crossings. We left Cox’s River at dusk and made Black Range in the early evening, a three hour sleep in the car, and we left Black Range in the early hours of Thursday morning , arriving at Cox’s River just before sunrise.

Seeing Rob at Wentworth Falls was just ace. We had a laugh with the volunteers and I got to sit down and eat some great tukka while updating Rob on the day so far and what lay ahead.  We had just caught another of Rob’s runners John Mcateer who had hobbled into the aid station with a bad knee. I asked if he would like to join Sarah and I but he decided to rest up and treat the knee. John then ran to Katoomba and onto the Medlow Gap before pulling the pin, the knee was shot and when you are not even halfway you can’t just ‘walk it off’. To even get to Medlow Gap was a massive achievement and he left everything on the course, today was not his day, it was the right decision.

We rocked into Katoomba just before sunrise on Wednesday morning and was prepared for ninety minutes sleep in the 6 bed sleep station that would be there to greet us.  I reckon I was top 10 at the time and hoped that there would be space for me at the sleep station, if there wasn’t I would have to continue Foggy Knob over 25km away, not ideal. As it was I needn’t had worried as the sleep station wasn’t set up and I say sleep station in the broadest sense of the word,  it actually turned out to be a three room tent. Luckily for me Rob has influence, I told you he was good , and he knew someone staying at the caravan park so I was allowed to rest my weary head in a nice bed albeit I didn’t really sleep, go figure.  Rob woke me ninety minutes later and the sun had risen but it was still freezing. As the image below shows we got ourselves rugged up and of we trotted heading towards Medlow Gap, obviously after the obligatory pancakes from the amazing volunteers included the Godmother of the Ultra Series Melanee Maisey.

My crew and I , probably early Wednesday morning at Katoomba. It was as cold as it looks…

Day two started in spectacular fashion as we moved down the Furbar steps and along to Scenic World and the cable car before continuing to the Golden Stairs to climb out of the valley before heading to narrow neck, and some abseiling before finishing at Medlow Gap. This 18km had just about everything, views to die for, stairs that try to kill you and it seemed like thousands of them, great trail running around narrow neck, some abseiling just before Medlow Gap, awesome climbs, fire trails and did I mention the views. A stunning leg which Sarah and I ran at the perfect time of day, early morning moving into lunch.  I would have hated to run this in the dark  and miss all the aforementioned ‘good things.’ I’ve attached four images below showing some of the scenery but the photos can never do the place justice.

The Three Sisters looking resplendent.

 

 

Heading towards the Golden Stairs.

 

 

The Golden Stairs, there is a lot of them !

 

It’s hard not to stop every 5 minutes to take more photos, the scenery really is stunning.

Wednesday morning was so good, the crisp morning combined with stunning scenery made the distance fly by. There were testing segments of course often involving a serious amount of stairs even going up or going down, or serious climbs but it is the Blue Mountains.  We moved to narrow neck and our first date with the rock climbers who would help us traverse a rock ladder, well I say ladder in the broadest sense of the word more like random pieces of metal sticking out of a vertical rock wall. When you take on a Shaun Kaseler 200 miler it becomes more like a triathlon than a foot race. At the Delirious West 200 miler there is a river crossing in a kayak, here you abseil, so much fun. Again we hot this part of the course just before lunch on a crisp morning with no wind, other runners took on this beast in the dark with howling winds maybe not so much fun?  Veronika actually found herself wandering about aimlessly on the way back and had to be ‘rescued‘ by the rock climbers albeit I’m never sure if this was actually part of her master plan.

 

Sarah and I loving life heading towards Medlow Gap from Katoomba, Wednesday morning.

 

This event had everything even abseiling.

After the abseiling there was some really cool single trail running as you came off narrow neck and descended into Medlow Gap where we were met with probably the best aid station on the course due to the main chef being a professional cook. He was so good he was gifted a free entry to the race next year which I think is a good thing albeit they will be missed as this aid station was just ace. Please note all aid stations were ace and the food was of such a high standard throughout but the breakfast wrap (on the way out) and French Toast (on the way back) here were next level and all cooked over an open fire. We were promised French Toast on the way back and this was kept us going in some dark times as we moved to Black Range that evening , knowing we’d be back at Medlow Gap the next day eating French Toast. As I have said many times a 200 miler is more about the food than running.

 

Scenery was inspiring, another view of the Three Sisters.

Foggy Knob aid station is just 7.5km from Medlow Gap which was a reasonable distance and also one of the rare sightings of my crew as Medlow Gap was a no crew aid station, surprise that. A 7.5km leg is a breeze after all the longer legs and before we knew it we were at Foggy Knob enjoying some quality time with Rob.  The next aid station was also no crew so I would not see Rob till early evening at Black Range, the turning point. We were predicting a late arrival but Rob was confident we would be many hours earlier, as always he was right. I’m not sure how his magic excel spreadsheet works but everyone needs to get a copy, it knows us better than we know ourselves ! Because it was only 7.5km from Medlow Gap I must admit to not checking out the food offered at this aid station, actually both ways because I had filled my belly at the previous aid stations both times. Rookie error, next year will make more of an effort.

Conditions continued to be prefect, as they were the whole time and we headed off to Cox’s River and our date with the swinging bridge. There was a serious climb out of the aid station and then a long undulating road section before moving to Cox’s River on the UTA course and then heading up, and it was up, to Black Range where we would sleep for three hours.  Highlight of this section was the burrito at Cox’s River just before sunset, outstanding. Funny typing this post I can remember the food at each aid station but the terrain and running seems to be harder to recall. I just remember a lot of uphill and stairs, so many stairs. As you can see from the graphic below the climb to the highest point is from Cox’s River to Black Range and boy it is a climb.  Its a 19km leg and it it all uphill and serious elevation as well. I remember being at the bottom of one climb knowing it was over seven kilometers and working out in my head it would be ell over an hour and half of climbing to get to the top, and it was dark at this point. Luckily I had Taylor Swift on spotify to accompany me to the top and this helped albeit I had probably played her songs many times during the day, they still help time disappear, unfortunately not so much distance that’s down to me and my poles.

 

Photographs never show gradient, the image below looks like a nice gradient , trust me it wasn’t. The leg to Black Range was so steep and so long. Luckily it got dark and that helped, I think ?  There was also three river crossings which were unavoidable so wet shoes and socks added to the fun.  Highlights of this leg was seeing all the front runners coming back from Black Range ahead of us, flying down the hill as we stumbled up it. We arrived at Black Range in the early evening, as predicted by Rob, and had a quick hot chocolate before completing the 6k out and back loop and settling down in the car for a three hour sleep with Rob. I made sure I was fully rugged up in the car as it was freezing outside. Thermal top and leggings , running shirt, pajamas, jacket, beanie, I looked like the abominable snow man ! It certainly helped as I was warm enough and got some sleep, maybe a few hours, in between Rob’s snoring.

Moving towards the half way point at Black Range on part of the UTA course.

This little sign in the floor means so much to 220 milers in this event. It means you have reached the highest point on the course and now every step you take is heading back to the finish, not away from it. Mentally it is a huge boost and I was invigorated as I moved past it and back the way I came. Little things like this are massive when it comes to finishing these type of events.  Once I passed this point I was never not going to finish, I would be running more downhill than up on the way back and also on terrain I had already ran , so I was less worried about getting lost.  I had a good sleep planned and was  excited about running down from Black Range , compared to running up to Black Range. I also had a breakfast burrito at Cox’s River planned as well as French Toast at Medlow Gap for lunch, there I go again food, food, food.  This is becoming more of a post for Master Chef than a running blog.

 

 

A small sign but a significant mental boost when you see it !

We left Black Ridge in the early hours of Thursday morning with a goal to reach Cox’s River just before sunrise and indulge in another burrito before pushing on the Foggy Knob and Medlow Gap.  I have mentioned this many times but an ultra is more than a foot race it’s an eating and drinking competition,  with running between aid stations. For a 200 miler the nutrition and hydration become more important as if you get the it wrong you stop, simple as that. Without fuel things tend to grind to a halt pretty quick. Luckily I have an iron stomach and can eat just about anything but I know so many ultra runners who have come undone due to nutrition or hydration issues, get your strategy sorted before you get to  the start line, ultra running 101.

Cox’s river and a breakfast burrito.

After our breakfast burrito at Cox’s River we arrived at the swinging bridge just before sunrise as the image below shows. We were still on head torches but as soon as we crossed the bridge the sun woke and it turned into another beautiful day in the Blue Mountains.

Thursday morning , the swinging bridge over Cox’s River.

Thursday morning sunrise was spectacular and I have used that term so many times in this post but the race just kept on giving, day after day. The locals couldn’t believe how lucky we’d been with the weather and I wonder if we can be so lucky two years in a row, we’ll find out in 2023 I suppose.  We were back on the UTA track heading back to Foggy Knob and a rare meeting with Rob. The run into Foggy Knob was hard and the quads and hammy’s were starting to complain. I need some time on the massage gun as well as some fisiocrem just to release the muscles for the day and night ahead.  I agreed with Sarah to take some time at the aid station to work on my legs, while refueling of course, albeit we both knew we had French Toast less than 8km away at Medlow Gap to look forward to.

The sunrise just after we crossed Cox’s River on the swinging bridge.

 

Heading towards Foggy Knob early Thursday morning .

The massage gun and fisiocrem did the business and we were soon back on the trial heading the short distance to Medlow Gap and our favourite aid station,  with French Toast on order for lunch.  My legs were so much better and I’m not sure if it was the massaging and cream or just the anticipation of the food ahead if us.

Working the major leg muscle groups. Love my Stryke Recovery massage gun and fisiocrem.

 

Rob, Sarah and I at Foggy Knob, the second time. a rare sighting of my ever supportive support crew.

So here is the infamous French toast with bacon and bananas drowned in maple syrup, you really have to experience this albeit you may have to wait until 2024 as the creator of this masterpiece is running Unreasonable next year.  As with all photos in this post they never do justice to the captured images, this French Toast will go with me to the grave ! After this there was a monster climb to narrow neck, some great single track trail running  before abseiling up a large rock face. Luckily as I mentioned earlier I have an iron stomach and as soon as the meal is finished I can run, maybe I should have been a cyclist ?

 

Proper outback cooking, so special. French toast and bananas getting readied for my stomach.

 

Medlow Gap, the food was just so good. Bacon, egg wrap on the way out and French toast on the way back Thursday morning.

My Dad was a big fan of Physics and would often come up with the comment ‘It’s all physics Son’, this is also true when it comes to abseiling, what goes down must come back up, sort of like gravity I suppose.  I’m not sure if going up was easier than coming down, I enjoyed both and each had their own challenges.  This was definitely something I enjoyed and albeit I had the benefit of sunlight on both occasions and no cross winds, other people weren’t so lucky I hear.

What goes down must come back up !

A selfie after ascending the rock face of truth as I call it. We were both relieved and looking forward to the rest of the day ahead and enjoying the glorious surroundings, again. Thursday was such a great day as you are over halfway and your body and mind just get use to the all day running, it becomes the norm as such. I’ve said it many times and still believe a 200 miler gets easier not harder the further into the event you travel, culminating in a sudden burst of energy when the finishing line is in sight and by insight I mean in that day.

I was now so confident of finishing I put a post on the Facebook page asking for Glenbrook to get the Guinness ready as me and Sarah were as good as home, probably a tad premature, we were still well over 80km from the finish which equated to another day of running. Unfortunately unbeknown to me it is very difficult to get Guinness in Glenbrook and this is the one tradition I missed out on, my two pints of Guinness after finishing. At the after party Shaun did put on trays of Tequila so I did manage a few shots instead of my Guinness and a mojito. That will be it for me until probably next February after Delirious, I’m not a big drinker.

 

Heading back to Katoomba, Thursday afternoon.

After Medlow,  and fueled on French Toast , we set a serious pace to reach Katoomba by late afternoon. Back down the Golden Stairs and then up Furbur steps , which seemed to have got a lot longer on the way up. Rob was waiting for me at Katoomba and we agreed a ninety minute power nap before powering on through the night to try and finish Friday.   At Katoomba they had set up the sleeping station, well two room tent, and I settled down for some shut eye. Unfortunately no one told the family next door that this was a sleeping station and in a tent it felt like they were sitting on the edge of my bed. The temperature was dropping as daylight gave way to darkness yet again and I gave up on trying to sleep instead I stumbled off to the shower block where they had heaters which would allow me to do some massaging and also get changed in relative comfort.   This would come back and bite me in a big way later in the early hours of Friday morning as sleep depravation was now becoming a problem. Usually I have a good three hours a night but so far I probably only had three hours total, for three days, this was unsustainable. Eventually I would have to pay the piper of course, to quote Boris Johnson ‘them’s the breaks’. 

The Blue Mountains really turned it on for the event.

 

Did I mention stairs ? There is lots of them !

 

Looks just a s good on the way back as the way out.

So after my ‘sleep’ break (or attempted sleep break) at Katoomba we left for Wentworth falls, again in darkness as the sun has just disappeared on Thursday evening.  Fifteen kilometres to the falls aid station and then seventeen kilometres to Woodford, the second last aid station. Rob met Sarah and I at Wentworth falls as that would be the last I saw him until early Friday morning at the last aid station, The Oaks. We also met up with Adam Darwin who we have been leap frogging for hundreds of kilometres. Adam left the aid station a few minutes before us but we caught him quickly as he was suffering with foot blisters the size of footballs. He was obviously in pain but was still moving forward with a pacer.

Remember I mentioned earlier I would have to eventually pay the piper for my lack of sleep during the event well between Wentworth falls and Woodford I paid , big time.  The trail from Wentworth falls to Woodford is generally up hill and for the last few kilometres to the aid station very up hill. It was during the last few kilometres I lost my grasp of reality and the forest just turned into a hallucination, everywhere I looked things weren’t as they should be. I have hallucinated many times, mainly in backyard ultras, but nothing compared to what I was experiencing , the whole forest just came alive with all sorts of stuff. It was actually quite cool as I’ve always enjoyed the games the mind plays when it is totally sleep deprived and you are totally fatigued.

Luckily the aid station was only a few kilometres away and both Sarah and I needed sleep. There was two stretcher beds with blankets at Woodford and we both grabbed a bed with blankets and got some shut eye. We asked the volunteers to wake us in 30 minutes and as we awoke Adam turned up with his pacer. It was freezing cold of course and we settled into seats as Adam got his blisters looked at by the course paramedic, the volunteers provided some great toasties and tea but it was time to leave and move towards the last aid station which we would hope to arrive at just before sunrise.

This was now into early Friday morning and I was still sleep depraved. I would try and walk three or four steps with my eyes closed before opening them and then repeating the process. Unfortunately there was 22 kilometres between Woodford and The Oaks and we were both absolutely knackered. We were averaging 10 minute kilometres and doing the numbers we would not get to The Oaks before sunrise, things were starting to look grim. Eventually Sarah called it was time for a dirt nap, we were both dead on our feet.

Sarah had a pretty cool trail sleeping blanket so gave me her space blanket which I sued with mine and wrapped myself up like a burrito. These space blankets are surprisingly warm and I was pretty toasty in the dirt. Sarah set her alarm for 10 minutes and we both dosed. The alarm went off far too early and we both raised ourselves as the sun rose, it was pretty cool truth be told. Welcome to Friday morning with the image below greeting us.

Waking up from our dirt nap to see this amazing sunrise.

Once we awoke from our dirt nap I knew I needed to get to the next aid station quickly and get some Rob time before the push for the finish. I was worried that sleep depravation would get the better of me so close to the finish. My good friend Darlene Dale was pulled out of the Delirious a few years ago within 20 kilometres of the finish and I was desperate not to go through that. Thus I had to say my goodbyes to Sarah which pained me as she had been such good company but I just needed to step on and finish as quickly as possible.

I jettisoned all the extra clothing I had on to get me through the night , go down to shorts and a running shirt and hit the afterburners. This took Rob by surprise because as I arrived at The Oaks there was no sign of him and he admitted he had me arriving later than I did. IFinally beat his spreadsheet !) In his defence he was only a few minutes away and when he arrived I changed clothes and shoes for the last time and set off on the last leg for the finish line.

For the last loop I put on the Hokka Mach 5’s, a brand new white pair and they felt great. The Altra Olympus 4’s I had worn for the whole race are great shoes but better suited to single trail, they don’t have the cushioning that this race needs and when I come back next year it will be in a pair of Hokka Mach 5’s.

The last leg is a straight line initially and then a loop in the opposite direction to last time we ran the loop,  four days ago.  (anti-clockwise this time.) I knew we had to do this loop but wasn’t sure where the loop started , luckily while I was wondering which way to go a car pulled over and pointed me in the right direction.  I was still feeling good but the loop seemed to go on for ever and to add to my woes my iphone decided to die and my cable didn’t seem to be working with my back batteries, joy ! I was blind albeit I knew where I was on the course and which way to go but was starting to second guess myself as I seemed to be running for such a long time. Again I was thankful this was early morning in sunshine, I couldn’t imagine going though this in the dark and second guessing yourself, I was certainly missing Sarah now.  Eventually I hit the weir and knew all I had to do know was climb the hill to the finish, what could go wrong now.

Well it seems quite a lot. ! As I run the climb I came to a turn off and saw some pink bunting, did we take this off shoot from Glenbrook four days ago, I couldn’t remember. This was when I needed my iphone and Gaia,  unfortunately my iphone was dead and I couldn’t work out how to text Rob on the Garmin tracker. I was totally done so decided just to sit down and wait for some direction from the general public. Luckily I didn’t have to wait long before Jac Cresp’s Husband and Son stopped and asked if I needed help. It seems the son recognised me after meeting me earlier in the race at the  Katoomba showers.  They pointed me in the right direction and I was off again on the final rise to the finish line.

As I was taking so long Shaun had sent a chaperone to point me to the finish and I was happy for the help, I made a big effort to look reasonable for the finish and put on a spurt, for the camera of course, I was done !

 

The money shot, finishing the Unreasonable East 2022, just over 73 hours.

Done and dusted, 73 hours and 8 minutes official time but it was so much more.  The elevation made it incredibly hard but the company, incredible conditions and scenery made up for that. At the end I promised never to run it again but two weeks later I can’t wait for entries to open and that sums up 200 milers, they become addictive. Next time we can’t get conditions as good so it’ll be a challenge for sure but I’ll be better prepared albeit the Race Director has found another 4,000metres of elevation and is keen to add this to the 10,000metres we already climb, joy ! I’m smiling as I type these words remembering some of the experiences I shared on the trail. Bad experiences, there weren’t any as such, there was challenging times of course and times it was a struggle just moving forward but that’s the point, the race makes you look deep within yourself and allows you to ask yourself questions which are , in normal life, you can’t answer. This is the reason you run a 200 miler, to find out who you really are. ?

 

Tired but stoked to finish.

 

Two of the RD’s , Shaun and Steve at the finish. Absolute legends but you knew that.

 

Hugging Simone, something I love to do when ever I get the chance. She is the calming influence behind the chaos that is Shaun Kaesler.

As I mentioned earlier there would be an after shot straight after finishing and I love this image, trying to contemplate what has just happened and the relief to have finished.  This image sums up what a 200 miler takes out of you, everything, there is nothing left to give and that’s how I roll.  I love it.

Finish photo, looking goosed.

So what do you get for finishing a 200 miler in the Blue Mountains bar memories , well a half finished jigsaw of course with the promise of the missing pieces if you run another 200 miles in the Blue Mountains. How good is that ? You’d have to return surely, wouldn’t you?

Finishers jigsaw, notice the missing pieces.

 

Surrounded by legends, the Race Directors, Shaun, Nicola, Steve and Michelle. Thankyou guys.

 

The finishers left at the after party.

 

The first triple crown down under recipients, Rob, Aimee, Sarah and Raquel.

 

Rocking the Georges beanie at the after party.

 

 

 

Finally some products that helped me through the race and should be in your drop bags or backpack for all 200 milers… fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered.  It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.

 

Fisiocrem is a must have in your 200 miler box of tricks.

Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ )  The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products)  can be difficult to digest later in the event.  From the website :-

As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority. 

In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance. 

In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born. 

BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work! 

BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!

Great hydration.

What can I say about HumanTecar,  ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !

 

 

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The Transcend Ultra is coming, look busy !

A mean mother of a trail ultra !

The Transcend Ultra is the ultra that bites. Put on by local ultra running legend Shane Johnstone , the owner of Valetudo health(  https://www.valetudohealth.com.au/coaching-services/ ) and winner of the Delirious West 200 miler 2021 ( https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/  )  He also held the Fastest Known Time for the Bibbulum Track point to point until recently, and that’s a 1,000km track. There are many more accolades including placings at high profile European Ultras including the UTMB, he knows his stuff !

The Transcend Ultra is a 65km ultra that runs through the Avon valley on land that in mostly private,  so inaccessible for the rest of the year.  Thanks to Shane it is available only for the race and boy is it worth running it if you can.  The terrain is brutal and in its inaugural year last year there was the added bonus of monsoon conditions before and during the event.  Me and the lads went for a recon the week before on one of the legs and it was muddy as hell,  we nearly lost Barts at a water crossing, albeit Barts does not like water or crossings so put them together and you have a highly amusing story !

 

The race is on the 26th June and there are team or solo options , depending how brave you feel. If you are unsure of completing the full distance the team option is a perfect starter before you take on the main course in 2023, because you will go back for second helpings.

Useful links :- Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/152480999794102 ; webpage :-  https://transcendtrails.com/

 

Unfortunately I missed it last year as I was scheduled to run the Irrational South and this year it’s too close to the Unreasonable East ( https://unreasonableeast200miler.com.au/ ) but I will be making a big effort to get to the start line for 2023. A word of warning though the terrain is unforgiving and there are some serious climbs scattered throughput the course. What I like about this event is its uniqueness in that there is the opportunity to be running in some seriously wet conditions , which in Western Australia is rare.  This event will test you so I would recommend getting in some recon runs as close to the course as you can pre-event.  If you need any more information check out the webpage or Facebook page detailed earlier in the post or pop down to Valetudo health in Floreat.

 

I assume it starts in the dark , not finishes in the dark.. albeit depending on how fast you run of course ?

 

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Is a 200 miler the new marathon and achievable by everybody ?

A bunch of happy runners, ready for the challenge ahead.

I am lucky enough to live in Western Australia where thanks to Shaun Kaesler and his Ultra Series WA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) there is a smorgasbord of ultra races. When I first came to Australia and Perth there was really just two options , the Bunbury 50k and the 40 Miler. Both of these events had small fields and everybodies, including my own,  main focus was the marathon or shorter races.  Over time some other great races came along including the iconic Kep 175/100k ( http://kepultra.com/  ) and the Australia Day Ultra ( https://australiadayultra.com/ ) but until Shaun and hos band of merry helpers burst onto the scene ultra running in WA was an afterthought.

This all changed when Shaun put together his Ultra Series and since then more and more races have been added to the calendar culminating in the big daddy of them all the Delirious West 200 Miler ( https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) Then the icing on the cake has been the Triple Crown Down Under , three 200 milers spread throughout Australia similar to the American version ( The Big foot 200, the Tahoe 200 and the Moab 240) . In Australia we would be offered the Delirious West , the Unreasonable East ( https://unreasonableeast200miler.com.au/ ) and the Irrational South. ( https://irrationalsouth200miler.com.au/ )  These would need to completed in less than 14 weeks , starting with Delirious in February, Irrational in April and Unreasonable in June, no mean feat. I had planned to complete the inaugural triple crown after finishing Delirious in February but catching COVID two weeks out from Irrational put an end to that dream.

At the moment a 200 miler is a beast tamed by only a few runners and as such has serious kudos but as more and more runners take on this animal of an event it will start to become more mainstream and once the general public hears about it you, as a runner, will be judged . A marathon has long lost its appeal to the non-running public as a mark of achievement. These days runners are putting together 50 marathons in 50 days and that still get little acknowledgement. An ultra , while initially filling a void, has now lost its appeal as again more runners make the move to 50k/100k or even a 100 miles.  Adding in cool names helps, like running any race with death in its title, but ultimately now you need to have a three digit total distance starting with at least a two.

I’ve completed  the Delirious West twice now and both times had the time of my life. I have always maintained a 200 miler is an adventure, not a race, shared with great friends, i.e. crew.  After Delirious 2021 Gary , being one of the double act of the batman (Gary )  and Robin (Alex) crew that supported me  (see below), said he had as much fun as I did, which I took as a positive. We all just morphed into younger versions of ourselves free of the chains of adulthood, albeit only for a week.  The memories you take from a 200 miler, both good and bad, will stay with you until death or Alzheimer’s , which ever comes first.

So can anybody complete a 200 miler ? I say yes, if you can run a marathon you can run a 200 miler. Of course you may be chasing cut off times but these are normally generous enough and I know last year, at Delirious , one runner just about walked the whole distance albeit with very little sleep, you can’t have it both ways. If you are prepared to keep moving forward and finish sleep depraved a 200 miler is do able. Of course it is certainly more pleasant  if you train and run a bit or even better run a lot. Distance and elevation are the keys for 200 mile training, run as much as you can and add as much elevation as you can find. Any gym work on your major leg muscles will also help.

 

Me and my crew, legends both of them. I can’t thank them enough. Delirious 2021.

Another big benefit of running a 200 miler is you get to eat , a lot !  The aid stations are normally full of a fabulous assortment of culinary delights,  just about everything you heart would desire. Add in volunteers at your beck and call , as well as your crew, and you feel like a King , or Queen. It can make leaving these oasis of pleasures,  to continue on your journey of pain,  difficult but every step you take after leaving one is a step closer to the next one. That my friends is ultra running summed up right there, an eating and drinking competition with running between aid stations. 

More benefits of a 200 miler are the comradery from volunteers and competitors alike. In a marathon everybody is very self centered on their time goals, with minimal thought for anybody else, it is a selfish distance. Time is critical and a second lost here and there is life changing. With 200 milers everybody wants you to finish as much as you do, it is a combined effort and they get as much satisfaction as you , well maybe not as much but close. You can lose hours and not be adversely affected , if you finish as far as Joe Public is concerned you are a winner.  Actually if you finish a 200 miler as far as everybody is concerned you are a winner, even getting to the start line is a badge of honour.

Finally when was the last time someone said ‘They’ve invented cars for those types of distances, you do know that right?‘ or ‘I find it hard driving 200 miles’ , you get the idea, people are still very impressed when you say you’ve completed a 200 miler. A marathon is now about as exciting as someone cutting their grass over the weekend and taking their kids swimming, (to the untrained eye)  it’s kind of weird that the general public as a whole has got lazier but expect us runners to go further and push ourselves harder to  give away any kudos at the coffee shop on a Monday morning , while they dig in to their double chocolate donut,  drinking their litre of creamy coffee with three sugars.

 

Bacon and pancakes, gotta’ love ultra’s…!!!!

 

A good article from Neil Bryant below ( https://ultrarunningcommunity.com/articles/most-popular-articles/26-article/tips-techniques-and-training/1387-could-you-run-a-200-miler )

Written by Neil Bryant

I have run a few races that I class as really long. These being single stage races, over 200 miles such as the Tor des Geants or the Spine. The main difference between these races and say a 100 miler, is that most people won’t need to sleep during a 100, whereas the opposite is true for the 200+ miler. Other than the sleep, it is simply more time on your feet and generally higher fatigue rates. Oh, and let’s not forget that isincredibly intimidating to stand on the start line of a 250mile race. A 250mile drive on a motorway is bad enough!

Tor4

So, how do you get through such a huge race? How do you train? What are the main difficulties you will face? 

Mental strength and Self-belief

This,for me is the biggest strength you need for the longer races. The longer the race, the more of a mental strength is needed to tackle it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dismissing the physical side of things, just trying to highlight the importance of a strong mental approach to these races.

How can this sort of strength be encouraged to grow? Well, you could work your way through races, getting slightly longer and/or harder over time. It works. The more you do, the more your comfort level grows. When you started running you may have been intimidated by a marathon, but now you are not as you have run a few 50 milers. 

You could also do some challenges of your own, such as catching a train 50 miles away and running home or doing a two day run and bivvying overnight or running all through the night and anything else that your imagination can dream up. These sorts of personal challenges are great for confidence but are also incredibly fulfilling. They also teach you how you operate when heavily fatigued.

We are all different though. Some people can jump into a big challenge, whereas others prefer a longer, methodical build up. Experience is the key that will help everyone better understand the task ahead. For example, it wasn’t till my third very long race where I felt that I had really optimised my sleep pattern.

Physical strength

I won’t go into any specifics about exactly what you should be doing each day, more about what is actually needed to comfortably finish. 

If you do, or have ever done some serious marathon training, then that would be adequate for a 100 miler, and if you are 100 mile fit, then you are 250 mile fit. It also is dependent on your mental outlook. Many people feel that you need to do mega mileage to prepare for a super long race, but I disagree. Yes, if you wanted to get a top 20 result, then some heavier mileage could well help, but heavy mileage is risky for injuries, and many of us just don’t have the time in our lives to be out for a few hours a day.

This is where a few big days, or even back to back days can really help build the self-belief that you and your body can actually pull it off. See if you can book a training camp (or holiday to your partner) so you can get some bigger days in. Just a long weekend somewhere is all that’s needed, but it can really help your mental and physical preparation.

Remember to train for what you are realistically going to be doing in the race. Running slowly, and plenty of walking! Practising a fast and efficient walk can help your overall speed a great deal, and many people will neglect this area in their preparation.

If it is a mountain race then practice walking uphill, and in equal measure, running downhill. Practice descending as smoothly as possible.The downhills are where a great deal of micro damage will occur in your muscles and if this can be minimised then it should be.

Finally, I would strongly advise poles, no matter how much you are against them. They can really be very useful, the more tired you get. Crossing rivers, stability in slippery conditions, uphill rhythm, and ideal if you get a minor injury that you can still run with but need the extra ‘legs’. You must practice with them before the event as poorly used poles can be fairly useless.

Have a plan

Do you plan to the nth degree for every race, or are you super chilled and not even look at the route before race day? I would suggest that whichever camp you fall in, to have some planning. Due to the length of these races and the confusing, drunken levels of fatigue that you may well experience, some simple rules can really help out and save time. 

Some things to consider:

  • Clothing – Think about all the weather you could experience over the week (which can be the full range!) Is that super light waterproof jacket going to be any use if it snows and you are struggling to keep warm? Maybe have spare shoes in your drop bag? If it gets really cold which is massively heightened when really tired, do you have enough layers? Do you have protection from the sun (hat, arms and neck)?
  • Pace – Decide how you would like to pace it. You will be walking a lot, but when and how much? I walked almost all the uphills in the Tor, Onlyrunning the gentlest of slopes. You have to always consider the whole race. Try not to get caught out in racing others in the first 100 miles or even more!
  • Drop bags – If you get the opportunity to use one, then use it! it can be a lifesaver during a longer event. A few changes of clothes, A few pairs of shoes, some food treats, and any other little luxury that you couldn’t carry but may give a big boost.
  • Check point discipline – I like to have discipline with being as slick as possible at the check points, as it is so easy to sit, staring vacantly at the wall, in the warmth while the time just flies by. Before I arrive, I will mentally go through everything and work out the order to do it all in. Eating, drinking, picking up food supplies, changing clothes, filling up water bottles etc. It is all so simple, but so important too. It is so easy to forget one thing. 
  • Route knowledge – it is an advantage to at least have a basic understanding of the course. Many runners will have been studying it for months and will know exactly what is around every corner. This all comes down to your personality. Do you like to know exactly what is happening or do you like things a little more casual. I fall a little more on the side of casual and would spend a minute studying the next section at each checkpoint before leaving. Knowing there is a climb that could take 3 hrs beforehand is much better than climbing for 3 hrs and not having a clue when the torture will end!
  • Knowledge database – There is a reason that when many hard races are born, they have a higher DNF rate than now, and that is because over time, the experience and knowledge that is gained over the years, trickles down to the new runners, and confidence grows, and the success rates grow.Many of us (all?) have a love hate relationship with the internet and in particular social media, but it does have its advantages. Joining the right groups and connecting with previous runners is one great way of picking up some valuable information. Also, just visit this site, and read others race reports which are a goldmine for nuggets of information that could help you finish, plus they can really get you very excited and motivated about the challenge ahead.

Sleep

Now this is where it can all go so badly wrong if you don’t get it right. Believe me, I know! If you hallucinate then you should have slept earlier!

My simple rule is to sleep if youfeel tired and not push on to the next checkpoint. You see, when you get into such a poor, tired state, there is nothing positive about it. You move a lot slower, you feel colder and most dangerously, your judgement is clouded at the best. It suddenly becomes very difficult to look after yourself, especially when you are in the mountains in hostile conditions. Keeping yourself warm, dry, fed and watered suddenly become huge tasks and simple decision making goes to pot. Basically, if you get just a little more sleep, you will move faster, and be able to look after yourself much better. Don’t wait till you are about to drop. Don’t get caught up running with others as we all have different sleep demands at different times. Some people just power nap for 20 mins, but this is not enough for me I have learnt. 1.5hrs or 2hrs a day works well for me. But remember that you need to experiment to find your own optimum amount.

Coaching

If the preparation is all a bit too overwhelming, then maybe consider coaching. A good coach with relevant experience, will be able to help you structure your training, choose equipment and will be able to answer all your questions that will make things seem more manageable. Drop me a line at neilbryant@hotmail.co.uk if you are interested.

Do it!

These are just my simple observations about what works and what doesn’t over the longer single stage ultras where sleep becomes essential. But you must remember that you need to get out there and try things out. I just want to take some of the fear away from these 200 plus mile events so that more of you try them. They are hard, mentally and physically, but the reward from finishing one of these monsters is huge. With the right mindset, and as long as the body still works, most people could finish one, so why not enter one? What could possibly go wrong!

 

Below is a post asking is the Ultra is the new marathon , has this has now changed to a 200 miler being the new ultra ?

Running has become more and more popular , not seen since the days of the Sony Walkman revolution of the early eighties when for the first time you could run with music. (To the young generation amongst us we used a  thing called a ‘tape’, analog not digital music. ) People new to running inevitably join a running club or run with more experienced friends and before they know it they’ve signed up for their first race. This is a good thing as I believe you never push yourself as much as when the competitive juices start to flow with a racing bib on your chest. One thing leads to another and before too long you’ve entered your first half or full marathon.

Invariably this distance is conquered and you’ve informed all your friends via Facebook and normally your work colleagues via daily updates on your progress. The problem arises though when the marathon doesn’t seem to cut it for kudos like it use to. In the office there seems to be quite a few marathoners and worse most are faster than you. You start to get compared to John in accounts who ran sub3 or even Sheila in Purchasing who ran has ran 10 marathons while juggling family commitments and a busy career. So these days to get some real kudos it’s time to take this running to the next level, the ultra-marathon.

The ultra has the added benefit of the slower you run the more kudos you get,  where as the marathon is, these days, about not only completing it but also setting a good time. Non runners are getting use to people telling them they’ve ran a marathon and have responded asking how long they took. Again they are wise to what they consider a good time and if you reply ‘4 hours’ they look at you with pity and  ask ‘what went wrong’? Not so with the ultra-marathon. Because it is still not mainstream a non runner has no idea what a good or bad time is for an ultra and even if they did the distance can be varied to confuse them. Remember an ultra is anything longer than a marathon distance, it can be 42.3k upwards.

The ultra gets even better, they tend to be in far flung locations and have pretty serious titles, again earning kudos points. How good does an ‘ultra-marathon in Death Valley‘ sound. Death valley, c’mon, if that doesn’t get serious kudos around the drink fountain nothing will. Ok, Sheila from Purchasing has ran 10 marathons but she’s never ran an ultra-marathon in Death Valley. They have no idea where Death Valley is or even what an ultra-marathon is but who cares, you are now the running god in the office, someone who wouldn’t waste their time with silly ‘girl distance’ like marathons. The universe is realigned and you can ‘strut’ around the office yet gain.

The only downside to this new running adventure is the office folk then look to you for more and more longer distances and/or exotic locations. After your first ultra you can never repeat that distance as non-runners , although initially impressed , soon become impervious to distance running unless there is a serious upgrade or the location adds some spice. e.g. The Marathon Des Sable ( http://www.marathondessables.com/en/), the toughest footrace on Earth. ! ( ..On Earth? are they saying there’s a tougher footrace not on earth, the Moon 100k maybe? Now that would be worth talking about !??)

A word of warning of course,  you may come across the non runner who knows a thing or two about ultra-running and while you strut around the office sprouting off about a 100k race on the local trails,  basking in the adulation of the finance department,  they walk past and grunt it was ‘no Marathon Des Sables’. Instantly your credibility is destroyed and you sneak off back to your desk plotting your next adventure.

So to sum up,  an ultra marathon may fill the void in the office kudos states. It has the benefit of still being relatively hardcore, in the view of the uneducated, allows you to focus on distance and not time (to counter that nasty sub3 runner in Accounts) and even allows you to slow down and take your time as the longer you take will actually earn more brownie points.  I won’t even start to mention the extra equipment you get to buy and use on ultra-marathons. The wardrobe options are endless and include camelbacks, gators, water belts and my mate Mark’s favourite,  a cappuccino machine. ! (He doesn’t actually bring along a cappuccino machine but he wore a water belt once that had so many accessories he might as well have!)  This can become more of a hindrance than a help as I always remember feeling my mate TB’s camelback at the end of the 6 inch ultra-marathon ( http://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com ) and it must have weighted 10k; and that was at the END of the race not the beginning !!

The 6 inch is a good example of the small step up needed from the marathon distance. Remember anything longer than a marathon is classed an ultra. The 6 inch is 46k (assuming you don’t get lost, which I have on a number of occasions!), so for that extra 4k you get to shoot down Sheila in Purchasing as you’ve ran an ultra-marathon and ,as everybody knows , so much harder than the silly marathon…

So lookout Sheila,  we’re coming for you ?

6 Inch Trail
6 Inch Trail Ultra, only 4k’s more than a marathon but to the untrained eye a whole different animal, an Ultra !!

 

Finally a few items that you must have when you run a 200 miler. Fisiocrem  ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) to get you through the event and human tecar ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) to help you recover quickly. Both of these products are my go-to items before, during and after the race.  Please note both of these companies supply me with their products because I hassled them until they did, they are that good.

Finally a thankyou to the good people at Paire socks who reached out to me to try their product.  (  https://www.paire.com.au/ )  New to the market I was more than happy to try the  Paire product and I’m glad I did. Paire suppled me with three pairs, active ankle, quarter and calf and all were very comfortable.

From their website ‘A thoughtfully designed blend of Australian Merino wool and organic combed cotton. Smoother softer, moisture-wicking and odour absorbing (read : not stinky). A true fabric chameleon – warm in the cold and cold in the heat.’

What I like about this product, similar to Fisiocrem and Human Tecar is it just does what it says on the box. As a consumer that is all I ask, honesty. All three varients supplied by Paire are  just good, simple really. The socks fit well, feel good and are obviously good quality, what more would you want ?

I could wax lyrical about Paire all day long but I think it’s best that I say they are a good sock and you won’t be disappointed. I have used all three pairs sent me extensively over the last few weeks and am about to go for a run with them after finishing this post, that about sums it up.  If you need all the other interesting facts about the brand , and there are quite a few, pop along to their website, it’s worth a visit. (  https://www.paire.com.au/ )

 

Finally if the review wasn’t positive enough I have a 15% off discount code  : XYZ . Use this and save on this great product.

Right enough of this, time to put on my Paire socks and do what I love doing, go for a run,  albeit probably not a 200 miler this afternoon.

Good quality and comfortable, you can’t ask for more from a sock.

 

Paire socks, feels good or good feels, you decide. 

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To race faster train slower, simple.

Maybe the Piper has started warming up….and it’s time to pay him ?

As I have booked in the Melbourne Marathon this October I need to pull my finger out and get my average pace down to sub 3 hour finishing time acceptable levels. We were discussing this at Yelo this morning , over quality coffee and muffins, (No one tell Georges!) and it hit home how far away I am from a sub three hour marathon. I’ve only ran two marathons in the last five years and both of those , in 2019 , were in the high two hour fifty range, no much room for error. Since then I have ran 15 ultra marathons ranging from 47km right up to 350km (200 miles), not really marathon training,   well fast marathon training.

The only saving grace is I have always kept reasonable weekly totals and overall I’m certainly running slow and steady. Have I done enough to add a smattering of pace to so sub 3 , not sure ? The timetable is tight as always. I have a 200 miler planned for the end of June, ( https://unreasonableeast200miler.com.au/ ) then a backyard ultra early August ( https://birdysbackyardultra.com.au/ ) . After Birdy’s I’ll start to concentrate on Melbourne adding some pace and tempo, thresholds, fartlek type runs in the mix.  The only fly in my sub 3 marathon ointment is a backyard ultra planned two weeks before the big day. Melbourne is first week in October and I have the inaugural ‘No time to Die’ frontyard ultra 16th September. ( https://nttdfrontyard.com.au/ ), am I being greedy, hell yeah but life is short. It would be nice to add number 30 to my sub 3 streak but I enjoy the ultra’s too much to miss any.

29 in a row… 30 sounds so much better !

Right here’s a couple of articles, one written by me, that may shed light on the train slow to race fast mentality.

I have posted on this a few times over the last 18 months but it is always worth a revisit. Slow and steady really does make you , long term, faster. It’s benefits are three fold, I believe you will enjoy your training more (with all that ‘smell the roses’ pace), it’s an injury prevention method of training (less impact associated with adding pace) and finally the benefits will spur on more success. Let’s face it running is all about achieving goals and the more goals we achieve the more addicted we all become to the runners high.

I have attached two articles on the subject below. The first one of mine from January 2017 which highlighted my experience with slowing down over a period of time and seeing the rewards when I raced. I was able to show ,with the help of Strava (in Strava we trust… http://www.strava.com ; feel free to follow me on Strava, there is a link at the bottom of the home page) how over time I has slowed on my ‘old faithful’ run but my racing times had got better.  This was over a long period of time and over 200 runs so a pretty good baseline, very ‘scientific’ if I say so myself.

The second article is from Runners Connect and is advocating a similar approach, moderate workouts being the ideal way to train long term.

In 2013 I ran quick all the time, by quick I mean sub 4min/k average every time I put on my trainers. Be it a 10k, 21k or 30k,  my goal was to finish with a sub 4min/k average. To compound this issue I also stopped running long runs after reading an article in Runners World magazine about a training program where you would run at your marathon pace all the time. The logic was if your marathon pace became your normal pace when you were tired during the marathon you would revert to your normal ‘training pace’, which of course would be your marathon pace. The training program also recommend not running too many long runs but more runs around the 20-25k distance.

This training program yielded some good results but I sacrificed my top end speed as I wasn’t running any tempo or threshold runs, just lots of sub 4min/k’s. Raf from the Running Centre (http://therunningcentre.com.au ) picked me up on this on Strava  ( http://www.strava.com ) and recommended I try a 10k threshold at least once a week,  just to break the monotony of running the same pace for every run. I was surprised when I tried to add pace as I struggled and my 10k times weren’t that quicker than my ‘normal’ pace. Something was amiss and I was found out at the Bunbury Marathon in 2014 when I blew up after leading the race for the first 10k. I admit there was also some mental problems as I was defending my marathon title after winning (my only marathon victory) in 2013.  I had gone out at my 10k pace truth be told and at 15k my race was finished. I met Raf afterwards, in the hotel spa of all places,  and he could sense my disappointment of finishing 4th in a time of 2hrs54mins, when I aiming for a sub 2hr40min finish truth be told.

For the rest of 2014 I struggled on (Bunbury was in April) and although I  managed 2hrs 46mins at the Perth Marathon I never managed to reach the heights I had reached in 2013. Something needed to change and in January 2015 I was taken under Raf’s wings and given a program for the Perth marathon, my first training program at the ripe old age of 48. The first 3-4 months were harder than I expected as I really struggled with the top end pace work. The steady and long runs were do able but my top end pace just wasn’t there. Over time I did improve of course thanks to Raf’s coaching skills but all the good work was undone by a slight stress fracture  just before the Perth marathon. (Picked up on the last steady run , a week out ! Always the way ?)  I ran a 2hrs49mins, 9th place finish, but Raf had me in better condition than that but the injury played on my mind.

After Perth Raf gave me another training plan for the City to Surf marathon in August and I stuck to this one and ran a good time for a 4th place but more importantly a strong race and strong finish. My first good marathon for over a year. Although I enjoyed working with Raf I was time constrained by my family, work, life etc, the runners quandary. I decided for 2016 to take what Raf had taught me and adapt my training accordingly.

I think the most important thing Raf taught me was there is no such thing as ‘junk miles‘, every kilometre you run is doing you some good, at whatever pace. This to me was a ‘lightning bolt’ moment as I was so use to running every run as a tempo and finishing with nothing left in the tank. I just didn’t run slow, ever ! The first few runs I ran at a slow pace I was questioned on Stava by my running friends as to whether I was injured, such was the disbelieve that I could run anything bar sub 4min/k’s. I must admit the first few times it felt alien and I had to really work hard to run slow. Raf introduced me to the Maffetone training method  ( https://philmaffetone.com , I have mentioned this a few times on the blog.) and I was off building my foundation for the success which was to come in 2016.

Fast forward to the Perth marathon of 2016 and I just about ran a negative split and was 2 minutes quicker than the previous year. After Perth I added the double days and the PB’s came tumbling down and my confidence returned in spades. I managed to drop my 5k, 10k, 16k,21k and 50k PB times and by quite a chunk each time. So how did I do it ? Basically I slowed down, ran more and raced more. It really was (is) that simple. Taking what Raf taught me, reading Matt Fitzgerald’s books and a sprinkling of Maffetone added to the mix and hey presto.

Every runner needs to read this.

Thanks to Strava (in Strava we trust) you can see how this slowing down is trending on my 10k go-to run of choice. (see below) Over time you can clearly see my running average pace for the 10k is slowing but in the same period I have ran probably 10 PB’s, so there is a correlation of slowing down to speeding up when you put a bib on your chest. Of course I have added distance and more time on my feet into the equation, combined with racing more but the slowing down is a factor.

It really is a case of slowing down to speed up.

 

My last 200 runs on my go-to 10k of choice, old faithful.

 

Being abused by Gary Carlton. Rottnest Marathon 2016 I think.. ?

 

Why Running Harder Won’t Help You Get Faster

In the vocabulary of a runner, patience is a dirty word. Runners always want to run faster, run more miles, and crush their personal bests and they want it now. To be more accurate, they wanted it yesterday. I know I felt this way before I donned my coaching cap. I wasn’t satisfied with a workout unless I needed to be carried off the track and was forced to spend the rest of the day passed out on the couch. That was dedication. Surely, this is what it took to be the best runner I could be.

Unfortunately, this mindset couldn’t be more wrong.

Not only did this way of thinking impact my short-term goals, thanks to all-to-frequent injuries and bouts of overtraining, but as you’ll learn in this article, it likely affected my long-term progress as well.

As I’ve matured as a runner and changed my perspective on training as a coach, I’ve come to fully appreciate and value the art of patience. This shift in mindset wasn’t easy and it didn’t happen overnight. Hopefully, with the help of some hard, scientific data and a sprinkling of anecdotal evidence, this article can accelerate your maturation as a runner and help you achieve your goals.

Finish a workout feeling like you could have done more

This is a phrase you’ll hear from any running coach worth his or her salt. As elite coach Jay Johnson espouses to his athletes, “you should be able to say after every one of your workouts that you could have done one more repeat, one more segment or one more mile.”

Coach Jay doesn’t just pay this rule lip service. He’s known for cutting workouts short when an athlete looks like they’re over that edge. It’s one of the reasons his athletes continue to perform and improve consistently, year after year.

Now, thanks to recent research published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, we have the scientific data to prove what good coaches have known for so many years. Patience pays off. (side note – thank you to Alex Hutchinson for first alerting me to this study through his blog)

In this study, one group of athletes performed a series of workouts at near maximum intensity for twelve weeks. The researchers then had another group perform the same type of workouts (same repeat distance and same amount of rest) yet at a much more moderate intensity.

The results. The high intensity group improved rapidly, recording an increase in VO2 max 30 percent higher than the moderate group after three weeks.

Well, that doesn’t seem to support our theory that patience pays off, does it?

Luckily, the researchers went a step further and recorded changes to VO2 max for six, nine and twelve weeks under the same training methodology. This is where the results get truly interesting.

hi_vs_mod_intervals_1After nine weeks, the high intensity group’s improvements in VO2 max were only 10 percent greater than the moderate group. More importantly, after 9 weeks, the high intensity group stopped improving and after 12 weeks showed the same level of improvement to VO2 max as the moderate group.

Clearly, this research shows that while you’ll see rapid improvements from running workouts as hard as you can in the first few weeks, this improvement curve will level off and running at moderate intensity levels will produce equal, if not better, long-term results.

Of course, like all studies, this research has it’s flaws. Mainly, both groups performed the same workouts for twelve weeks, which means the same stimulus was being applied with each session. However, I’d also point out that when training for 5k or marathon for 12 weeks, the workouts won’t vary much. Sure, the workouts will look different, 12 x 400 meters at 3k pace versus 6 x 800 meters at 5k pace, but you’re still training the same energy system.

Regardless, the data supports what good coaches have known for years.

Consistent, moderate workouts will trump a few weeks of hard, gut-busting workouts every time.

But I want to improve faster

Of course, looking at that data, most runners would still choose the high intensity approach. If the end result after 12 weeks is the same, why not make the fitness gains faster the first three to six week?

Not covered in this particular research study was the impact of injuries and overtraining on potential improvement curve and long-term progress.

It’s not surprising, and it’s been supported by numerous research studies and anecdotal examples, that increased intensity is correlated with higher injury risk. Meaning, the harder (faster) you train, the more likely it is you’ll get injured.

The problem I encounter with many runners who try to workout too hard is the injury cycle, which inhibits long-term progress because for every two steps forward, you take one step back.

Using a similar graph to the one provided in the research study, let’s examine the long-term consequences of always pushing your workouts as hard as you can versus running moderate and always feeling like you could have done more.

how-to-run-faster

While the actual improvement data in the image is fictional, it is based off the data from the actual study representing improvement curve. The difference is that I’ve extended the training period to ten months and factored in injuries and potential overtraining. This graph accurately represents my experience with trying to run every workout as hard as I could and the vast data I’ve collected working as a coach for the past eight years.

As you can see, the high intensity runner speeds out of the gait and is far ahead of the moderate intensity runner after a few weeks. However, it doesn’t take long before the high intensity runner suffers his or her first injury and is setback a week or two. No worries, with just a few weeks of high intensity training, they are back ahead of the slow plodding moderate intensity runner. However, this cycle continues to repeat itself until the high intensity runners is far behind the consentient, steady performer.

More importantly, after 42 weeks, the high intensity runner is at a point that they can no longer make up the difference in fitness simply by training hard for a few weeks.

They will continue to struggle to reach their potential until they finally learn to run their workouts at a moderate level and train to their current level of fitness.

Don’t be the high intensity runner. Learn from the mistakes of countless runners before you, the research and scientific data, and the wisdom of coaches who know their stuff.

 

 

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Kep V2 Ultra, another win, well first male.

The KepV2 is a new addition to the WA racing calendar with its inaugural event last year. The original Kep was created by Rob Donkersloot  ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) and was a point to point from Northam to Mundaring. ( https://kepultra.com/ ), the website is still up , as of 2022. It was basically the only real ultra in WA for many years and has entered into folklore since it was forced to fold due to unachievable Council constraints, mainly on the number of road crossings and insurance costs.  Shaun Kaesler  ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) has created an event that holds true to the original but is an out and back, thus limiting the number of crossings and making the event feasible.

I entered last year with a long run with a medal mentality as it is only three weeks out from the Lighthorse Ultra ( https://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) , this was no different this year so again I went into the event with the same mentality, enjoy the race but don’t push it, bigger fish to fry later in the year. Added to the mix was a nasty head cold that had been hanging around the week before and I was more worried about just finishing.

So on a cold and wet Saturday morning we all lined up at the start and quietly shuffled off , more council stipulations, to alleviate any noise complaints, you see what I mean about keeping this event going !

This would have been on the way back as I have my poles, also notice my nice new Hoka Mach 4’s.

This race can be broken down into four stages. Stage one is a 15km downhill section before stage two , a 37km uphill slog to the half way and then the opposite coming back. As you can image the race really starts when you hit the bottom of the final 15km section, uphill, all the way to the finish after running 90km to get there. Challenging is a nice way to describe this last part of the race, or bonkers,  but I’ll get there later in the post.

My game plan was the same as last years, I had my poles ready for me at the halfway aid station and would use them to propel me to the finish while limiting damage on my tired legs. I had no aspirations about finishing position just finishing strongly, or as strong as possible.  With this game plan in mind after the start I settled in around 6th male and just enjoyed the serenity of a beautiful morning on the trails with like minded people. I have said many times I race often because this is what I enjoy the most, bib on my chest and just being around people with the same views on life, the universe and everything, at least when it comes to running.

The first 15km  to the Bellevue aid station is nearly all down hill and deceptively so in some places. I knew this would be a different story on the way back with 90km’s in the legs and over eight hours running, I made a mental note to prepare myself for this and as already mentioned break the race into the four sections I have already described. This is good for any race, any distance. Rather than race the whole thing I always break it down to manageable chunks. In this case four different sections but for longer races just use the distance between aid stations, this may break down to twenty or so smaller goals for a 200 miler.

Early on in the race as I have my Gore-tex jacket on, no poles and smiling.

After Bellevue its a uphill slog to the halfway point passing through John Forrest (23K)  , Mount Helana (35K) and Chidlow (41K) aid stations before reaching the turn around at Wooroloo (52k) . Because it’s an out and back there was more than enough aid stations and you always felt you were either just leaving one , or just arriving at the next. This made a big difference to what you needed to carry and also the conditions helped being cool meaning you didn’t need to be constantly worried about hydration, which is the norm in Western Australia.

As I mentioned earlier in the piece I settled down into 6th place and put on Taylor Swift’s greatest hits on the shokz headphones ( https://shokz.com/ ) to serenade me to halfway. On a side note if you are a runner who listens to music , pod casts etc you must by a pair of Shokz headphones, so good ! I think we have three in the house at the moment, I may even get a pair for the dogs.

As I have already  mentioned I was not interested in racing this event, three weeks prior I had won the 24 Lighthorse ultra with a distance of over 200km and was in no state to put it all on the line again so soon. Pre-event I was also battling a head cold and I even had thoughts of pulling out earlier in the week. This was not an A race and was certainly expendable for the greater good if needed. Luckily I held my nerve and rocked up at the start.

Still running up to the aid station at half way as no poles and still smiling.

Racing wise I started to feel the urge when I saw my good friend Charles , he of Delirious West 200 miler third place getter, struggling coming into Chidlow aid station. He certainly didn’t look great and he would eventually finish well over 12 hours which is pretty special given he looked finished at 40k. Mentally strong he decided to change his strategy from racing for a poduim to just finishing, a hard thing to do mid race. Massive kudos to him, sometimes it’s not the runner first past the post who is the real winner. In an ultra there are certainly more deserving winners that the three who get recognised as podium places.

After leaving Chidlow I then spied my drive buddy to the event, Simon Bennet. Simon has a great pedigree and has placed top 10 at the Margaret River Ultra twice, which is pretty special. ( https://margaretriver.rapidascent.com.au/ ) He is returning from injury and we ran to the halfway together. At the halfway point Trevor had just left before me and Tony Smith was way ahead of all of us, cruising to another victory to go with his great time last year. I entered the aid station 5th but with a quick turn around left in third place, with Simon hot on my heels.  It’s funny how all the talk of a ‘long run with a medal‘ goes out the window when you suddenly find yourself on the podium.  All of a sudden it became a ‘ you ain’t getting any younger and these opportunities may not present them again‘ type run, basically it was ‘on like Donkey Kong‘.

After I picked up my poles I really started to motor, first to drop Simon and second Trevor was probably only a few minutes ahead of me. Jumping to podium contention had reignited my competitive spirit and with Rob Donkersloot at each aid station I had the perfect tactician to aid my cause. It’s so funny how a race can change so quickly and the goals are reassessed and changed. Charles was initially gunning for a podium , now all he wanted was a finishers medal while I was the polar opposite.

I managed to catch Trevor coming into Helena aid station and after giving him some advice on how to run the rest of the race I left him there and really put my foot down. Rob had informed me the lead runner had been disqualified so I entered Helena aid station third and left in the lead, the pressure was on now big time. I started doing the maths in my head, 35km to hold on for the win. This is when course knowledge comes into play, I was faced with 20km of decent running virtually all down hill or flat before the climb to the finish. I had done it before and knew what to expect so I did enough to maintain my lead but also put some distance between me and the chasing pack giving me a buffer for the last climb. I actually felt pretty good surprisingly enough and maintained a good pace all the way back to Bellevue aid station, the last before the finish.

At  Bellevue I put the shokz headphones back in, dialed in Taylor Swift again and off I went , the final uphill slog to the finish. It wasn’t pretty and I was certainly suffering but I managed to keep moving forward only really walking, for a hundred or so metres at a  time, for the last four to five kilometres when I knew I was going to win, well first male anyway.

 

Crossing the line in first place, will it be the last time ? It felt great to place first male as it was so unexpected but also the race panned out so well with all the cards falling into place. Can I do it again, no way. Circumstances on the day just gave me the win, lead runners getting disqualified and fellow competitors being either under done or just not feeling it, everything conspired for me to get to the line first. Of course you got to be in it to win it and I have a base fitness now that if these opportunities present themselves I can take advantage but I’m still in shock truth be told.

 

With RD Simone, a nicer person you will never meet.

Right a few images of the presentations , the trophy and the main reason we Ultra runners do what we do, the great food. The image above is of Simone , one of the race directors, and myself. These events take so much time to organise, setup , run and clear away and they need a legion of volunteers who have to be managed. The race directors on these events put in massive hours before the event and on the day will be there for nearly the full 24 hours, actually probably longer. Simone works for the Ultra Series so spends her whole life organsing these type of events behind the scenes and then steps up for the race director role on a few of them.  You need a passion to pull these events off and the Ultra Series staff and volunteers have this in spades. Where ever you are in the world I urge you to get involved with a running club or organisation and just experience the comradery of these type of events, they will change your life and allow you to surround yourself with wonderful like minded people.

 

Veronica, myself, Sophie and Tom , what was left of the podium runners..

Once Veronica came in we were able to have the presentation with the remaining runners from the 100km event. Trevor, who ran a great race for third, had to leave as did Margie who was first finisher, both female and overall. She ran an outstanding race after also running, and winning ,  the 12 hour Lighthorse Ultra a few weeks prior. Margie trains harder than just about anybody I know and is starting to see some rewards for her hard work. Working with Tony Smith ( https://www.tsrunclub.com/ ) she is starting to really believe she can move to the next level with her running, I’m predicting big things for Margie. Sophie and Tom ran great races for second and again both have time on their side and will be improving on these times moving forward. Tom is also working with Tony Smith so we’ll be seeing more of him in the future.

I was stoked to see my good friend Veronica make the podium after her stella run at the Delirious West 200 miler in February where she finished second. Like myself she had caught COVID a few weeks prior to the event and has bounced back quickly. We are both heading over East in a few weeks for the Unreasonable East 200 miler in the Blue Mountains. ( https://unreasonableeast200miler.com.au/ ) That is going to be a challenge.

The best trophy’s are the ones made with love.

The trophy is so cool and I know home made by volunteers which makes it extra special. Will this be my last one ? Who knows , if I was a betting man I’d say yes but with ultra running there are so many variables you never know when a Stephen Bradbury moment is coming and the old bugger with a beard wins.  As I said earlier in the post this was a training run with a medal which turned into a win at all cost run, that’s ultra running. I will look back at this trophy in years to come and it will always bring a smile to my face, remembering the day and the race and the memories. Another reason I keep all my medals because each one is a reminder of the great memories that each race encapsulates, little time capsules to remind you of the good times with people you care about.

 

Perhaps the best bangers and mash in Australia.

The best thing about the Kep event, bar the running, is the Mundaring Hotel which serves the best Bangers and Mash in Australia, probably the world. It is so, so good and the image above does not do it justice. If you live in Perth you need to spend more time at this hotel ( https://www.mundaringhotel.com.au/ ) . The event starts and finishes at this venue and it is so good to spend time with runners and volunteers alike after the race, such a cool place to chill out.

Finally a few words about some great products I use that help me finish these events and also get ready for the next one. Fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is an amazing product I use during events when my leg muscles start to scream for help. Fisiocrem gives the muscles the energy boost they need , naturally. It really does make a difference. I used this product at the half way stage and also just before the last 15km slog to the finish. It weighs next to nothing so no problem carrying the small tube in my backpack during the event. It has also saved me on the Delirious West 200 miler earlier in the year and again at Hardy’s Frontyard Ultra and the 24 hour Lighthorse Ultra.

fisciocrem is the product that works. Helps tired muscles just keep on trucking.

For recovery I use the HumanTecar products, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) the spray and the recovery bandages. Both of these are incredible products, again like Fisiocrem totally natural. The recovery bandages are so good and they make such a difference virtually instantly, get yourself a good trail running magazine, a good cup of tea,  a few biscuits of choice  and put the bandages on and sit back and let the healing begin. I would recommend the bandages after big events or really long training runs, the spray is useful after any run or when you are just feeling the need for some help to recovery quicker. More of a day to day tool to help avoid the dreaded injury woes that plague most runners.

Finally to my good friends at the Running Centre ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) who provided me with my go to shoe a the moment , and the last two years, the Hoka Mach 4.  This shoe is prefect for day to day running providing enough support to ward off injuries but also light enough to allow you to run all your different pace based training runs.  There are new versions in the pipeline apparently and as soon as things settle down with the worldwide logistic issues we may be able to get into a pair.  As well as being great running shoes they also keep remarkably clean. I wore mine out of the box on the weekend and they still look brand new after running 105km’s on trail, albeit crushed limestone. It is testament to their quality that I can feel confident wearing a pair out of the box on a 10 hour race, with no fear of injury.

A great show for everyday running and even the odd 100km trail race.

So that’s the KepV2 2022, one of the races of my life coming so soon after another one of the races of my life, this is becoming a thing. I hope I can continue my good form into the Unreasonable East 200 miler in late June as I will need to be ready for this bad boy of an ultra. ( https://unreasonableeast200miler.com.au/ ) This event,  in its inaugural year,  looks so epic but also a tad daunting, massive elevation with probably freezing conditions, both test you.  I am more excited than worried but I also understand I need to be at the top of my game to finish, forget racing but then again you never know what happens when the bib is stuck on my chest….

 

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Age really is just a number, if you want it to be.

55 years old and my first win for four years.

A few weeks ago I ran 207km (128 miles) for the win at the Lighthorse Ultra in Perth. I’d been chasing the elusive 200 km club for a few years and finally made it. So is this me being the best I’ve ever been or have I moved the goal posts to make pb’s achievable while still slowing down ?  According to an article by Matt Fitzgerald below the reason we slow is the spirit rather than the flesh that lets us down. Not being mentally tough enough to keep putting yourself through the pain of training to reach your peak.

I agree with Matt, personally I’ve found moving to the ultra world easier to train for than trying to keep to my marathon pb best. I still love my running but after 10 or more years of pushing myself in the pain box I decided years ago to slow down, smell the roses and go long. Start to try and enjoy the experience and surround myself with like minded people who run for the love of running, without the expectations of results. Of course running ultra marathons is still a painful experience but in a different way. I always equate pain management to a tap of running water. For a shorter distance the tap is fully open and you are in the pain box,  big time. The longer the distance the less the tap is open , finally ending up dripping for a 200 miler. The pain is there but it’s a slow feeling that builds over time,  where as with a 5k it’s on from the start !  You get the picture. I’m happy to take on events with ridiculous distances now, distances that I would have struggled to comprehend when the marathon was the Everest of running, now it’s not even a warm up.

So can I get back to sub 3 form, well we’ll find out in October as I have signed up for the Melbourne Marathon. Unfortunately I have a few races planned before Melbourne  starting with the Kep V2 Ultra this Saturday , a 100km ( https://kepultrav2.com.au/ ) . Then in June another 200 miler ( https://unreasonableeast200miler.com.au/ ), August it’s my favourite back yard ultra, ( https://birdysbackyardultra.com.au/ ) and the two weeks before the Melbourne marathon I get to run the inaugural Front yard ultra in Adelaide ( https://nttdfrontyard.com.au/ ) Am I being greedy, probably.  Is it good preparation , 100% not but I love competing and racing, as I said to Rob Donkersloot, him of Mind Focuse running ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) I’d rather race 10 times’ with mediocre performances than save myself for one or two races a year. At my age it’s about spending time with like minded people and the best way to do that is race.

So have I let myself down mentally and is this the wrong approach ? Depends on what your goal is of course. If I was still chasing marathon pb times then I am 100% going about it the wrong way but if my goal is to race as long,  and often,  as possible I’m doing what I need to do and truth be told enjoying it immensely. Best runner in the world, the one having the most fun. 

 

Matt Fitzgerald is an acclaimed endurance sports coach, nutritionist, and author. His many books include The Endurance Diet80/20 Running, and How Bad Do You Want It?

On January, 22, 2020, five days after thirty-eight year old Sara Hall set a new American record of 1:07:15 for the half marathon, Women’s Running magazine published an article titled “Sara Hall Shares 7 Keys to Her Longevity of Excellence.” For your convenience, I have copied the article’s section headings, which neatly summarize Hall’s secrets, and pasted them here:

“Immersing herself in the love of running”
“Being relentlessly resilient”
“Embracing imperfection”
“Trusting and adapting in training”
“Keeping the faith”
“Focusing on a full life”
“Turning disappointment into teaching moments”

 

There’s a lot of wisdom packed in these few phrases, but do they constitute a complete recipe for “longevity of excellence”? Of course not, as I’m sure Hall herself would agree. One additional nugget of advice I would offer to aging endurance athletes is this: Assume nothing. By this I mean that you must not assume you will slow down, or your training capacity will decrease, as you get older. Just keep chugging along as though you are immune to the laws of nature that affect other aging athletes and see what happens.

I first heard this advice many years ago from Dave Scott, the legendary six-time Ironman world champion. When Scott was twenty-eight he told his girlfriend Linda Buchanan that he wanted to be even fitter at forty than he was then. Well, he got his wish. In 1994, three months shy of his forty-first birthday, Scott narrowly missed winning a seventh Ironman title, finishing a close second to thirty-year-old Greg Welch. “I didn’t feel like there were any boundaries,” Scott told me years later. “I was constantly reminded of how old I was, but those comments went in one ear and out the other.”

Psychologists have demonstrated that expectations of all kinds tend to be self-fulfilling. It’s not surprising, then, that athletes like Dave Scott, who performs as well after forty as they did before, tend to share a defiant attitude toward the aging process. Some even talk about aging as an advantage. “The more you age, the more you’re getting stronger,” said twenty-seven-time world record-breaker Haile Gebrselassie at a press conference before the 2010 New York City Marathon, when he was officially thirty-seven years old but probably closer to forty-one. “I still feel like age of twenty.” Alas, Gebrselassie wound up DNF’ing the next day, but three years later he was still winning major races, including the Vienna Half Marathon.

Let’s be clear: Age is more than just a number. It is an inexorable biological process ending in death. Athletes who extend their peak performance years into their forties by virtue of high expectations are not defying the laws of nature. If it were not physically possible to set an American record at thirty-eight, Sara Hall would not have done so. In continuing to improve as they approach middle age, the Sara Halls of the world are merely exploiting a possibility that exists in all of us.

This was shown in a recent study by researchers at Germany’s Martin Luther University. The purpose of the study was to identify differences in how older and younger athletes tolerate and recover from high-intensity interval training. Two groups of twelve well-trained cyclists and triathletes, one with an average age of twenty-four and the other with an average age of forty-seven, completed a series of HIIT sessions. During and after each workout, a variety of physiological measurements were taken in an effort to assess how stressful the interval set was for the individual and how quickly the athlete recovered. For example, the researchers looked at the rate at which lactate was cleared from the bloodstream during recovery intervals. They found no differences between the two groups in any of these measurements, leading them to conclude (in language so bloodlessly scientific it’s almost self-parodying), “[I]t seems that the trainability of the organism is maintained.”

Findings like this one suggest that, for athletes over forty who experience a marked decline in performance, the flesh is willing, but the spirit is weak. This was certainly Dave Scott’s take, as he explained in the above-referenced conversation: “I think it comes back to how hungry you are in your workouts and how intense you are in your workouts. I coach regular folks. I have thirty-year-old’s, forty-year-old’s, fifty-year-old’s, sixty-year-old’s. . . The intensity of the workouts drops off as people age. They allow it to.”

I’m no Dave Scott or Haile Gebrselassie or Sara Hall, but I am living proof that mere mortals too can extend their peak performance years into their forties if they let the chatter about age go in one ear and out the other. Having raced my first Ironman at thirty-one, I completed my fastest Ironman at forty-eight. Having raced my first marathon at twenty-eight, I completed my fastest marathon at forty-six. And having raced my first 10K at twelve, I completed my fastest one at forty-nine. I repeat: Assume nothing!

 

Exciting news on the sponsorship front, Human Tecar  ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) have come aboard and will be providing me my favourite recovery products for the rest of the year . If you have not tried their spray and bandages then you are missing out. This stuff is magic and I’ll document my journey over the next 12 months.

Whether you’re hitting the parkrun or pushing through Kona, get the ultimate recovery on the back of over 25 years of experience in elite sports.

Thanks to ongoing collaborations with numerous universities and extensive investment in scientific research, Human Tecar® has fine-tuned two of its most effective functional products to make them available direct to the public.

Made in Italy and exclusive to Athleticus here in Australia, you can now access the same preparatory and recovery products that have been used by world-leading sports organisations, Olympians, professional athletes and health professionals.

So if you’re giving it your best, feel your best, with recovery products from Human Tecar®.

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Lighthorse Ultra 24 hours 2022.

The Lighthorse Ultra ( https://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) is one of my favorite events for a number of reasons. Firstly its for a fantastic cause namely supporting those who have served to protect. The Ultra Series give free entry to any past or present servicemen or women who have served,  which is bloody fantastic. Every year a few men and women from our armed forces come along and do the event in uniform some with backpacks, inspiring stuff. Next it’s a timed event so you’re racing for distance not time as such. This has the added bonus , or curse, of even standing still you are moving closer to the finish line, one second at a time. Next is the comradery of the event village which you pass through every two and half kilometres as well as seeing all the other runners on the loop. The number of runners changes during the event of course with the 24 hour runners starting at 3pm Saturday, the twelve hour runners starting at 3am Sunday morning, the 6 and 3  hour runners starting at 6am Sunday. So it starts quiet on Saturday afternoon, gets busy during the middle of the event and then dies down towards the final few hours.  Either way the event village is a hub of load music, great smelling food and people doing their thing,  be that sleeping, crewing or just bathing in the event.

Funnily enough the Lighthorse Ultra in 2019 was my first DNF , if you can actually DNF a timed event.  I had entered the 12 hour , as there was no 24 hour at the time, and found myself racing with Jon Pendse who would run a top 5 Australian distance of over 140km .  He totally cooked me and at around 30km I called it quits and scuttled off home,  a broken man. The next morning I ran a controlled 35km from my house not realising I could have gone back to the event, ran the same distance and picked up a nice shiny medal and a respectable middle of the pack total.  As it was my first timed event the concept was alien to me and I regret not staying for a nap in the car or returning the next morning.  No worries, I have returned the last three years , for the 24 hour event, and  podiumed every time. I learned from the experience and came back stronger and dealt with my demons. This is why I always say a DNF is so much better than a DNS as there is the opportunity to learn from you mistakes with a DNF.  My only two other DNF’s are now my favourite races also , the Delirious West 200 miler  ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) and the Feral Pig 100 Miler. ( https://feralpigultra.com.au/ ) Running is weird.

I nearly didn’t make the start line this year. My no2 Daughter, Charlotte, came down with suspected mastoiditis Friday evening and after a trip to the local hospital was kept in for the night with another night planned. So that was it, I asked Rob to inform the race director,  on Saturday morning,   I was a DNS and begrudgingly unpacked my bags and began planning my stay at home duties looking after my other two daughters, the two dogs and the two Guinea pigs. While also keeping abreast of the Charlotte situation of course.  Around midday my Wife called and told me the hospital was letting them out at 6pm that day so I was free to go and run around in circles for 24 hours. So I had just over two hours to repack my bag and get to the start line, no pressure. I made it with about half-an-hour to go thankfully and was ready for the Last Post, a very emotional part of the race.

 

Hurrying to get ready for check in. Late as always.

I managed to get a berth in the Mind Focused Running marquee ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) and take advantage of the racing guru that is Rob Donkersloot for crewing. Rob has a wealth of experience including crewing for Mick Thwaites when he podiumed at the Badwater Ultra, ( https://www.badwater.com/ ) which as the name suggests is probably the hardest ultra on the planet.  If you want to improve the mental side of your running Rob is the man and trust me ultra running is all mental. !

So we were ready, I had a crew I could trust, some training under my belt since Herdy’s frontyard and COVID and I was feeling happy to actually make the start line after the drama of the last 24 hours. As the name suggests the race is all about the running community paying their respects to the men and women who have served, or are serving,  our Country. Pre start there is a bugler who sounds the last post, a military tradition, the Last Post is the bugle call that signifies the end of the day’s activities. It is also sounded at military funerals to indicate that the soldier has gone to his final rest and at commemorative services such as ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day. It is very  emotional and certainly puts things in perspective, gives you a mental edge to tackle what is ahead of you knowing what our servicemen and women gave up so we would be able to life our live safely and comfortably.

Frank Kaesler read the last paragraph of the poem by Laurence Binyon, ‘For the Fallen’, an ANZAC day tradition and then we’re off, lap one, 3pm Saturday afternoon.

The two previous years I had ran 192km and 196km, always falling short of the 200km mark. This was down to me only having a moving time of sub 20 hours (thankyou Strava, remember  ‘Strava is life the rest is details’) , meaning I spent too long in the chair and not enough time running. Both these distances were good for a podium finish but the goal this time was entry into the elusive 200k club.  This is the main reason Rob was brought into the team. His experience would get me the goal I was coveting, albeit it would come at a price.

At 3pm Saturday the 80 or so 24 hour runners set off on lap 1, I needed to run 80 laps for 200km. At the start I sat towards the front of the pack and made sure I was relaxed keeping the heart rate and effort level down. The early stages are all about dialing in a pace you think you can maintain for long distances. There is no early race spurt for distance or even changes in pace throughout the event. If ever a race encapsulated the meme ‘the winner is the runner who slows the least‘ , this is it.  Slow and steady.

The two previous years I had tried to sleep between the 2am and 5am, the witching hours as I call them. These are the hours when the body expects sleep, it can survive without sleep outside these hours but the 2-5 period it really wants to sleep , thus the witching hours. In longer distance ultras, say a 200 miler, I always get a least 2 hours and normally three between these hours and feel so much better for it, I may push through if it’s the last day but normally I will always sleep in between this period. For a 24 hour race sleep really is a luxury and not needed and Rob was here to make sure I didn’t falter. To this end he left before dinner to make sure he was back to keep an eye on me from late evening to the finish. I will admit to having a sneaky 10 minutes while he was away knowing I would be limited when he returned. Unfortunately with the timing chip on my ankle he knew where I was at all times and could see , when I hadn’t moved for 10 minutes, I was in the chair.

 

First top change as it started to cool down as the sun left us on Saturday night.

The first few hours were unremarkable , running wise , which is what you need at the start of a 24 hour race. If you suffer in the first 6 hours you are in for a very long day at the office. Luckily Jon Pendse was not running as I have been in that situation before chasing Jon when he ran his Australian record pace, believe me it ain’t fun ! Anyhow I digress, today was a lot easier and as we transitioned into a top change, bye bye singlet,  as the temperature dropped and nightfall arrived I was feeling good.

I always find the first 50-90km of any race hard, be it a 200 miler , 100 miler or , in this case, a 24 hour race. After 90km I tend to get into a rhythm and you start to prepare mentally for the task ahead. This race was no different and I was allowed a 5 minute break at 60k and a 10 minute break at 85km. The 85km break was actually the 100km break early as I was suffering albeit Rob was not happy. At the time I was in the lead,  much to Mick Francis’s ( https://www.facebook.com/MickFrancisCoaching/ )  disgust that I was horizontal in my chair at the time. Mick, or Mighty Mick, as he is known in the West is an Ultra Running God and now coaches in his retirement. When Mick ran 24 hour races he never left the track , or sat down, unless he was changing his clothing. Albeit this was probably in the early 1920’s and things have changes since then.  Anyway I maintained my lead over Conor Quinn,  who was second last year running 200km and my main rival, as another great runner Andy Wait had encountered ankle trouble and slept , for longer than he wanted.  Third place was Neily Rae who was consistently lapping and would eventually finish with over 170km. He was running for his son Zane and did him proud, a gutsy run and a massive PB !

After 85km there was no rest for me really bar some food stops and changing clothing. Rob kept me on the straight and narrow and listened to my varied requests when I came round each lap and went about his business. If I needed Red Bull I would ask and then next lap it would appear, hot tea, pizza, orange juice  , my list of requests was long and varied but each time Rob delivered. I’m certainly no Phil Gore when it comes to preparation and prefer just to have a ‘Rob’ , a sort of real time Phil Gore. As I have said before a good crew is paramount to success in an Ultra.

 

Sunday sunrise, Adam got this great photo of me just before sunrise. Well he said it’s me ?

In an Ultra spanning over 24 hours or longer there are certain times that boost your moral and sunrise is one the the biggest. Once the sun rises the world as you know it changes dramatically. No longer are you staring at a small sphere of light ahead of you , continually moving towards darkness. A sunrise is so special but more so when you have been looking forward to it for hours and running continually though the night. Normally, well in Western Australia anyhow, there is the added benefit of heat which later during the day can become a hindrance to some.  With my Delirious West training I have now acclimatized to the heat and actually prefer it, the hotter the better. Sunday would heat up but I had my neck scarf, thankyou Margie Hadley, and my arm coolers, thankyou Rob Collins. With Rob filling these with ice each lap I was unaffected by the heat and ploughed on, always running (shuffling) forward.  As the image below shows I was now dressed in red for the finish and conditions were perfect. A beaut image captured by Marco Noe, a very talented photographer.

 

On Sunday it heated up , which is cool as I love the heat. Image Marco Noe

Sunday morning onwards was just about getting it done. I was ahead of target by about 7-8km’s at each of the turn arounds (the race changes direction every 3 hours) and had a good hour up my sleeve at the 12 hour mark.  Rob kept me honest and I made a conscious effort to never walk while on the loop. Throughout the event I ran the loop and managed to keep this going the whole 24 hours, this was key to my ultimate success.

There are 7 turn arounds (where you change direction) and I treat each of these as a mini goal, in ultras you need to break it down into manageable goals rather than just concentrate on the finish which could be days away. I learnt this from my first attempt at the Delirious West where I remember running for 17 hours and realising that I probably had over 80 hours to go. That sort of mentality is a guarantee recipe for failure. Instead I should have been thinking about the next aid station, a 15-20km target and then hop from one aid station to the next until,  voila, you’re home.  A lesson learned from a DNF is invaluable and its the main reason a DNF is so much more productive than a DNS.

Just keep moving forward. Image Marco Noe

Racing for the win stopped a few hours before the end when Conor pulled the pin at 185km, happy and comfortable to grab second place and a hour or two relaxing in the chair. Of course Rob had other ideas for me but it was a relieve knowing the win was in the bag and then I was just racing myself to get to 200km and beyond. The early afternoon warmed up but every lap Rob added ice to my neckerchief and arm coolers and this was enough that the heat wasn’t a factor. I struggled with nutrition towards the end but the job was done and I had enough fuel to canter to the finish.

Third time lucky, finally joining the 200 kilometre club, even had time for nearly three more laps.

I hit the 200km target with about 45 minutes left and I was then allowed 5 minutes rest in the chair, the first time since 85km which seemed a lifetime ago. I could have stopped at 200k but actually enjoyed running nearly another three laps, just falling short at 207km. Mission accomplished. Could I have achieved this total without Rob ? Probably not, there were some dark times throughout the event and times when the chair was so inviting, just 5 minutes or maybe a tad longer. Thinking back to my two previous attempts I had spent so much more time pontificating but, and there’s always a but, I probably found the constant running so much more testing than running less but faster. To race a 24 hour and grab a total over 200km you can’t , or shouldn’t rest, but there may be a balance where some rest can help improve the overall average pace and thus get the same end result?

 

A Scotsman , Irishman and Englishman, sandwiched between two Aussi Race Directors..  what a poduim. You could write a joke about it… ?

In the end the 24 hour runners set an Australian record for the largest number of runner to complete the 50km distance needed to be counted as an ultra in 24 hours. 76 runners completed the 50km or more and beat the old record, set by this event two years ago, by 19. Shaun Kaesler, the owner of the Ultras Series WA and SA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) , would have been so proud of this years record turnout and also running with his Family including his Wife Sarah who ran a great race for a top 5 finish in the ladies event.  Other notable runs were achieved by Mel Maisey who used some of her many, many volunteer credits and kept on going right to end to run a massive 60km, Gemma Gore who came so close to 100km on her first ultra, her longest run by over 70km, that is a serious PB! The second and third females are trained by Mick Francis and in the next tent to me so I saw them push themselves to massive totals, well done Cheri Savin and Ilze Roux. Jen Millum and Margie Hadley taking out the 24 and 12 hour events, these two just get the job done time and time again, pure ultra racing royalty. To me everybody who crosses the start line is a winner in this event, everybody, I may have already said that but it needs to be typed twice. I cannot express in words the feeling you get when you run the 24 hour event in the Lighthorse, you’ll just need to sign up next year and find out for yourselves, you won’t regret it but if you want some time in your chair best avoid Rob.

 

Fisciocrem works, helps tired muscles keep on trucking.

Couldn’t leave with a few tips for going long. Number one is fisiocrem, this stuff does exactly what it says it will do , namely rejuvenate your aching muscles  in the short term, i.e. for the event, be that a 24 hour or multi-day. I have used fisiocrem for 200 milers, 100 milers and any distance over 50km where I would have time to apply the creme. It certainly saved the day at the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) earlier in the year and didn’t let me down in the Lighthouse. A great product.

Great hydration, and great flavours.

Another great product is Bix Hydration tablets. The three flavours are great tasting but more importantly easy on the stomach, which is so good when you are drinking a lot. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/en-au ) The owner and founder of this range , Vlad Ixel, knows a thing or two about ultra running. ( check out his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCikqAT5S16931CQN_tC7EtQ )

 

It protects your nuts. Anti Chaffing.

To prevent chafing you need this product. It works. ( https://squirrelsnutbutter.com/ ) I can’t say too much more about this product. It helps you get to the finish line chafe free, which can be very, very important ! Actually forget can be, it is very important , as one who has suffered severe chafing in the never regions knows !

Right that it’s then. Never thought I was in the running for a win but will take it and,  at 55 years old,  not sure how many more I have coming my way  but if this is the last one then so be it.  I run these events to spend time with people I love, finishing at the pointy end is a privilege that I don’t take for granted and there were so many heroes on the course over the 24 hours, so many. In this event everybody is winner, everybody.

 

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