Two weeks post Feral Pig 100 miler I had another chance to pin a bib on my chest and race another ultra. This time with a tad less elevation, well actually no elevation. The concept for this event is simple but so brilliant. You start at 2am at the old Dunsborough boat ramp ( I assume there ‘s a new one somewhere?) and run 25 kilometres along the beach to Bussleton Jetty (Again I assume there’s only one as this is neither old or new?) , turn around and return to the start.  As the event is on sand you are at sea level continually, perfect , zero elevation.   The website explains the concept ( https://www.alongrunonthebeach.com.au/ )  and the two maps show the simplicity of the event. The race directions are pure brilliance, ‘First 25km , keep the water on your left. Next 25km, keep the water on your right’   To make a good event better the race director schedules the event around the full moon so for 2024 there has been two events, one in February and this one in November. (Next year I think the event is planned for December 5th?)  The full moon is the icing on the cake, it gives the event it’s 11 status on the Spinal Tap rating. (When you know, you know.)

So how had the legs recovered from the Feral pig a few weeks earlier ? I took a whole week off running post Feral as I even found walking tough. My quads seized solid towards the end of Feral , just before the 36km death loop, and they took just about a week to recover enough that I could even thinking about running. As you can see from my Strava extract ( You are on Strava right?  https://www.strava.com/  ) for the period once my legs did recover I was able to get a few runs in pre-event.   Maybe the double days early in the week was a tad over zealous but as my good mate Dave Kennedy says ‘you don’t taper for an ultra‘, not sure there’s any evidence for Dave’s claim?

It was good to see so many WA runners embracing this event and especially good to see Matt and Chris at the start line. Chris had also ran Feral two weeks prior and was originally running in a duo but his running partner broke her wrist at Feral so he stepped up for the full event. Matt is an ultra running machine and he’s finished Delirious many times as well as quick Feral times over the years, he’d also ran this event in February this year so would complete the Sandman twice on one year, a rarity due to the timing of the full moon and the congested racing calendar win WA these days.

Finally a massive shout out to Vici Richardson returning from a long injury lay off to take out the female win, and also kick my ass by five minutes, being part of the Yelo running crew it also means she buys coffee on Thursday morning.  Beautiful trophy. Well done Vici.

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Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow me on

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

Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I run back and forth to work every day

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

I don’t just run – I cross-train too

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

Listening to your body can stop you from getting injured

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

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

I paced it off intuition

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

For the first three days, I didn’t sleep

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

I felt I could go on forever

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

Being vegan means I can eat massive amounts of food

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

Self-belief plays an important role

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

I was just willing to go as long as it took

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

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

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

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

In long-distance running, you need to be patient

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

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

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

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

Backyard Ultra’s

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

Herdys 2021

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

Herdys 2022

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

Herdy’s 2023

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

Herdys 2024

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

Birdys 2020

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

Birdys 2021

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

Birdys 2022

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

Hysterical Carnage 2021

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

Hysterical Carnage 2022

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

No time to die 2022

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

Follow me on

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

Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

Follow me on

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

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

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

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

Backyard Ultra’s

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

Herdys 2021

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

Herdys 2022

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

Herdy’s 2023

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

Herdys 2024

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

Birdys 2020

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

Birdys 2021

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

Birdys 2022

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

Hysterical Carnage 2021

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

Hysterical Carnage 2022

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

No time to die 2022

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

Follow me on

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

Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

Follow me on

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

Post #3 left us eating a steak supper at Peaceful Bay caravan park and preparing for the next hop to Boat Harbour, a 18km leg. First thing was a jet ski ride over the inlet. Check out the video, pretty cool. The tide was rushing in when me and Simon got to the inlet and there would have been no way we’d make it across without help.  Funnily enough later in the event ,when the tide was out, you could have walked across easily, and they crew were pulling runners across on SUP’s.

We left the Peaceful Bay  on Thursday night with the plan to get to Parry Beach for a few hours sleep early Friday morning. We reckon we’d make it to Parry’s about 3am, unfortunately we were a tad optimistic. The trail to Boat Harbour was testing mainly due to sleep depravation and by the time we finally reached Boat Harbour both of us needed sleep. Luckily Heath and Simone, the two legends that had previously looked after us on Wednesday at Pingerup, let us use their reclining chairs and threw a couple of blankets over us and put us behind their car for some well needed shut-eye.

I remember hearing Jen Millum and Alexis Oosterhoff,  a couple of the lead 100km runners,  come in and was listening to their conversation as I drifted off.  The next voice I head was Frank Chauveau’s , who would become the oldest runner to complete any USWA events at over 70, anyhow I assumed he was with Jen and Alexis , not realising I had slept for thirty minutes or longer. I remember telling Mark Frank was running in the top five with Jen and Alexis and Mark looking at me like I was mad. I really was very sleep deprived at this state in the game, thinking Frank was challenging for top spot in the 100km race.

Its incredible what a few minutes sleep can do for your mental and physical well being. Never underestimate a dirt nap or in this case the luxury of a recliner and a warm blanket. It felt like a few minutes but we must have slept for at least thirty minutes. Once we woke we were treated to a risotto and a sweet tea, life was good and we felt a million dollars.  It doesn’t take much to boost the spirits this far into the event but you need to also be wary of the opposite happening and the downward spiral is always there waiting for an excuse to start unravelling your race.  Experience teaches you when to stop , recharge and reset before continuing on, in these events its also about sleep depravation and fatigue management, as well as the issues with hydration and nutrition, a juggling act really.

Post Boat Harbour it was a 10km or so leg to Parry beach and swag time. The plan to get there before sunrise evaporated after our power nap but Si and I felt so much better for the sleep.  We eventually made Parry’s and yet again I stumbled into my swag and into a deep sleep oblivious to the surroundings.  Parry’s beach is a great little spot and I always enjoy this part of the course, it was still early morning so it wasn’t that warm. I set off with Simon and his pacer Tim and the three of us were in good spirits but the ‘niggle‘ behind my knee was still there and over time it started to become an issue.

Tim was setting a good pace and after an hour or so I had to let the lads go, I was ok uphill but couldn’t keep up downhill so decided to motor on alone. I kept the two of them in sight and over time caught them again and we eventually staggered into Monkey Rocks aid station together.

From Parry’s to Monkey Rocks you hug the coastline before venturing off into trails and then back to the coastline for some seriously good beach views, albeit I’ve never stopped to really enjoy them bar a quick photo or two.  Next year I packing the budgies and I will be taking advantage of the opportunity to enjoy some of the best beaches in Western Australia.

Monkey Rocks aid station and Mark had yet again delivered, best spot available in the shade.  Shade is a premium and Mark is an expert at waiting and watching, when a space becomes available he’s like a cobra and strikes in his Audi Q5 ! The BCF Wanderer recliner was ready and the foot bath prepared as well as my go to fuel energy drink Brownes Mocha Chill, 600ml of goodness.

Having too much food and drink at Monkey Rocks cost me my race partner for the event, Simon. I let him go early on in the climb as I was protecting my toes which were so sensitive and climbing on rocks was probably the last place I needed to be at the time. If I stubbed my foot on a rock I literally went through the roof, incredibly painful. I hobbled up and down Monkey Rocks and then staggered into the Denmark section feeling very sorry for myself.  There is a shuttle that leaves Denmark aid station on the hour, every hour,  for a twenty minute or so ride to the next part of the bib. I missed one by a matter of minutes but had decided that a better option was to take the full hour allotted me and have a shower, change of clothes and try and get some food inside me. I ended up on the shuttle alone which meant I would be alone at the other end to continue my journey to the finish, not ideal with night fast approaching.

The ‘niggle‘ which had been bothering me for most of the day was still an issue.  Original I thought it might be a hamstring tear as the back of me knee was bruised but looking back I think it was a bakers cyst.  The medic checked me out as I think they were worried it may have been a DVT injury which then can become a blood clot. I convinced the medic this was not the case and they went for heat stroke, either way I was allowed to carry on but was hindered by this for the rest of the event.

I wasn’t running that well post Denmark, it was getting late and I wasn’t that excited about another night alone , knowing what was ahead. There was lots of walk break but eventually I got into a rhythm and started to speed up. This section to Lowlands is quite non-descript. It’s trail but not that scenic, you really want to be back on the beach. It’s also a good distance, over 20km and company really helps. As the sunset I was really starting to up the pace and I harboured thoughts of catching Simon and Tim.  This is came to a grinding half when I went to put on my head torch and found the freshly charged battery but no head torch. We have to carry two head torches as mandatory gear and this saved my bacon, sorry for the vegan readers, albeit my secondary headtorch is secondary for a reason. Something as small as this can quickly derail you and I must admit sitting on the trail , alone, with darkness fast approaching I was not in a good place. The only saving grace was I was over halfway to the next aid station and I knew there’d be a steak supper waiting for me.

Coming into Lowlands it was time for more hallucinations.  I convinced myself I saw Mark waiting for me at the top of a hill that wasn’t there and also a caravan type structure with people inside also a figment of my imagination.  The mind plays some funny games when you deprive it of sleep.

I was running well but worried about the bakers cyst (we’ll assume that’s what it was.), it did restrict me but positive thinking got me to Lowlands where I was able to vent my frustration at Mark for the headtorch cock-up. This was quickly forgotten once the steak turned up but I made a mistake, with hindsight, by sitting too long and enjoying my meal.  I should have ran through , after first picking up some snacks, and caught Simon and Tim.  As it was I left Lowlands with a full stomach and all the momentum coming into the aid station gone.  I was alone and moving very slowly, checking my watch endlessly and seeing no movement.

At one point I just sat down on the side of the trail turned off my head torch and lay there, totally alone and mentally broken.  The lead female runner was behind me and I decided to just wait for her albeit she would have got a shock seeing me laying on the side of the trail in the dark. Eventually I gave up waiting for her, got back to my feet and staggered onwards.  I was eventually caught not by the lead female but Alexis , a 100 mile runner, who had suffered in the heat and decided to run the race in the dark and sleep in the day. (I call it the vampire strategy) He saved me big time and together we ran to Shelly’s beach, another aid station where my crew couldn’t get to.

Last year at Shelly’s there was no one there as the event had some issues with manning and I wasn’t expecting anything this year. I was totally surprised to see the best setup I think I’ve ever seen at any event, a massive gazebo with four of five runner already in their chairs. We all grabbed doona’s and blankets and before we knew it all five of us were asleep. It was so surreal, just magical. We were all dog tired and we could hear the waves and they were so close you felt they’d come through the tent at any moment. Once the volunteers turned down the lights the waves just swept us off into dreamland. Incredible and I had to be woken two hours later as I was in such a deep sleep. This was my last sleep for the event and it was a good one. One of those moments you never forget, so good.

Alexis hadn’t even stopped at Shelly’s , albeit he’d be sleeping all day, as vampires do I suppose? When I woke the other four runners had already gone and it was me, myself I again on the short hop to Cosy Corner. This section was extremely runnable and I passed the four 100 mile runners and kept ahead of Tex and his daughter albeit I couldn’t drop them as whenever I added pace my ‘niggle’ reminded me it was still there.  I did manage to get to Cosy Corner before the rush and plonked myself next to the food table where Mark got to work. A few minutes later it was like Paddington Station at rush hour, runners everywhere.

One runner had left his phone at Shelly’s which was a big issue as he couldn’t carry on until he was reunited with his phone. It’s part of the mandatory gear so his Wife had to drive to Shelly’s aid station to pick up his phone and then drive to Cosy Corner to deliver it.  Not sure if this was a deliberate act as he was forced to take a power nap after a few bacon and egg rolls, poor guy, while his mates soldiered on.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )

https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.

Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

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

At the end of Delirious West post #2 I had just arrived at Mount Clare at some ungodly hour and a lot later than first envisaged.  I remember it was still dark so I’d say around three in the morning or just later. The Mandalay to Mount Clare section is , in my view, the hardest part of the whole event as you are attempting on very tired legs and the terrain and elevation just beat the crap out of you. I stumbled into my swag and was asleep before my head hit the pillow. Sleeping in a swag is so cool albeit I must admit I’ve always been so goosed I find falling asleep easy , I’d probably say the same thing about sleeping in a jet engine in my state most of Delirious. !

After what felt like five minutes,  but Mark assures me was longer,  I was back up and raring to go, well raring for some weetbix and a cup of sweet tea which Mark dutifully provided. A change of clothes and it was up for the next stage , a small 10km hop to Walpole with some nice running terrain and some down hill as you run off Mount Clare.  The only benefit of running up Mount Clare is running off Mount Clare the following morning. You really feel a million dollars compared to the previous night where sometimes you question if you are actually moving forward ? Running into Walpole  with the sunrise greeting you is a special time and you also know the next two sections after that, Tingle Tree and Tree Tops, although challenging are shaded and very pretty. I say pretty in the broadest sense of the word of course, at the time I’m not sure I’m that overly excited as its another climb of course but avoiding direct sunlight is a big bonus. The distance between Mount Clare , Walpole and then Tingle Tree is about 10km or less so you get to see your crew a couple of times before a big hop to Tree tops and the halfway point.  I’ve always enjoyed this section of the course and getting to Tree Tops is a big mental boost, you know the next half of the event is a lot more scenic with some great beach sections mixed with some runnable sections.

Walpole is a sleep station and has great showers but I was keen to keep moving having only woke up an hour or two earlier. I was in and out in a matter of minutes and heading toward Tingle Tree, another small hop. There is some elevation after a flat start but it was good to be out of the sun and as I said earlier it’s a very beautiful place to be.  I had Simon ahead of me as he had passed me while I slept at Mount Clare, if you remember he was behind me at Mandalay and Mark wouldn’t let me wait.  I was still hanging onto a podium place with Aaron and Simon ahead of me.

I stumbled up towards Tingle Tree and I had my first hallucination as I neared the aid station. Ahead of me I saw Simon taking a photo of Tingle Tree and called out to him. As I neared the Tree I couldn’t see him, a quick walk around confirmed he wasn’t there.  I’m always amazed what the mind can make you see. No worries, I laughed it off and continued on my merry way making the aid station minutes later.

Tingle Tree aid station is on the side of the road and unfortunately  there was little or no shade. Dave and Bella Kennedy had set up the aid station but I had Mark there so was well looked after. The heat and flies started to become annoying so after another quick stop I was off in pursuit of Simon who had left minutes before I arrived.  It would had been good to have some company as I had been alone since before Mandalay and there’s only so many Taylor Swift songs you can listen to ?

Funny thing was I actually ran past Simon as he was grabbing some sleep at one of the huts along the way to Tree Tops. I stopped for some water and a ‘trail shower’ under the tap and then continued on my way towards Tree tops, with Taylor Swift at full blast egging me on. I thought I saw someone but assumed it was a hiker taking refuge in the hut, infact it was Simon.  He had heard me but not been quick enough to catch me. He did eventually catch me but that was a few hours later as we both reached Tree tops together. We were both very happy to see the Tree tops aid station and gorged ourselves on bacon and egg rolls, sweets and various drinks. The ladies at this aid station were brilliant and we were also lucky enough to have a coffee van so we had quality coffee on tap. It really does not get any better.  Halfway eating bacon and eggs rolls with quality coffee, we were in ultra heaven.

As part of the Delirious West 200 miler ( and the 100 miler) you walk the Tree Tops walk. Its an incredible structure high above the ground, as the name suggest you are walking in the tree top’s and it is very high.  Incredible views.

Simon left Tree Tops first and I caught up with him pretty quickly. I’d forgotten about some elevation coming out of Tree Tops and the route wasn’t as downhill as I remembered it but we kept moving forward with the thought of time with Charles and Mark at Conspicuous Cliffs and then some time on the beach.  It was warm but nothing compared to the previous two days or I don’t remember being that hot. I suppose we’d avoided the hottest part of the day climbing from Walpole to Tree Tops.

The trail from Conspicuous Cliffs to Peaceful Bay are very good, great scenery and a smattering of sand making running enjoyable, without the constant stepping on some parts of the trail. This is then interspersed with beach time and you get to run some great little coves with spectacular colours as the sun disappears over the horizon.

Finally we made it to Peaceful Bay where Mark prepared his famous steak and onions supper. I’m not sure if his cooking is getting better or I’m just more hungry ever time I eat it but it tasted incredible. He even had one for Simon who also commented it was a great feed.  It made running 134km to get there seem reasonable for the food. Luckily Mark had brought enough for another steak dinner the next night and yet again it tasted even better. The man is the Gordon Ramsey of the ultra crewing world.

Right that’s enough for post #3, over half way but a lot more to write about….

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )

https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.

Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

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

We hit the first aid station as the lead group or close, I think Phil Fowler and the ‘Malaysian Missile‘ Andrew Farmers were ahead of us at this point.  The first aid station is a good distance, about 25km , and no crew are allowed so I would not get to see Mark until Chesapeake East around the marathon mark.  We didn’t stay long, a couple of biscuits, fill the water bottles and bladder, cup of sweet tea and we were away. Lots of smiles , it was early in the day.

Video coming into aid station one Chesapeake West.

I always find day one the hardest at Delirious and a lot of runners DNF late in the day, close to Mandalay or Mount Clare. I always feel they’d be better off taking a few hours rest and then restarting the assault at sunrise the next morning. It’s incredible the difference sunrise makes, it reinvigorates you. I know a lot of runners push through and basically run themselves into exhaustion. I will mention to Shaun , the RD, that maybe next year make Broke Inlet and Mandalay sleep stations, or at least provide a couple of camp beds to give the back markers the option for some well needed rest.  The first sleep station is at Walpole around 140km and I’ve never made it that far and I’m normally in the top half of the field. When I hit Mount Clare I’m exhausted and always stumble into my swag and a deep sleep albeit only for a couple of hours before starting again at sunrise. It’s only a quick 10km to Walpole where I’ll either have a shower or go straight past and start toward the half way mark at Tree Tops.

The early part of day one is good trails mixed with some sand running , shade and open sections. A good mix and the heat is turned down as you’re still running in the early morning. From the start to the first aid station it was humid but not uncomfortable.  Early on a bit of sand but no real elevation to talk about, a good start to the event. The event gets better day by day and the first day is just a head down and get to the end type activity in my view.

Day one has some good runnable sections which is more than can be said for later in the event. You can also find some good shade pre-Dog Road aid station which offers some protection. Unfortunately post Dog Road aid station to Pingerup aid station (around 16km in the heat of the day) is open and you basically cook. This year was hotter than normal with temperatures reaching 41c , unusual for this part of the world. I took as much ice as I could at Dog Road aid station and devoured about five slushies. (icy poles), helping to keep the core temperature down albeit briefly. It was then a case of running in Sahara Desert  like conditions, albeit probably hotter,  for the next two hours before the oasis that is the Pingerup aid station.

I did have a moment of clarity on the way to Pingerup, shown in this video below.  I may have bee a tad Delirious but you get the point.. I think?

I fell three  during Delirious, the first time before we’d even got to one kilometre and  the second time post Dog Road, can’t remember exactly where the third tumble was but I remember it was another soft landing luckily. The post Dog Road fall was more a slide on soft sand but it had dirt beneath it so it looked like I had buried myself in dirt when I got into Broke Inlet aid station. Falling in this race is part of the experience, if you run for nearly four days on trails , fatigued, eventually the ground comes calling. A good trail runner knows how to fall, it’s all about going with gravity and rolling away. Saying that I have various wounds on my arms and legs from failing this over the years but for 2024 I consider three unscheduled trips a good outcome.  My good friend Marty hurt his knee coming into Broke Inlet and basically walked the rest of the way to the finish. That my friends is pretty bloody hardcore. Supported by his partner Kat and crew, Dangerous Dave, he finished in just over 100 hours, incredible effort. Delirious lets to see who you really are and what you are made off, Marty is made of steel and grit !

After Pingerup there is a nice trail before you hit Broke Inlet aid station around 16km later, good for 90km total. You’re normally racing the sunset and the challenge is to get to the aid station and have dinner in daylight. This year I made it and enjoyed Mark’s spaghetti bolognaise while waiting for Simon to come in and run the next section, to Mandalay, with company.

As you can see from the image below the scenary is spectacular and it’s always really quiet with just the local birdlife breaking the silence of the day, quite magical. I always enjoy this part of the day and this part of the course, you have the cooler temperatures and there never seems to be any wind, totally still.  You end up reflecting on the day and preparing for dinner and the cocoon of the headtorch.

Astrid Volzke was at Broke Inlet and captured some awesome images , so talented. As you can see I’m pretty ‘goosed‘ by the time I arrive at Broke Inlet. It had been a long hard day at the office in sweltering conditions. I was looking forward to dinner, a foot bath and some well earned ‘chair time’.  Mark ushered me to our spot behind the aid station. With Mark’s experience we always score the best spots and today was no different, he is a crewing black belt.

Off came the shoes to admire the damage of the day. Coming into this event I had lost most of my toe nails so was only concerned with blisters, so far nothing to report albeit they didn’t look the prettiest pair of feet.  I’d seen a few runners tape up the front of the Altra Olympus 5 trail shoes to stop the sand but I don’t have issues normally and just empty them if I feel a build up of foreign material . I wear gators but with the breathable fabric on the Altras they are pretty useless. On the bright side if you get them wet they dry very quickly.

Sitting down at Broke Inlet aid station I was knackered, the day had been brutal due to the extreme heat and I had probably ran too quick for the conditions. I think at this time I was top three which was unusual for me as I normally start slower and build into the event.  I think in the image below I am contemplating the next two jumps between aid stations. A twenty kilometre hop to Mandalay and then another plus twenty kilometre stretch to Mount Clare. I know from experience this marathon distance would take 6-8 hours as I already had over 90km, over 12 hours,  in the legs of hard running in extreme conditions. It was going to be a grind and I was right, even Mark’s spaghetti bolognaise couldn’t cheer me up.

What did cheer me up was a warm foot bath after dinner after the image below shows. That is me after a great cup of sweet tea and dinner, what a difference good crewing makes to a runner.

Post Broke Inlet Simon and I stumbled off into the night and headed towards Mandalay. I had brought a coupe of audible books for the night running as you tend to lose yourself in the cocoon headtorch light and a decent book can make the time, and distance, disappear faster. Unfortunately for me I’d made the rookie error of not downloading either book and with no internet access for many hours I was reduced to listening to past downloaded books. It was time to go back to an old favourite of mine, Green Light by Matthew McConaughey. I’d listened to the whole book while I’d ran the Unreasonable East in June 2022 but it was so good a second listen was no issue, albeit you know what’s coming of course.

Funnily enough I was a bit disoriented starting the Mandalay leg and felt myself leaning to my left and having to right myself before repeating the whole process. I suspected vertigo but as I’d never had this issue before I wasn’t sure. In the end I decided I was just fatigued, under hydrated  and cooked from the days adventures and just tried to concentrate on staying upright. Simon seemed to be suffering the same problem and was wobbling all over the track in front of me. This continued until he announced he needed a dirt nap as he had experienced this in previous races, I was ok to continue so agreed to meet him in Mandalay.

Coming into Mandalay later than planned and still in a podium position. Simon was quite a way behind and Phil came in but wanted to sleep so I was pushed out of the aid station onto the beach alone. This was not ideal. Mandalay  to Mount Clare is the worst leg of the whole event, in my view,  due to the elevation, terrain and you’re attempting it at your lowest ebb.  I wanted to wait for Simon but Mark insisted I go on, sometimes having a crew can be a curse. It didn’t let me down and this leg was as bad as I had remembered from previous years albeit I had never ran it alone before.  Don’t get me wrong I enjoy the peace and solitude of night running alone but I also enjoy company, it does make time and distance disappear quicker.

There’s a small section of beach before you take a left and head back onto the trail and towards Mount Clare. Next year I’m determined to run this fresh rather than moving  like an extra from the ‘walking dead’, I just need to persuade Mark to set up the swag and let me sleep?

Mandalay beach to Mount Clare tested me and distance dragged while time sped up, how does that happen ? I’d planned to reach Mount Clare by 2am but was looking like 3am would be more likely , or later. The terrain is brutal with many climbs and stairs that go on for ever, stairway to heaven on steroids.  The legs were also starting to complain, funny that, and I was going through fisiocrem quickly. If you’ve never used fisiocrem in events you need to start, it just does what it says on the tube, reinvigorates tired muscles. I have started using fisiocrem after every run and it had made a big difference in my recovery, incredible product.  ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ )

The suspension bridge is a sign the final climb is about to start and it is a serious assault. Incredibly steep but thankfully pretty short, all things being relative. You then have a kilometre or two of road before you stumble into the aid station and fall into your swag for a well earned two hours sleep. Trust me, that swag feels like a five star hotel and you’re asleep before your head  touches the pillow, it’s an incredible feeling.

Right, that’s post#2 done and we’re only into day two, this blog may take longer than the race itself…

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )

https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.

Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

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

So off we go again, Delirious West 2024.   Absolutely stoked to be back running this beast of a 200 miler supported by the best crew in WA, maybe Australia, Mark Lommers.. As is tradition Mark drove the trusty Audi Q5 and early Monday afternoon off we drove , Pemberton here we come. This was Mark’s third time supporting me and he now knows what I need before I do. He is calm under pressure, never flustered and a pleasure to be around, the shining light when you are in a very dark place. He also cooks a mean spaghetti bolognaise and an incredible steak, with onions. The boy can run  a bit too and continually pushes the boundaries of pace and beer competing, and dominating, the bogan run.

We drive down Monday and stay in the Pemberton area so we can climb the Gloucester tree. Unfortunately this year it was closed so we decided on a long breakfast instead. Shannon Dale organised the gathering and before we knew it it turned into a mass event full of nervous and excited runners. So much fun and so much laughter. That’s the point of Tuesday, just meeting your fellow runners, checking in, bogan run , pub meal and an early night. It is a great day and never disappoints. So many stories which are added to ever year, Delirious is the event that just keeps growing.

After a very long breakfast it was back to the hotel to pick up our gear and head to Northcliffe for the final check-in, bogan run and the race briefing over dinner. Again its so cool to get together, check in , see old friends and make new ones. Then watch the bogan run, the run that stops a small town before gorging on quality tukka while listening to the race briefing.

I did make silly error Tuesday afternoon post breakfast. Jumping in the pool after breakfast I forgot my sunscreen and paid the price that evening and beyond. I was fried like a Mars Bar in a Scottish fish shop, silly boy. As you can see from the image above my head is starting to glow!

Unfortunately this year Warwick Crapper got lost and failed to win the bogan year albeit I feel his chances are getting slimmer each year as the race organisers seem to find a way to derail him. Luckily he takes it all in his stride and concentrates on the alcohol intake rather than finishing times. He informed me he’d be back for a fourth attempt next year.

After the race briefing on Tuesday evening I drove Mark (and Warwick) back to Pemberton and started the last minute preparation for the main event.  Truth be told after four years I have my game plan pretty much sorted but you can always find an excuse to pack and then repack ‘stuff’ the night before, it’s a running thing.

There are many traditions when it comes to Delirious and one of my favorites is the waffles on race morning, served up by Duncan and his wonderful team at the Nortcliffe hotel. I figure before a 200 miler you really can eat what you like, doesn’t matter how many calories you digest you’ll use more when you’re running for the whole day. My logic is probably flawed as I’m pretty sure I put on weight over the event but you can’t muck about with traditions.

Post waffles I scuttled off to the start, Wednesday 7am and it was on like donkey Kong. Christmas for an Ultra runner.  The event didn’t get off to a great start with the new generator giving up the ghost before it could erect the starting arch. If this was the worse thing to befall the event I’d be stoked.

Right here we go , video one, day one.

I went hard on the first day settling into the lead group and just enjoying the banter albeit always wary of what was ahead. I was surrounded by good friends and loving the journey although the heat was starting to become challenging and moving forward I knew I would drop off this pace later in the day

It was good to run with a small group albeit Tristan jumped off the back before Dog Road aid station and Simon and Aaron left me at Dog Road so I was alone at 50km, so be it. In a race this long you need to run at your pace and this can fluctuate by the minute, hour or day. I’d bump into Simon again and we’d leap frog each other for most of the fist three days.

Right, that’s enough for post #1, there will be a few more. A race report for Delirious is the like the main event, it can take days to finish !

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )

https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.

Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )

Feel free to follow me on Strava.

Follow me on

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

After last weekends 24 park run in 24 hours  ( post here :- https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/01/15/running-in-a-furnace-for-a-great-cause-24-park-runs-in-24-hours/ ) what better way to prepare for the Delirious West 200 miler in a few weeks ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/  ) then another ultra, this time on tired legs.  I have ran the Australia Day Ultra three times in the past , the 50km option the first time (2016) and then two 100km events. (2017-18)

The first time I ran the 100km Rob Donkersloot produced a video on the event ; worth a look …

Looking back at this video its funny to think of where I am now compared to then. In the video I was still a marathon runner chasing the elusive sub 2 hour 40 minutes marathon time, where as now I’m an ultra runner,  100%.  In the back of my mind I had  visions of taking the 55-60 AURA age group record , to go with my 50-55 time set in 2018,  but knew this would be a big ask after the previous weekends racing.  More important was just finishing and using this as my last long run before the big dance in a few weeks at Delirious.

I couldn’t persuade any of the usual suspects to come along so had to drive myself the two hours to the start, leaving Perth at 8pm to arrive at Australind just after 10pm to pick up my bib, chat to the Race Directors, Ron McGlynn and Chris Lark, and move my gear to the middle aid station where the lovely Charlotte would look after me. I was also lucky enough to have Mick Francis and his partner Val there to give me a hand. Being a 6.25k out and back loop meant that having my gear at the middle aid station I was only ever a maximum of just over six  kilometres from it. My plan was to run through the start aid station and also the one at the far end and just use the middle one.  I had adopted this strategy on the three previous times I ran the course and it worked a treat albeit I tended to stop at the aid station both ways when initially I intended to only stop one way.  If I’m going to break the age group record I’ll need to work on my aid station strategy and employ a dedicated crew with a plan, release the inner ‘Phil Gore’. 

The race kicks off five minutes into Saturday morning in an attempt to avoid runners turning up Saturday night for a Sunday morning event, this has happened a few times and is always a risk with a midnight start.  There wasn’t a big field this year and truth be told since the race decoupled itself from the the Ultra Series WA umbrella numbers have dropped.  The 100k ( eight laps of a 6.25k out and back loop) and 75k (six laps) runners started first with the 50k ( four laps) starting at 3am and the 25k (two laps) starting at 6am.

It was fairly quiet for the first three hours and I put on Spotify and Taylor Swift to keep me company.  Laps one and two were reasonable enough although I wasn’t hitting the pace I needed for the age group record so put that one to bed early.  I had talked about cruising through the night at less than 5 min/k pace , banking time in the cool evening conditions, this didn’t happen.  I wasn’t surprising really and I turned my attention to plan B, enjoy the event and finish strong.

Lap three and four and the wheels started to fall off. The 50k runners joined us but were running far too quick and just added to the feeling of slowing down. At one point I talked myself into finishing at 50k and ticking the ‘last long run‘ before Delirious box without doing too much damage to my legs. With this in mind I finished lap four (50k) but then had a change of heart, if I could make sunrise and maybe score a cup of sweet tea there was a chance. I also think a couple of No Doz tablets , combined with a  paracetamol tablet or two, also helped, don’t judge me.

Running past the middle aid station I put in my request and Charlotte managed to find some sugar in the bottom of her bag and produce a perfect cup of sweet tea. I covered my legs in fisocrem (this stuff is magic ! https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) , downed a yoghurt pouch and with the sun peaking over the horizon started to feel so much better.  Laps five and six I maintained a reasonable pace but around 75k I started to up the tempo. With all ultra marathons you have good times and bad times. With bad times you know the good times will eventually turn up and visa-versa. It’s weird but at 75k into the event I felt better than the first kilometre, this is ultra running.

I was comfortably in third place at the end of lap six but noticed the runner in second was coming back to me. My pace had improved to less than 5min/k and I started to reel him in. By the start of lap seven he only had a few hundred metres on me and before the end of that lap I had moved into second place. I’m putting down my fast finish to all the hours spent on my treadmill in the sauna that is a Perth summer. Recovering from a hamstring tear in October I had spent a lot of time walking and running on a 15% incline while listening to podcasts.  I really believe this helped me improve my fitness when I started to combine these garage sessions with my normal running. Anyhow whatever the reason I finished like a train for a good negative split, going out in 4hours 51 minutes and coming back in 4hours 42 minutes; total time 9 hours 34 minutes, good for second position.

I was presented with my merchandise and medal with a small trophy for second place by the Race Directors as I crossed the line, this it seems was the presentation. As I said earlier a real grass roots event, nothing fancy, a coupe of timing mats, few aid stations, eager volunteers  and that’s about it.  The event just works and I’m really looking forward to going back in 2025 and smashing that AURA 55-60 age group record, why wouldn’t you ? For anybody chasing an ultra PB this could be the event for you. Flat as a pancake and the midnight start avoids most of the heat of the Perth summer albeit humidity can play a part. Next year Ron is adding a 12.5k option ( two laps) to try and entice park runners into the fray and start down the slippery slope that is ultra running.

Finally a quick shout out to the products that have helped me on my running journey lately.  Fisiocrem and Humantecar are incredible products that help massively with recovery or preparation. Both products just work and I used fisiocrem on the run and humantecar bandages post run.  I was back running on Monday afternoon with a spring in my step, ready for another week of training. This would have been impossble without these products.

Bix hydration products kept me fueled and again without Bix I would have struggled. It is my go to product for all hydration while on the run and also recovering. Fractel headgear, T8 clothing , Coros watches, Osprey products , altra footwear (although for this event I used Hoka Mach X road shoes) and shokz ; thankyou.

Right that’s it for a few weeks. I have a quiet week and then one final push before the Delirious West 200 miler kicking off February 7th in sunny Northcliffe. To say I’m excited is an understatement.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )

https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.

Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! .  ( https://coros.net.au/ )

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