Ultra Marathons
I am lucky enough to live in Western Australia where thanks to Shaun Kaesler and his Ultra Series WA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) there is a smorgasbord of ultra races. When I first came to Australia and Perth there was really just two options , the Bunbury 50k and the 40 Miler. Both of these events had small fields and everybodies, including my own, main focus was the marathon or shorter races. Over time some other great races came along including the iconic Kep 175/100k ( http://kepultra.com/ ) and the Australia Day Ultra ( https://australiadayultra.com/ ) but until Shaun and hos band of merry helpers burst onto the scene ultra running in WA was an afterthought.
This all changed when Shaun put together his Ultra Series and since then more and more races have been added to the calendar culminating in the big daddy of them all the Delirious West 200 Miler ( https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) Then the icing on the cake has been the Triple Crown Down Under , three 200 milers spread throughout Australia similar to the American version ( The Big foot 200, the Tahoe 200 and the Moab 240) . In Australia we would be offered the Delirious West , the Unreasonable East ( https://unreasonableeast200miler.com.au/ ) and the Irrational South. ( https://irrationalsouth200miler.com.au/ ) These would need to completed in less than 14 weeks , starting with Delirious in February, Irrational in April and Unreasonable in June, no mean feat. I had planned to complete the inaugural triple crown after finishing Delirious in February but catching COVID two weeks out from Irrational put an end to that dream.
At the moment a 200 miler is a beast tamed by only a few runners and as such has serious kudos but as more and more runners take on this animal of an event it will start to become more mainstream and once the general public hears about it you, as a runner, will be judged . A marathon has long lost its appeal to the non-running public as a mark of achievement. These days runners are putting together 50 marathons in 50 days and that still get little acknowledgement. An ultra , while initially filling a void, has now lost its appeal as again more runners make the move to 50k/100k or even a 100 miles. Adding in cool names helps, like running any race with death in its title, but ultimately now you need to have a three digit total distance starting with at least a two.
I’ve completed the Delirious West twice now and both times had the time of my life. I have always maintained a 200 miler is an adventure, not a race, shared with great friends, i.e. crew. After Delirious 2021 Gary , being one of the double act of the batman (Gary ) and Robin (Alex) crew that supported me (see below), said he had as much fun as I did, which I took as a positive. We all just morphed into younger versions of ourselves free of the chains of adulthood, albeit only for a week. The memories you take from a 200 miler, both good and bad, will stay with you until death or Alzheimer’s , which ever comes first.
So can anybody complete a 200 miler ? I say yes, if you can run a marathon you can run a 200 miler. Of course you may be chasing cut off times but these are normally generous enough and I know last year, at Delirious , one runner just about walked the whole distance albeit with very little sleep, you can’t have it both ways. If you are prepared to keep moving forward and finish sleep depraved a 200 miler is do able. Of course it is certainly more pleasant if you train and run a bit or even better run a lot. Distance and elevation are the keys for 200 mile training, run as much as you can and add as much elevation as you can find. Any gym work on your major leg muscles will also help.
Another big benefit of running a 200 miler is you get to eat , a lot ! The aid stations are normally full of a fabulous assortment of culinary delights, just about everything you heart would desire. Add in volunteers at your beck and call , as well as your crew, and you feel like a King , or Queen. It can make leaving these oasis of pleasures, to continue on your journey of pain, difficult but every step you take after leaving one is a step closer to the next one. That my friends is ultra running summed up right there, an eating and drinking competition with running between aid stations.
More benefits of a 200 miler are the comradery from volunteers and competitors alike. In a marathon everybody is very self centered on their time goals, with minimal thought for anybody else, it is a selfish distance. Time is critical and a second lost here and there is life changing. With 200 milers everybody wants you to finish as much as you do, it is a combined effort and they get as much satisfaction as you , well maybe not as much but close. You can lose hours and not be adversely affected , if you finish as far as Joe Public is concerned you are a winner. Actually if you finish a 200 miler as far as everybody is concerned you are a winner, even getting to the start line is a badge of honour.
Finally when was the last time someone said ‘They’ve invented cars for those types of distances, you do know that right?‘ or ‘I find it hard driving 200 miles’ , you get the idea, people are still very impressed when you say you’ve completed a 200 miler. A marathon is now about as exciting as someone cutting their grass over the weekend and taking their kids swimming, (to the untrained eye) it’s kind of weird that the general public as a whole has got lazier but expect us runners to go further and push ourselves harder to give away any kudos at the coffee shop on a Monday morning , while they dig in to their double chocolate donut, drinking their litre of creamy coffee with three sugars.
A good article from Neil Bryant below ( https://ultrarunningcommunity.com/articles/most-popular-articles/26-article/tips-techniques-and-training/1387-could-you-run-a-200-miler )
Could you run a 200+ miler?
Written by Neil Bryant
I have run a few races that I class as really long. These being single stage races, over 200 miles such as the Tor des Geants or the Spine. The main difference between these races and say a 100 miler, is that most people won’t need to sleep during a 100, whereas the opposite is true for the 200+ miler. Other than the sleep, it is simply more time on your feet and generally higher fatigue rates. Oh, and let’s not forget that isincredibly intimidating to stand on the start line of a 250–mile race. A 250–mile drive on a motorway is bad enough!
So, how do you get through such a huge race? How do you train? What are the main difficulties you will face?
Mental strength and Self-belief
This,for me is the biggest strength you need for the longer races. The longer the race, the more of a mental strength is needed to tackle it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dismissing the physical side of things, just trying to highlight the importance of a strong mental approach to these races.
How can this sort of strength be encouraged to grow? Well, you could work your way through races, getting slightly longer and/or harder over time. It works. The more you do, the more your comfort level grows. When you started running you may have been intimidated by a marathon, but now you are not as you have run a few 50 milers.
You could also do some challenges of your own, such as catching a train 50 miles away and running home or doing a two day run and bivvying overnight or running all through the night and anything else that your imagination can dream up. These sorts of personal challenges are great for confidence but are also incredibly fulfilling. They also teach you how you operate when heavily fatigued.
We are all different though. Some people can jump into a big challenge, whereas others prefer a longer, methodical build up. Experience is the key that will help everyone better understand the task ahead. For example, it wasn’t till my third very long race where I felt that I had really optimised my sleep pattern.
Physical strength
I won’t go into any specifics about exactly what you should be doing each day, more about what is actually needed to comfortably finish.
If you do, or have ever done some serious marathon training, then that would be adequate for a 100 miler, and if you are 100 mile fit, then you are 250 mile fit. It also is dependent on your mental outlook. Many people feel that you need to do mega mileage to prepare for a super long race, but I disagree. Yes, if you wanted to get a top 20 result, then some heavier mileage could well help, but heavy mileage is risky for injuries, and many of us just don’t have the time in our lives to be out for a few hours a day.
This is where a few big days, or even back to back days can really help build the self-belief that you and your body can actually pull it off. See if you can book a training camp (or holiday to your partner) so you can get some bigger days in. Just a long weekend somewhere is all that’s needed, but it can really help your mental and physical preparation.
Remember to train for what you are realistically going to be doing in the race. Running slowly, and plenty of walking! Practising a fast and efficient walk can help your overall speed a great deal, and many people will neglect this area in their preparation.
If it is a mountain race then practice walking uphill, and in equal measure, running downhill. Practice descending as smoothly as possible.The downhills are where a great deal of micro damage will occur in your muscles and if this can be minimised then it should be.
Finally, I would strongly advise poles, no matter how much you are against them. They can really be very useful, the more tired you get. Crossing rivers, stability in slippery conditions, uphill rhythm, and ideal if you get a minor injury that you can still run with but need the extra ‘legs’. You must practice with them before the event as poorly used poles can be fairly useless.
Have a plan
Do you plan to the nth degree for every race, or are you super chilled and not even look at the route before race day? I would suggest that whichever camp you fall in, to have some planning. Due to the length of these races and the confusing, drunken levels of fatigue that you may well experience, some simple rules can really help out and save time.
Some things to consider:
- Clothing – Think about all the weather you could experience over the week (which can be the full range!) Is that super light waterproof jacket going to be any use if it snows and you are struggling to keep warm? Maybe have spare shoes in your drop bag? If it gets really cold which is massively heightened when really tired, do you have enough layers? Do you have protection from the sun (hat, arms and neck)?
- Pace – Decide how you would like to pace it. You will be walking a lot, but when and how much? I walked almost all the uphills in the Tor, Onlyrunning the gentlest of slopes. You have to always consider the whole race. Try not to get caught out in racing others in the first 100 miles or even more!
- Drop bags – If you get the opportunity to use one, then use it! it can be a lifesaver during a longer event. A few changes of clothes, A few pairs of shoes, some food treats, and any other little luxury that you couldn’t carry but may give a big boost.
- Check point discipline – I like to have discipline with being as slick as possible at the check points, as it is so easy to sit, staring vacantly at the wall, in the warmth while the time just flies by. Before I arrive, I will mentally go through everything and work out the order to do it all in. Eating, drinking, picking up food supplies, changing clothes, filling up water bottles etc. It is all so simple, but so important too. It is so easy to forget one thing.
- Route knowledge – it is an advantage to at least have a basic understanding of the course. Many runners will have been studying it for months and will know exactly what is around every corner. This all comes down to your personality. Do you like to know exactly what is happening or do you like things a little more casual. I fall a little more on the side of casual and would spend a minute studying the next section at each checkpoint before leaving. Knowing there is a climb that could take 3 hrs beforehand is much better than climbing for 3 hrs and not having a clue when the torture will end!
- Knowledge database – There is a reason that when many hard races are born, they have a higher DNF rate than now, and that is because over time, the experience and knowledge that is gained over the years, trickles down to the new runners, and confidence grows, and the success rates grow.Many of us (all?) have a love hate relationship with the internet and in particular social media, but it does have its advantages. Joining the right groups and connecting with previous runners is one great way of picking up some valuable information. Also, just visit this site, and read others race reports which are a goldmine for nuggets of information that could help you finish, plus they can really get you very excited and motivated about the challenge ahead.
Sleep
Now this is where it can all go so badly wrong if you don’t get it right. Believe me, I know! If you hallucinate then you should have slept earlier!
My simple rule is to sleep if youfeel tired and not push on to the next checkpoint. You see, when you get into such a poor, tired state, there is nothing positive about it. You move a lot slower, you feel colder and most dangerously, your judgement is clouded at the best. It suddenly becomes very difficult to look after yourself, especially when you are in the mountains in hostile conditions. Keeping yourself warm, dry, fed and watered suddenly become huge tasks and simple decision making goes to pot. Basically, if you get just a little more sleep, you will move faster, and be able to look after yourself much better. Don’t wait till you are about to drop. Don’t get caught up running with others as we all have different sleep demands at different times. Some people just power nap for 20 mins, but this is not enough for me I have learnt. 1.5hrs or 2hrs a day works well for me. But remember that you need to experiment to find your own optimum amount.
Coaching
If the preparation is all a bit too overwhelming, then maybe consider coaching. A good coach with relevant experience, will be able to help you structure your training, choose equipment and will be able to answer all your questions that will make things seem more manageable. Drop me a line at neilbryant@hotmail.co.uk if you are interested.
Do it!
These are just my simple observations about what works and what doesn’t over the longer single stage ultras where sleep becomes essential. But you must remember that you need to get out there and try things out. I just want to take some of the fear away from these 200 plus mile events so that more of you try them. They are hard, mentally and physically, but the reward from finishing one of these monsters is huge. With the right mindset, and as long as the body still works, most people could finish one, so why not enter one? What could possibly go wrong!
Below is a post asking is the Ultra is the new marathon , has this has now changed to a 200 miler being the new ultra ?
Running has become more and more popular , not seen since the days of the Sony Walkman revolution of the early eighties when for the first time you could run with music. (To the young generation amongst us we used a thing called a ‘tape’, analog not digital music. ) People new to running inevitably join a running club or run with more experienced friends and before they know it they’ve signed up for their first race. This is a good thing as I believe you never push yourself as much as when the competitive juices start to flow with a racing bib on your chest. One thing leads to another and before too long you’ve entered your first half or full marathon.
Invariably this distance is conquered and you’ve informed all your friends via Facebook and normally your work colleagues via daily updates on your progress. The problem arises though when the marathon doesn’t seem to cut it for kudos like it use to. In the office there seems to be quite a few marathoners and worse most are faster than you. You start to get compared to John in accounts who ran sub3 or even Sheila in Purchasing who ran has ran 10 marathons while juggling family commitments and a busy career. So these days to get some real kudos it’s time to take this running to the next level, the ultra-marathon.
The ultra has the added benefit of the slower you run the more kudos you get, where as the marathon is, these days, about not only completing it but also setting a good time. Non runners are getting use to people telling them they’ve ran a marathon and have responded asking how long they took. Again they are wise to what they consider a good time and if you reply ‘4 hours’ they look at you with pity and ask ‘what went wrong’? Not so with the ultra-marathon. Because it is still not mainstream a non runner has no idea what a good or bad time is for an ultra and even if they did the distance can be varied to confuse them. Remember an ultra is anything longer than a marathon distance, it can be 42.3k upwards.
The ultra gets even better, they tend to be in far flung locations and have pretty serious titles, again earning kudos points. How good does an ‘ultra-marathon in Death Valley‘ sound. Death valley, c’mon, if that doesn’t get serious kudos around the drink fountain nothing will. Ok, Sheila from Purchasing has ran 10 marathons but she’s never ran an ultra-marathon in Death Valley. They have no idea where Death Valley is or even what an ultra-marathon is but who cares, you are now the running god in the office, someone who wouldn’t waste their time with silly ‘girl distance’ like marathons. The universe is realigned and you can ‘strut’ around the office yet gain.
The only downside to this new running adventure is the office folk then look to you for more and more longer distances and/or exotic locations. After your first ultra you can never repeat that distance as non-runners , although initially impressed , soon become impervious to distance running unless there is a serious upgrade or the location adds some spice. e.g. The Marathon Des Sable ( http://www.marathondessables.com/en/), the toughest footrace on Earth. ! ( ..On Earth? are they saying there’s a tougher footrace not on earth, the Moon 100k maybe? Now that would be worth talking about !??)
A word of warning of course, you may come across the non runner who knows a thing or two about ultra-running and while you strut around the office sprouting off about a 100k race on the local trails, basking in the adulation of the finance department, they walk past and grunt it was ‘no Marathon Des Sables’. Instantly your credibility is destroyed and you sneak off back to your desk plotting your next adventure.
So to sum up, an ultra marathon may fill the void in the office kudos states. It has the benefit of still being relatively hardcore, in the view of the uneducated, allows you to focus on distance and not time (to counter that nasty sub3 runner in Accounts) and even allows you to slow down and take your time as the longer you take will actually earn more brownie points. I won’t even start to mention the extra equipment you get to buy and use on ultra-marathons. The wardrobe options are endless and include camelbacks, gators, water belts and my mate Mark’s favourite, a cappuccino machine. ! (He doesn’t actually bring along a cappuccino machine but he wore a water belt once that had so many accessories he might as well have!) This can become more of a hindrance than a help as I always remember feeling my mate TB’s camelback at the end of the 6 inch ultra-marathon ( http://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com ) and it must have weighted 10k; and that was at the END of the race not the beginning !!
The 6 inch is a good example of the small step up needed from the marathon distance. Remember anything longer than a marathon is classed an ultra. The 6 inch is 46k (assuming you don’t get lost, which I have on a number of occasions!), so for that extra 4k you get to shoot down Sheila in Purchasing as you’ve ran an ultra-marathon and ,as everybody knows , so much harder than the silly marathon…
So lookout Sheila, we’re coming for you ?
Finally a few items that you must have when you run a 200 miler. Fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) to get you through the event and human tecar ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) to help you recover quickly. Both of these products are my go-to items before, during and after the race. Please note both of these companies supply me with their products because I hassled them until they did, they are that good.
Finally a thankyou to the good people at Paire socks who reached out to me to try their product. ( https://www.paire.com.au/ ) New to the market I was more than happy to try the Paire product and I’m glad I did. Paire suppled me with three pairs, active ankle, quarter and calf and all were very comfortable.
From their website ‘A thoughtfully designed blend of Australian Merino wool and organic combed cotton. Smoother softer, moisture-wicking and odour absorbing (read : not stinky). A true fabric chameleon – warm in the cold and cold in the heat.’
What I like about this product, similar to Fisiocrem and Human Tecar is it just does what it says on the box. As a consumer that is all I ask, honesty. All three varients supplied by Paire are just good, simple really. The socks fit well, feel good and are obviously good quality, what more would you want ?
I could wax lyrical about Paire all day long but I think it’s best that I say they are a good sock and you won’t be disappointed. I have used all three pairs sent me extensively over the last few weeks and am about to go for a run with them after finishing this post, that about sums it up. If you need all the other interesting facts about the brand , and there are quite a few, pop along to their website, it’s worth a visit. ( https://www.paire.com.au/ )
Finally if the review wasn’t positive enough I have a 15% off discount code : XYZ . Use this and save on this great product.
Right enough of this, time to put on my Paire socks and do what I love doing, go for a run, albeit probably not a 200 miler this afternoon.
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
The KepV2 is a new addition to the WA racing calendar with its inaugural event last year. The original Kep was created by Rob Donkersloot ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) and was a point to point from Northam to Mundaring. ( https://kepultra.com/ ), the website is still up , as of 2022. It was basically the only real ultra in WA for many years and has entered into folklore since it was forced to fold due to unachievable Council constraints, mainly on the number of road crossings and insurance costs. Shaun Kaesler ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) has created an event that holds true to the original but is an out and back, thus limiting the number of crossings and making the event feasible.
I entered last year with a long run with a medal mentality as it is only three weeks out from the Lighthorse Ultra ( https://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) , this was no different this year so again I went into the event with the same mentality, enjoy the race but don’t push it, bigger fish to fry later in the year. Added to the mix was a nasty head cold that had been hanging around the week before and I was more worried about just finishing.
So on a cold and wet Saturday morning we all lined up at the start and quietly shuffled off , more council stipulations, to alleviate any noise complaints, you see what I mean about keeping this event going !
This race can be broken down into four stages. Stage one is a 15km downhill section before stage two , a 37km uphill slog to the half way and then the opposite coming back. As you can image the race really starts when you hit the bottom of the final 15km section, uphill, all the way to the finish after running 90km to get there. Challenging is a nice way to describe this last part of the race, or bonkers, but I’ll get there later in the post.
My game plan was the same as last years, I had my poles ready for me at the halfway aid station and would use them to propel me to the finish while limiting damage on my tired legs. I had no aspirations about finishing position just finishing strongly, or as strong as possible. With this game plan in mind after the start I settled in around 6th male and just enjoyed the serenity of a beautiful morning on the trails with like minded people. I have said many times I race often because this is what I enjoy the most, bib on my chest and just being around people with the same views on life, the universe and everything, at least when it comes to running.
The first 15km to the Bellevue aid station is nearly all down hill and deceptively so in some places. I knew this would be a different story on the way back with 90km’s in the legs and over eight hours running, I made a mental note to prepare myself for this and as already mentioned break the race into the four sections I have already described. This is good for any race, any distance. Rather than race the whole thing I always break it down to manageable chunks. In this case four different sections but for longer races just use the distance between aid stations, this may break down to twenty or so smaller goals for a 200 miler.
After Bellevue its a uphill slog to the halfway point passing through John Forrest (23K) , Mount Helana (35K) and Chidlow (41K) aid stations before reaching the turn around at Wooroloo (52k) . Because it’s an out and back there was more than enough aid stations and you always felt you were either just leaving one , or just arriving at the next. This made a big difference to what you needed to carry and also the conditions helped being cool meaning you didn’t need to be constantly worried about hydration, which is the norm in Western Australia.
As I mentioned earlier in the piece I settled down into 6th place and put on Taylor Swift’s greatest hits on the shokz headphones ( https://shokz.com/ ) to serenade me to halfway. On a side note if you are a runner who listens to music , pod casts etc you must by a pair of Shokz headphones, so good ! I think we have three in the house at the moment, I may even get a pair for the dogs.
As I have already mentioned I was not interested in racing this event, three weeks prior I had won the 24 Lighthorse ultra with a distance of over 200km and was in no state to put it all on the line again so soon. Pre-event I was also battling a head cold and I even had thoughts of pulling out earlier in the week. This was not an A race and was certainly expendable for the greater good if needed. Luckily I held my nerve and rocked up at the start.
Racing wise I started to feel the urge when I saw my good friend Charles , he of Delirious West 200 miler third place getter, struggling coming into Chidlow aid station. He certainly didn’t look great and he would eventually finish well over 12 hours which is pretty special given he looked finished at 40k. Mentally strong he decided to change his strategy from racing for a poduim to just finishing, a hard thing to do mid race. Massive kudos to him, sometimes it’s not the runner first past the post who is the real winner. In an ultra there are certainly more deserving winners that the three who get recognised as podium places.
After leaving Chidlow I then spied my drive buddy to the event, Simon Bennet. Simon has a great pedigree and has placed top 10 at the Margaret River Ultra twice, which is pretty special. ( https://margaretriver.rapidascent.com.au/ ) He is returning from injury and we ran to the halfway together. At the halfway point Trevor had just left before me and Tony Smith was way ahead of all of us, cruising to another victory to go with his great time last year. I entered the aid station 5th but with a quick turn around left in third place, with Simon hot on my heels. It’s funny how all the talk of a ‘long run with a medal‘ goes out the window when you suddenly find yourself on the podium. All of a sudden it became a ‘ you ain’t getting any younger and these opportunities may not present them again‘ type run, basically it was ‘on like Donkey Kong‘.
After I picked up my poles I really started to motor, first to drop Simon and second Trevor was probably only a few minutes ahead of me. Jumping to podium contention had reignited my competitive spirit and with Rob Donkersloot at each aid station I had the perfect tactician to aid my cause. It’s so funny how a race can change so quickly and the goals are reassessed and changed. Charles was initially gunning for a podium , now all he wanted was a finishers medal while I was the polar opposite.
I managed to catch Trevor coming into Helena aid station and after giving him some advice on how to run the rest of the race I left him there and really put my foot down. Rob had informed me the lead runner had been disqualified so I entered Helena aid station third and left in the lead, the pressure was on now big time. I started doing the maths in my head, 35km to hold on for the win. This is when course knowledge comes into play, I was faced with 20km of decent running virtually all down hill or flat before the climb to the finish. I had done it before and knew what to expect so I did enough to maintain my lead but also put some distance between me and the chasing pack giving me a buffer for the last climb. I actually felt pretty good surprisingly enough and maintained a good pace all the way back to Bellevue aid station, the last before the finish.
At Bellevue I put the shokz headphones back in, dialed in Taylor Swift again and off I went , the final uphill slog to the finish. It wasn’t pretty and I was certainly suffering but I managed to keep moving forward only really walking, for a hundred or so metres at a time, for the last four to five kilometres when I knew I was going to win, well first male anyway.
Crossing the line in first place, will it be the last time ? It felt great to place first male as it was so unexpected but also the race panned out so well with all the cards falling into place. Can I do it again, no way. Circumstances on the day just gave me the win, lead runners getting disqualified and fellow competitors being either under done or just not feeling it, everything conspired for me to get to the line first. Of course you got to be in it to win it and I have a base fitness now that if these opportunities present themselves I can take advantage but I’m still in shock truth be told.
Right a few images of the presentations , the trophy and the main reason we Ultra runners do what we do, the great food. The image above is of Simone , one of the race directors, and myself. These events take so much time to organise, setup , run and clear away and they need a legion of volunteers who have to be managed. The race directors on these events put in massive hours before the event and on the day will be there for nearly the full 24 hours, actually probably longer. Simone works for the Ultra Series so spends her whole life organsing these type of events behind the scenes and then steps up for the race director role on a few of them. You need a passion to pull these events off and the Ultra Series staff and volunteers have this in spades. Where ever you are in the world I urge you to get involved with a running club or organisation and just experience the comradery of these type of events, they will change your life and allow you to surround yourself with wonderful like minded people.
Once Veronica came in we were able to have the presentation with the remaining runners from the 100km event. Trevor, who ran a great race for third, had to leave as did Margie who was first finisher, both female and overall. She ran an outstanding race after also running, and winning , the 12 hour Lighthorse Ultra a few weeks prior. Margie trains harder than just about anybody I know and is starting to see some rewards for her hard work. Working with Tony Smith ( https://www.tsrunclub.com/ ) she is starting to really believe she can move to the next level with her running, I’m predicting big things for Margie. Sophie and Tom ran great races for second and again both have time on their side and will be improving on these times moving forward. Tom is also working with Tony Smith so we’ll be seeing more of him in the future.
I was stoked to see my good friend Veronica make the podium after her stella run at the Delirious West 200 miler in February where she finished second. Like myself she had caught COVID a few weeks prior to the event and has bounced back quickly. We are both heading over East in a few weeks for the Unreasonable East 200 miler in the Blue Mountains. ( https://unreasonableeast200miler.com.au/ ) That is going to be a challenge.
The trophy is so cool and I know home made by volunteers which makes it extra special. Will this be my last one ? Who knows , if I was a betting man I’d say yes but with ultra running there are so many variables you never know when a Stephen Bradbury moment is coming and the old bugger with a beard wins. As I said earlier in the post this was a training run with a medal which turned into a win at all cost run, that’s ultra running. I will look back at this trophy in years to come and it will always bring a smile to my face, remembering the day and the race and the memories. Another reason I keep all my medals because each one is a reminder of the great memories that each race encapsulates, little time capsules to remind you of the good times with people you care about.
The best thing about the Kep event, bar the running, is the Mundaring Hotel which serves the best Bangers and Mash in Australia, probably the world. It is so, so good and the image above does not do it justice. If you live in Perth you need to spend more time at this hotel ( https://www.mundaringhotel.com.au/ ) . The event starts and finishes at this venue and it is so good to spend time with runners and volunteers alike after the race, such a cool place to chill out.
Finally a few words about some great products I use that help me finish these events and also get ready for the next one. Fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is an amazing product I use during events when my leg muscles start to scream for help. Fisiocrem gives the muscles the energy boost they need , naturally. It really does make a difference. I used this product at the half way stage and also just before the last 15km slog to the finish. It weighs next to nothing so no problem carrying the small tube in my backpack during the event. It has also saved me on the Delirious West 200 miler earlier in the year and again at Hardy’s Frontyard Ultra and the 24 hour Lighthorse Ultra.
For recovery I use the HumanTecar products, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) the spray and the recovery bandages. Both of these are incredible products, again like Fisiocrem totally natural. The recovery bandages are so good and they make such a difference virtually instantly, get yourself a good trail running magazine, a good cup of tea, a few biscuits of choice and put the bandages on and sit back and let the healing begin. I would recommend the bandages after big events or really long training runs, the spray is useful after any run or when you are just feeling the need for some help to recovery quicker. More of a day to day tool to help avoid the dreaded injury woes that plague most runners.
Finally to my good friends at the Running Centre ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) who provided me with my go to shoe a the moment , and the last two years, the Hoka Mach 4. This shoe is prefect for day to day running providing enough support to ward off injuries but also light enough to allow you to run all your different pace based training runs. There are new versions in the pipeline apparently and as soon as things settle down with the worldwide logistic issues we may be able to get into a pair. As well as being great running shoes they also keep remarkably clean. I wore mine out of the box on the weekend and they still look brand new after running 105km’s on trail, albeit crushed limestone. It is testament to their quality that I can feel confident wearing a pair out of the box on a 10 hour race, with no fear of injury.
So that’s the KepV2 2022, one of the races of my life coming so soon after another one of the races of my life, this is becoming a thing. I hope I can continue my good form into the Unreasonable East 200 miler in late June as I will need to be ready for this bad boy of an ultra. ( https://unreasonableeast200miler.com.au/ ) This event, in its inaugural year, looks so epic but also a tad daunting, massive elevation with probably freezing conditions, both test you. I am more excited than worried but I also understand I need to be at the top of my game to finish, forget racing but then again you never know what happens when the bib is stuck on my chest….
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A few weeks ago I ran 207km (128 miles) for the win at the Lighthorse Ultra in Perth. I’d been chasing the elusive 200 km club for a few years and finally made it. So is this me being the best I’ve ever been or have I moved the goal posts to make pb’s achievable while still slowing down ? According to an article by Matt Fitzgerald below the reason we slow is the spirit rather than the flesh that lets us down. Not being mentally tough enough to keep putting yourself through the pain of training to reach your peak.
I agree with Matt, personally I’ve found moving to the ultra world easier to train for than trying to keep to my marathon pb best. I still love my running but after 10 or more years of pushing myself in the pain box I decided years ago to slow down, smell the roses and go long. Start to try and enjoy the experience and surround myself with like minded people who run for the love of running, without the expectations of results. Of course running ultra marathons is still a painful experience but in a different way. I always equate pain management to a tap of running water. For a shorter distance the tap is fully open and you are in the pain box, big time. The longer the distance the less the tap is open , finally ending up dripping for a 200 miler. The pain is there but it’s a slow feeling that builds over time, where as with a 5k it’s on from the start ! You get the picture. I’m happy to take on events with ridiculous distances now, distances that I would have struggled to comprehend when the marathon was the Everest of running, now it’s not even a warm up.
So can I get back to sub 3 form, well we’ll find out in October as I have signed up for the Melbourne Marathon. Unfortunately I have a few races planned before Melbourne starting with the Kep V2 Ultra this Saturday , a 100km ( https://kepultrav2.com.au/ ) . Then in June another 200 miler ( https://unreasonableeast200miler.com.au/ ), August it’s my favourite back yard ultra, ( https://birdysbackyardultra.com.au/ ) and the two weeks before the Melbourne marathon I get to run the inaugural Front yard ultra in Adelaide ( https://nttdfrontyard.com.au/ ) Am I being greedy, probably. Is it good preparation , 100% not but I love competing and racing, as I said to Rob Donkersloot, him of Mind Focuse running ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) I’d rather race 10 times’ with mediocre performances than save myself for one or two races a year. At my age it’s about spending time with like minded people and the best way to do that is race.
So have I let myself down mentally and is this the wrong approach ? Depends on what your goal is of course. If I was still chasing marathon pb times then I am 100% going about it the wrong way but if my goal is to race as long, and often, as possible I’m doing what I need to do and truth be told enjoying it immensely. Best runner in the world, the one having the most fun.
Matt Fitzgerald is an acclaimed endurance sports coach, nutritionist, and author. His many books include The Endurance Diet, 80/20 Running, and How Bad Do You Want It?
On January, 22, 2020, five days after thirty-eight year old Sara Hall set a new American record of 1:07:15 for the half marathon, Women’s Running magazine published an article titled “Sara Hall Shares 7 Keys to Her Longevity of Excellence.” For your convenience, I have copied the article’s section headings, which neatly summarize Hall’s secrets, and pasted them here:
“Immersing herself in the love of running”
“Being relentlessly resilient”
“Embracing imperfection”
“Trusting and adapting in training”
“Keeping the faith”
“Focusing on a full life”
“Turning disappointment into teaching moments”
There’s a lot of wisdom packed in these few phrases, but do they constitute a complete recipe for “longevity of excellence”? Of course not, as I’m sure Hall herself would agree. One additional nugget of advice I would offer to aging endurance athletes is this: Assume nothing. By this I mean that you must not assume you will slow down, or your training capacity will decrease, as you get older. Just keep chugging along as though you are immune to the laws of nature that affect other aging athletes and see what happens.
I first heard this advice many years ago from Dave Scott, the legendary six-time Ironman world champion. When Scott was twenty-eight he told his girlfriend Linda Buchanan that he wanted to be even fitter at forty than he was then. Well, he got his wish. In 1994, three months shy of his forty-first birthday, Scott narrowly missed winning a seventh Ironman title, finishing a close second to thirty-year-old Greg Welch. “I didn’t feel like there were any boundaries,” Scott told me years later. “I was constantly reminded of how old I was, but those comments went in one ear and out the other.”
Psychologists have demonstrated that expectations of all kinds tend to be self-fulfilling. It’s not surprising, then, that athletes like Dave Scott, who performs as well after forty as they did before, tend to share a defiant attitude toward the aging process. Some even talk about aging as an advantage. “The more you age, the more you’re getting stronger,” said twenty-seven-time world record-breaker Haile Gebrselassie at a press conference before the 2010 New York City Marathon, when he was officially thirty-seven years old but probably closer to forty-one. “I still feel like age of twenty.” Alas, Gebrselassie wound up DNF’ing the next day, but three years later he was still winning major races, including the Vienna Half Marathon.
Let’s be clear: Age is more than just a number. It is an inexorable biological process ending in death. Athletes who extend their peak performance years into their forties by virtue of high expectations are not defying the laws of nature. If it were not physically possible to set an American record at thirty-eight, Sara Hall would not have done so. In continuing to improve as they approach middle age, the Sara Halls of the world are merely exploiting a possibility that exists in all of us.
This was shown in a recent study by researchers at Germany’s Martin Luther University. The purpose of the study was to identify differences in how older and younger athletes tolerate and recover from high-intensity interval training. Two groups of twelve well-trained cyclists and triathletes, one with an average age of twenty-four and the other with an average age of forty-seven, completed a series of HIIT sessions. During and after each workout, a variety of physiological measurements were taken in an effort to assess how stressful the interval set was for the individual and how quickly the athlete recovered. For example, the researchers looked at the rate at which lactate was cleared from the bloodstream during recovery intervals. They found no differences between the two groups in any of these measurements, leading them to conclude (in language so bloodlessly scientific it’s almost self-parodying), “[I]t seems that the trainability of the organism is maintained.”
Findings like this one suggest that, for athletes over forty who experience a marked decline in performance, the flesh is willing, but the spirit is weak. This was certainly Dave Scott’s take, as he explained in the above-referenced conversation: “I think it comes back to how hungry you are in your workouts and how intense you are in your workouts. I coach regular folks. I have thirty-year-old’s, forty-year-old’s, fifty-year-old’s, sixty-year-old’s. . . The intensity of the workouts drops off as people age. They allow it to.”
I’m no Dave Scott or Haile Gebrselassie or Sara Hall, but I am living proof that mere mortals too can extend their peak performance years into their forties if they let the chatter about age go in one ear and out the other. Having raced my first Ironman at thirty-one, I completed my fastest Ironman at forty-eight. Having raced my first marathon at twenty-eight, I completed my fastest marathon at forty-six. And having raced my first 10K at twelve, I completed my fastest one at forty-nine. I repeat: Assume nothing!
Exciting news on the sponsorship front, Human Tecar ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) have come aboard and will be providing me my favourite recovery products for the rest of the year . If you have not tried their spray and bandages then you are missing out. This stuff is magic and I’ll document my journey over the next 12 months.
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The Lighthorse Ultra ( https://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) is one of my favorite events for a number of reasons. Firstly its for a fantastic cause namely supporting those who have served to protect. The Ultra Series give free entry to any past or present servicemen or women who have served, which is bloody fantastic. Every year a few men and women from our armed forces come along and do the event in uniform some with backpacks, inspiring stuff. Next it’s a timed event so you’re racing for distance not time as such. This has the added bonus , or curse, of even standing still you are moving closer to the finish line, one second at a time. Next is the comradery of the event village which you pass through every two and half kilometres as well as seeing all the other runners on the loop. The number of runners changes during the event of course with the 24 hour runners starting at 3pm Saturday, the twelve hour runners starting at 3am Sunday morning, the 6 and 3 hour runners starting at 6am Sunday. So it starts quiet on Saturday afternoon, gets busy during the middle of the event and then dies down towards the final few hours. Either way the event village is a hub of load music, great smelling food and people doing their thing, be that sleeping, crewing or just bathing in the event.
Funnily enough the Lighthorse Ultra in 2019 was my first DNF , if you can actually DNF a timed event. I had entered the 12 hour , as there was no 24 hour at the time, and found myself racing with Jon Pendse who would run a top 5 Australian distance of over 140km . He totally cooked me and at around 30km I called it quits and scuttled off home, a broken man. The next morning I ran a controlled 35km from my house not realising I could have gone back to the event, ran the same distance and picked up a nice shiny medal and a respectable middle of the pack total. As it was my first timed event the concept was alien to me and I regret not staying for a nap in the car or returning the next morning. No worries, I have returned the last three years , for the 24 hour event, and podiumed every time. I learned from the experience and came back stronger and dealt with my demons. This is why I always say a DNF is so much better than a DNS as there is the opportunity to learn from you mistakes with a DNF. My only two other DNF’s are now my favourite races also , the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) and the Feral Pig 100 Miler. ( https://feralpigultra.com.au/ ) Running is weird.
I nearly didn’t make the start line this year. My no2 Daughter, Charlotte, came down with suspected mastoiditis Friday evening and after a trip to the local hospital was kept in for the night with another night planned. So that was it, I asked Rob to inform the race director, on Saturday morning, I was a DNS and begrudgingly unpacked my bags and began planning my stay at home duties looking after my other two daughters, the two dogs and the two Guinea pigs. While also keeping abreast of the Charlotte situation of course. Around midday my Wife called and told me the hospital was letting them out at 6pm that day so I was free to go and run around in circles for 24 hours. So I had just over two hours to repack my bag and get to the start line, no pressure. I made it with about half-an-hour to go thankfully and was ready for the Last Post, a very emotional part of the race.
I managed to get a berth in the Mind Focused Running marquee ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) and take advantage of the racing guru that is Rob Donkersloot for crewing. Rob has a wealth of experience including crewing for Mick Thwaites when he podiumed at the Badwater Ultra, ( https://www.badwater.com/ ) which as the name suggests is probably the hardest ultra on the planet. If you want to improve the mental side of your running Rob is the man and trust me ultra running is all mental. !
So we were ready, I had a crew I could trust, some training under my belt since Herdy’s frontyard and COVID and I was feeling happy to actually make the start line after the drama of the last 24 hours. As the name suggests the race is all about the running community paying their respects to the men and women who have served, or are serving, our Country. Pre start there is a bugler who sounds the last post, a military tradition, the Last Post is the bugle call that signifies the end of the day’s activities. It is also sounded at military funerals to indicate that the soldier has gone to his final rest and at commemorative services such as ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day. It is very emotional and certainly puts things in perspective, gives you a mental edge to tackle what is ahead of you knowing what our servicemen and women gave up so we would be able to life our live safely and comfortably.
Frank Kaesler read the last paragraph of the poem by Laurence Binyon, ‘For the Fallen’, an ANZAC day tradition and then we’re off, lap one, 3pm Saturday afternoon.
The two previous years I had ran 192km and 196km, always falling short of the 200km mark. This was down to me only having a moving time of sub 20 hours (thankyou Strava, remember ‘Strava is life the rest is details’) , meaning I spent too long in the chair and not enough time running. Both these distances were good for a podium finish but the goal this time was entry into the elusive 200k club. This is the main reason Rob was brought into the team. His experience would get me the goal I was coveting, albeit it would come at a price.
At 3pm Saturday the 80 or so 24 hour runners set off on lap 1, I needed to run 80 laps for 200km. At the start I sat towards the front of the pack and made sure I was relaxed keeping the heart rate and effort level down. The early stages are all about dialing in a pace you think you can maintain for long distances. There is no early race spurt for distance or even changes in pace throughout the event. If ever a race encapsulated the meme ‘the winner is the runner who slows the least‘ , this is it. Slow and steady.
The two previous years I had tried to sleep between the 2am and 5am, the witching hours as I call them. These are the hours when the body expects sleep, it can survive without sleep outside these hours but the 2-5 period it really wants to sleep , thus the witching hours. In longer distance ultras, say a 200 miler, I always get a least 2 hours and normally three between these hours and feel so much better for it, I may push through if it’s the last day but normally I will always sleep in between this period. For a 24 hour race sleep really is a luxury and not needed and Rob was here to make sure I didn’t falter. To this end he left before dinner to make sure he was back to keep an eye on me from late evening to the finish. I will admit to having a sneaky 10 minutes while he was away knowing I would be limited when he returned. Unfortunately with the timing chip on my ankle he knew where I was at all times and could see , when I hadn’t moved for 10 minutes, I was in the chair.
The first few hours were unremarkable , running wise , which is what you need at the start of a 24 hour race. If you suffer in the first 6 hours you are in for a very long day at the office. Luckily Jon Pendse was not running as I have been in that situation before chasing Jon when he ran his Australian record pace, believe me it ain’t fun ! Anyhow I digress, today was a lot easier and as we transitioned into a top change, bye bye singlet, as the temperature dropped and nightfall arrived I was feeling good.
I always find the first 50-90km of any race hard, be it a 200 miler , 100 miler or , in this case, a 24 hour race. After 90km I tend to get into a rhythm and you start to prepare mentally for the task ahead. This race was no different and I was allowed a 5 minute break at 60k and a 10 minute break at 85km. The 85km break was actually the 100km break early as I was suffering albeit Rob was not happy. At the time I was in the lead, much to Mick Francis’s ( https://www.facebook.com/MickFrancisCoaching/ ) disgust that I was horizontal in my chair at the time. Mick, or Mighty Mick, as he is known in the West is an Ultra Running God and now coaches in his retirement. When Mick ran 24 hour races he never left the track , or sat down, unless he was changing his clothing. Albeit this was probably in the early 1920’s and things have changes since then. Anyway I maintained my lead over Conor Quinn, who was second last year running 200km and my main rival, as another great runner Andy Wait had encountered ankle trouble and slept , for longer than he wanted. Third place was Neily Rae who was consistently lapping and would eventually finish with over 170km. He was running for his son Zane and did him proud, a gutsy run and a massive PB !
After 85km there was no rest for me really bar some food stops and changing clothing. Rob kept me on the straight and narrow and listened to my varied requests when I came round each lap and went about his business. If I needed Red Bull I would ask and then next lap it would appear, hot tea, pizza, orange juice , my list of requests was long and varied but each time Rob delivered. I’m certainly no Phil Gore when it comes to preparation and prefer just to have a ‘Rob’ , a sort of real time Phil Gore. As I have said before a good crew is paramount to success in an Ultra.
In an Ultra spanning over 24 hours or longer there are certain times that boost your moral and sunrise is one the the biggest. Once the sun rises the world as you know it changes dramatically. No longer are you staring at a small sphere of light ahead of you , continually moving towards darkness. A sunrise is so special but more so when you have been looking forward to it for hours and running continually though the night. Normally, well in Western Australia anyhow, there is the added benefit of heat which later during the day can become a hindrance to some. With my Delirious West training I have now acclimatized to the heat and actually prefer it, the hotter the better. Sunday would heat up but I had my neck scarf, thankyou Margie Hadley, and my arm coolers, thankyou Rob Collins. With Rob filling these with ice each lap I was unaffected by the heat and ploughed on, always running (shuffling) forward. As the image below shows I was now dressed in red for the finish and conditions were perfect. A beaut image captured by Marco Noe, a very talented photographer.
Sunday morning onwards was just about getting it done. I was ahead of target by about 7-8km’s at each of the turn arounds (the race changes direction every 3 hours) and had a good hour up my sleeve at the 12 hour mark. Rob kept me honest and I made a conscious effort to never walk while on the loop. Throughout the event I ran the loop and managed to keep this going the whole 24 hours, this was key to my ultimate success.
There are 7 turn arounds (where you change direction) and I treat each of these as a mini goal, in ultras you need to break it down into manageable goals rather than just concentrate on the finish which could be days away. I learnt this from my first attempt at the Delirious West where I remember running for 17 hours and realising that I probably had over 80 hours to go. That sort of mentality is a guarantee recipe for failure. Instead I should have been thinking about the next aid station, a 15-20km target and then hop from one aid station to the next until, voila, you’re home. A lesson learned from a DNF is invaluable and its the main reason a DNF is so much more productive than a DNS.
Racing for the win stopped a few hours before the end when Conor pulled the pin at 185km, happy and comfortable to grab second place and a hour or two relaxing in the chair. Of course Rob had other ideas for me but it was a relieve knowing the win was in the bag and then I was just racing myself to get to 200km and beyond. The early afternoon warmed up but every lap Rob added ice to my neckerchief and arm coolers and this was enough that the heat wasn’t a factor. I struggled with nutrition towards the end but the job was done and I had enough fuel to canter to the finish.
I hit the 200km target with about 45 minutes left and I was then allowed 5 minutes rest in the chair, the first time since 85km which seemed a lifetime ago. I could have stopped at 200k but actually enjoyed running nearly another three laps, just falling short at 207km. Mission accomplished. Could I have achieved this total without Rob ? Probably not, there were some dark times throughout the event and times when the chair was so inviting, just 5 minutes or maybe a tad longer. Thinking back to my two previous attempts I had spent so much more time pontificating but, and there’s always a but, I probably found the constant running so much more testing than running less but faster. To race a 24 hour and grab a total over 200km you can’t , or shouldn’t rest, but there may be a balance where some rest can help improve the overall average pace and thus get the same end result?
In the end the 24 hour runners set an Australian record for the largest number of runner to complete the 50km distance needed to be counted as an ultra in 24 hours. 76 runners completed the 50km or more and beat the old record, set by this event two years ago, by 19. Shaun Kaesler, the owner of the Ultras Series WA and SA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) , would have been so proud of this years record turnout and also running with his Family including his Wife Sarah who ran a great race for a top 5 finish in the ladies event. Other notable runs were achieved by Mel Maisey who used some of her many, many volunteer credits and kept on going right to end to run a massive 60km, Gemma Gore who came so close to 100km on her first ultra, her longest run by over 70km, that is a serious PB! The second and third females are trained by Mick Francis and in the next tent to me so I saw them push themselves to massive totals, well done Cheri Savin and Ilze Roux. Jen Millum and Margie Hadley taking out the 24 and 12 hour events, these two just get the job done time and time again, pure ultra racing royalty. To me everybody who crosses the start line is a winner in this event, everybody, I may have already said that but it needs to be typed twice. I cannot express in words the feeling you get when you run the 24 hour event in the Lighthorse, you’ll just need to sign up next year and find out for yourselves, you won’t regret it but if you want some time in your chair best avoid Rob.
Couldn’t leave with a few tips for going long. Number one is fisiocrem, this stuff does exactly what it says it will do , namely rejuvenate your aching muscles in the short term, i.e. for the event, be that a 24 hour or multi-day. I have used fisiocrem for 200 milers, 100 milers and any distance over 50km where I would have time to apply the creme. It certainly saved the day at the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) earlier in the year and didn’t let me down in the Lighthouse. A great product.
Another great product is Bix Hydration tablets. The three flavours are great tasting but more importantly easy on the stomach, which is so good when you are drinking a lot. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/en-au ) The owner and founder of this range , Vlad Ixel, knows a thing or two about ultra running. ( check out his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCikqAT5S16931CQN_tC7EtQ )
To prevent chafing you need this product. It works. ( https://squirrelsnutbutter.com/ ) I can’t say too much more about this product. It helps you get to the finish line chafe free, which can be very, very important ! Actually forget can be, it is very important , as one who has suffered severe chafing in the never regions knows !
Right that it’s then. Never thought I was in the running for a win but will take it and, at 55 years old, not sure how many more I have coming my way but if this is the last one then so be it. I run these events to spend time with people I love, finishing at the pointy end is a privilege that I don’t take for granted and there were so many heroes on the course over the 24 hours, so many. In this event everybody is winner, everybody.
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I had always wanted to run 48 hours at Herdy’s to make up for running 47 hours in 2021 and missing that one lap mainly down to being totally and utterly spent and delirious enough not to realise how important that one extra lap would have been. I promised myself that I would make right in 2022 but over the year put this on the back burner as I had so many other races to conquer and adventures to have. The biggest one of these adventures was of course the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) and I got to run this event twice in five months due to a COVID postponement, this of course was a double edged sword as the second time was a mere five weeks before Herdys. Unfortunately this was ultimately to be my undoing.
For Delirious 2022 I had put it all on the line, big time, to break sub 70 hours. It was one of those races when you decide that you will do whatever it takes to get the result you aspire to. In this case it was the carrot of a gold buckle which Shaun Kaesler has decided was available for breaking 70 hours. About halfway through the event it was on and I left nothing on the course eventually finishing in 68 hours and change. As well as a gold buckle I ran a 15 hour PB, achieved a fourth place finish but had to pay a serious price, long term, which only really showed itself at Hirdy’s in the first night and onwards. We’ll get to that later in the piece but lets start at the beginning and work our way there.
The image above is the runners village all set up just before the start, the calm before the storm. The race starts at 4pm which is good for those runners who find running through the night difficult because you get to the head torch quickly and have company , in this case lots of company, to help you through the witching hours. (2am onwards) I believe this starting time is easier to get to 24 hours compared to a morning start when you hit the night tired and are more likely to drop out. If you can get through the night in this scenario the run to the 24 hour mark is all daylight and. in my view, easier, albeit 24 hours is still 24 hours and funnily enough the number of people who make this milestone doesn’t seem to vary greatly.
Shaun Kaesler is always thinking up new ideas to spice up events and this year there was Viking drummers who joined us in a Viking Clap before the first lap. All 266 entrants clapping along with the drums, it made for an invigorating and unforgettable start, albeit towards the end the runners were flagging, we’re no known for our upper body strength. So off we all went for lap one, 266 runners of which 265 would DNF and Phil Gore would win.
Only myself , Adam and Rob had entered this year. My performance last year inspired a lot of the boys not to enter, not sure if that was the state I was in towards the end or they just didn’t want to race this event. ? Rob had entered a year previous but was now on a struct training regime with Matt Smith so was only allowed to run 42km. He is very anal when it comes to his training , and most things actually, so did his 6 laps and then a few extra kilometers to get his 42km before disappearing off home for a shower. He did come back and crew for a few hours which helped as the first night was so humid it made thinking difficult !
The image above must have been a few hours in as its daylight but you can see even early on in the event myself and Adam are certainly being tested. You can’t see how humid it was and this just got worse as the night wore on. On the bright side we were finishing in good time so we had the option for a good 10 minute rest in the Wanderer recliner , after fist getting our hydration and nutrition. Backyard tip , get elastic shoelaces, made slipping the trainers off between laps seemless, highly recommend these bad boys. Thank you Phil Gore for the tip and TRC for supplying them. ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ )
If there is ever an image which sums up the first night this is it. Both myself and Adam dripping in sweat, absolutely buggered and both wondering what we have let ourselves in for. The legs had nothing, destroyed by Delirious five weeks earlier, and the conditions were brutal, really brutal. Perth is normally a dry heat so when we are struck down with high humidity we aren’t prepared and boy do we suffer. The only saving grace was it wasn’t that cold in the evening albeit you could feel a chill once you stopped running as started to sweat a river. Listen people, backyard ultras are brutal events when you are behind the eight ball, brutal. I love the quote from Gary Cantrell ( Lazarus Lake) the inventor of the format, he summed it up beautifully when he said ‘backyard ultras are easy until they ain’t. ‘ Worryingly this one started hard.
Myself and Adam soldered on though the night, I think that’s the best way to describe it. We both made cut off easily enough and that gave us a good ten minutes to whine to each other about how hard this was and why did we ever think this was a good idea so soon after Delirious. In our defence all Delirious runners were struggling and, together with Veronika, we were the last three standing and the only three three to make it through the night. Finely the sun did poke its head over the horizon and suddenly the world was a better place. I’ve always said if you can get to sunrise you’ll find another 6-8 hours without really trying, the sunlight just makes it happen. This proved to be the case and all of a sudden I had my second wind. Unfortunately Adam and Veronika weren’t so lucky and still found the going tough. They decided to pull the pin together on lap 18, a bloody ripper of an effort given what had gone before. Alone with my thoughts it was on with the After Shokz headphones and time to grind out the laps. What a difference the light made and I soon found myself finishing around the 41 minute mark, giving me plenty of time to recuperate, hydrate and get some nutrition in me, the world was a better place.
The first goal in a backyard ultra for me is the 24 hour mark. In the four previous backyard ultras I have run I have always made 24 hours, minimum. Once Adam dropped out I cruised to this goal feeling pretty good, a complete contrast to the first few hours of the event where I was struggling, big time. This is ultra running, there are good times and there are bad times. A good runner understands both and adapts accordingly. These are the things Rob Donkersloot has taught me and if you are keen to improve as an ultra runner I highly recommend you get in touch with him. ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) Mention my name and he’ll charge you full price.
3pm Saturday , the 24 hour club, 100 miles, albeit you had to complete the lap. All the runners did and then quite a few dropped out. Two of my favourite runners where in that group, Jen Millum and Margie Hadley. Both experienced nutritional issues throughout the race and in an ultra , eventually, when the fuel runs out the engine stops. Both these ladies would have gone on to bigger totals and deserved so much more but this event is brutal, I’m sure I’ve mentioned that a few times and any issue, no matter how small, can be a race finisher. With nutrition it really is a black art, sometimes you can eat anything and all is good other races your stomach just doesn’t play ball and over time this is compounded until you have to withdraw. No amount of training can account for nutrition or hydration deficiencies on the day, you will eventually stop. I’m confident both ladies will be back stronger at Birdy’s in August.
The second night and my lap times started to increase due to a combination of the dark and fatigue. I found myself running alone while the rest of the runners had either paired up or split into run/walk strategies where I would pass them and then they’d do the same to me before they’d walk again and I’d go past them , you get the picture. I sort of always ran, in the broadest sense of the word, so it became a tad annoying when you catch runners only for them to then overtake you before they’d start walking and the whole process repeated. If I was feeling better I would have ran quicker to avoid all contact but I was slowing lap by lap and with hindsight should have probably joined one of the walk/run group, even only for company.
One of the benefit of the night is the last few kilometres of the lap , a trail section through what can only be described as Sleepy Hollow. Incredibly creepy in the dark but beautiful in the light and when the sunsets it becomes inspiring. There was a full moon for the event and I was so looking forward to some serious night time hallucinations on the second evening. Not to be though as it was cloudy so the moon was hidden and for some reason this year I had no hallucinations, albeit I was probably on the cusp at 35 hours, another few would have done it. No worries, there’s always Birdy’s. Some runners hallucinate and some don’t , I have had some great visions over the years and they have all been positive, by that I mean not scary, maybe one day that will change? I think its down to what you’re thinking about at the time or just before but don’t quote e on that , I’m not an expert on the subject. Anyhow backyard ultras are great places to enjoy hallucinations due to lack of sleep, think of them as a bonus for running enough laps to make it possible ? Maybe next year I’ll watch ‘the legend of sleepy hollow‘ a few times before the race, should make for an interesting second night ?
The image above is the same location in the daylight, chalk and cheese really. If you get a good sunset it really is a magical place albeit only for the one lap, then it’s back to sleepy hollow mode and you need to look out for headless horseman, with an attitude.
Right as always I have digressed from the race itself. I’m now slowing , around the 30 hour mark and running laps alone with about 7-8 other runners still racing. My crew is doing their best to keep my spirits up but they’re fighting a losing battle. Special mention must go out to Rob Donkersloot who makes several trips to a local 24 hour IGA stores to find me pasta and orange juice and also Michael Hooker who goes home and brings back some wicked homemade soup. I’m not really a soup fan , must to my Wife’s disgust as she is Scottish and they are brought up on the stuff. Michael makes a mean soup though and I may be converted. Also Mark Lommers who is already around at the pointy end and like Rob is a calming influence in the chaos that is a backyard ultra.
The last four laps were a struggle, funny that. My times increased which led to less recovery and eventually more fatigue. On lap 33 my head torch battery gave out and it took me a few minutes to change it. This resulted in me finishing over 58 minutes and change leaving no time for any recovery, straight from the finish chute to the start chute. Mentally I was then done and I knew I was never going to make cut off on lap 35. I struggled around and finished three minutes past the hour, race over.
Thinking back to last year it was at this time the rest of the runners left me and Phil (lap 33 it came down to just the two of us?) and I was very close to pulling out but was unable to after being left in the assist position. Could I have pulled another 2021 Herdy’s finish put of the fire this year ? I’m not sure ? I was certainly better prepared last year , no Delirious in my legs, and conditions were better , nowhere near as humid. Also I think mentally I had dropped the ball for this race before I had even started. Somewhere over the last year that one lap I craved had become less important as more and more races were tackled. Ultimately I wasn’t prepared to dig deep enough to get through the last hours of darkness. I’m actually ok with this, you can’t destroy yourself every race, sometimes you need to do enough and this year I did enough. I was on a group chat with Rob and the rest of the Mindful running group after this event and summed this up by stating I’d rather run 10 mediocre races than one 50 lap backyard ultra. This is because for me I love the competing more than achieving your possible best. This is why I don’t cherry pick events and miss others, at my age I have done that racing marathons for many years. Now I just enjoy races where the main goal is to finish or go as long as possible, time is secondary. It’s more about spending time with like minded people, doing what we love, and for me its the competing now rather than chasing podiums.
So that was it, 34 laps completed and a DNF on lap 35, my first cut off missed which is a positive of sorts. Again I have learnt so much from this experience and will take these new learnings into Birdy’s backyard ultra in August and then the two Adelaide backyard ultras later in the year. I still love the format and it’s the only one where I can still hope to be near the pointy end , at least for a few more. With other goals ahead of me this year I’m excited about the racing calendar and I still have finding that one lap high on my priority list, at least for this year.
A big kudos to some seriously amazing results over the weekend. Jess Smith grabbing a new Australian Women’s record finishing 41 laps, Chris Martin finishing 39 laps before an ankle injury ended his run, Chetan Sadhana running 49 laps and the third longest of any Australian runner and finally Phil Gore winning his fourth backyard ultra in a row and finishing on 50 laps, one short of the Australian record. I am so excited to watch Phil next year at the World Championships in the States, to see how far he really can go.
Finally a huge thankyou to all the volunteers and staff at Tribe and Trail and Ultra Series WA who put on these events. ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) As I always say us runners have it easy, the real hard work is done by the volunteers and I salute you. Another hugely successful event , thankyou so much. Also Bix hydration for keeping me going ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ), love the Bix range of electrolyte tablets. Fisciocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com/ ) for when the quads were needing some fisciocrem magic, this never fails to deliver and it a must for any distance event. The Running Centre for supplying all my running needs. ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) and finally Squirrel Nut Butter ( https://squirrelsnutbutter.com/ ), you know what this is used for and it works, enough said.
Right, that’s Herdy’s frontyard ultra done and dusted for another year I had to work very hard, as usual, and got what I deserved in terms of distance. With Delirious on the cards again next year I now know what to expect at Herdy’s and will prepare myself better for the challenge. Look out Herdy’s , in 2023 I’m finally running that one lap I need.
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I had a free entry for the inaugural Hysterical Carnage backyard ultra gifted me by Shaun Kaesler, the pied piper of the Ultra Series WA and SA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) . At the time I was on a high from my 47 laps at Herdys frontyard ultra and gladly accepted the chance to go again. Unfortunately in the mean time the Delirious West 200 miler had been moved to October, due to a COVID outbreak, and the Feral Pig 100 miler was two week before Hysterical. Running Hysterical was now going to be a big ask.
The first race of this trifecta was the Delirious West 200 miler in October. I finished this bad boy of a race in 83 hours but more importantly loved nearly every minute of it and recovered quickly. This allowed to me to run the infamous Feral Pig 100 miler five weeks later. Luckily for me the temperature on the day for the Feral was perfect as in the past it had even been shortened due to extreme heat. This year was about as good as it gets and I poled the whole distance finishing in a respectable 27 hours, well respectable for me as I had DNF’d the previous year. Albeit I have unfinished business with the race as they give out buckles for under 26 hour finishers, I will be back in 2022 for my buckle !
Feral is a hard 100 miler, lots of elevation and heat (usually) and the thought of running a backyard ultra two weeks later did not fill me with joy, more trepidation. Truth be told I had thoughts of quietly ignoring Hysterical, into the too hard basket, but Shaun was not giving up and if you know Shaun you’ll know he’s not one for giving up. He eventually badgered me into booking tickets and before I knew it I was in Adelaide with no2 Daughter Charlotte.
On the plane I was doubting my ability to pull this one off. A 200 miler and a 100 miler in the previous six weeks had left my legs begging for rest but instead I had decided the best thing would be a backyard ultra with thoughts of running deep into the event. Actually Shaun had decided for me, with hindsight. No drama’s, this is what I love and backyard ultra’s are my passion , they give us older runners a platform to compete where normal running events have taken this platform away many years ago. Backyard ultras , as with longer distance ultra races, are as much mental preparation , and preparation in general, than physical conditioning. Of course you need to be physically ready for the challenge but a strong mental attitude is worth more in the longer distance races, giving us older runners a level playing field.
There was a four man WA team for the event. Myself, Phil Gore (the current Australian record holder for backyard ultras) , Renton Hanson and Cheton Sadhana. We also a great support crew comprising Gemma, Phil’s Wife, and one of the UltraSeries WA most illustrious staff members Emma Luscombe. These two were absolutely bloody awesome by the way. We wanted for nothing and I suspect we all went deep into the competition due to their ability to take us in at the end of each lap, broken, and return us to the start line fed, watered and reinvigorated. The WA gazebo was the ‘place to be‘ so to speak and the banter was top level, as well as the tea making skills. Thankyou ladies.
Right the course. It starts with a hill that must be so close to being called a wall, it’s unreal. I walked it in the dark the night before the race with Charlotte and must admit to being a tad intimidated. Funnily enough on the day it’s actually a relief as you know you can’t run it and it’s a nice relaxed start to the loop while also giving you some elevation, which then leads on to more downhill than up for the rest of the 6.7km loop. After the hill you have a kilometre or two of good running before hitting a road which then leads to another incline where you can walk for about 500 metres. The rest of the loop is all running. These two walks are perfectly timed to break up the course but also allow you to come in with a good amount of time at the village if you feel you need it. There’s a nice single track in there as well as a swamp , of sorts, and some good running along the river which is scenic enough to let your mind wander while you enjoy the views. All in all I loved the course and it’s faster than Birdy’s backyard (especially this year with all the mud !) but not as fast as Herdy’s Frontyard, albeit Herdy’s is totally flat and I feel the elevation in Hysterical actually works in your favour breaking up the wear and tear on your leg muscles. The great course , combined with the perfect weather conditions, made the whole event about as good as you could wish for.
The first day passed with any major issues. Gemma and Emma looked after myself and the rest of the WA team and we all just enjoyed the event and meeting new people and making new friends. That’s a thing with backyard ultras , no one is in a real hurry and you get to see everybody back at the start every hour. For a social butterfly like myself it is the prefect event, hell you even get time to dance in between eating and drinking. As this was the inaugural race and with COVID lurking around Australia there wasn’t a massive field so runners soon started to disappear and by 24 hours we were left nine runners. Making 24 hours (100 miles) is the first goal, it’s then 36 hours (150 miles) and finally 48 hours (200 miles). These milestones keep you focused in between dancing, eating and running.
By the time we hit the second night you often found yourself alone with your thoughts and this is one of my favourite times in backyard ultras. You know what you have to do and you just drift away on the course while reconnecting with people in the aid station for 10-15 minutes , every hour. A frantic pit stop involving changing clothes, attending to any injures/niggles , drinking and eating as much as you can stomach, the odd dance and then off you go again, into the abyss alone. It really is a special time in an backyard event, the ‘me time‘ as I call it. It’s not for everyone of course but for me I crave this time and as much as I’m a ‘people person‘ I can still function with me, myself , I.. so to speak. Hysterical has a wonderful ‘swamp’ section that is short enough to just give you a taste of loneness but not too long as you would feel isolated. Running through sunset and sunrise in the swamp was magical with the added bonus of darkness surrounding you late in the evening and encouraging you to drift away with your thoughts or pod cast / music if you so desire.
The 200 kilometre club, the magnificent seven, we managed to get three of the four WA runners into this select group.
We were blessed with perfect conditions during the event with even some light drizzle on the second day to cool you down. Different conditions are good as they allow you to focus on something other than the constant fatigue that you will be experiencing in these events. In a backyard ultra change is good and also an excuse to change your clothing. This is backyard tip 101, always pack more running attire than you think you will need , you’ll be surprised how good a complete change of clothing makes you feel, certainly good enough for a few more laps and this is all about making those’ few more laps‘. Around November in Loxton there is the capability to be very hot and I wonder, if this is the case next year, what that will do for the distances completed, heat is not a backyard ultra runners friend, or any running event truth be told ?
Renton had ran a event PB and was very happy with his effort, as were all of us. He came back and help crew later in the day, team WA. The magnificent seven at 30 laps soon shrank to a all WA trio at 36 laps. Myself, Phil and Cheton managed to reach the next big milestone in a backyard ultra, 150 miles, 36 laps. We were all running comfortable enough but Cheton was having recurring issues with his knee which he had injured per-event. He decided discretion was the better part of valor and pulled the pin at the start of lap 37, mission accomplished. Cheton is young, very mentally strong and will be a force to be reckoned with in these events. He has the right relaxed attitude you need to be successful at backyard ultras, just go about your business quietly and efficiently. Actually the complete opposite of me, I suppose the are many ways to skin a cat ? ( How many of us have tested that theory and not been caught or done jail time , I wonder?)
So lap 37 and it’s down to me and Phil, Herdy’s frontyard ultra all over again. This time though there were a few other issues to be taken into account. Number one I had my youngest daughter with me and I had promised her we’d go and see Adelaide the next day, I’d also promised her I’d pull the pin 13 hours earlier. To her credit she did say she was ready to forego Adelaide and would let me continue but I did feel a tad guilty dragging her to Loxton so she could sit by herself for three days while I ran around enjoying myself. (I say enjoying myself in the broadest sense of the words?) Number two I was only two weeks from finishing the Feral Pig 100 miler, a brutal, and I mean brutal, 100 miler and as such I had no right to be anywhere near the pointy end of this event. Mentally I reckoned I could pull the pin at 37 laps and finish second , or assist, or run through the night and the outcome would be the same. Basically a backyard ultra with Phil Gore is everybody runs as far as they can and then Phil does one more lap and wins ! Number three it was dark, there was no one around and I faced the prospect of a long, lonely night with hallucinations already kicking in. Would I make a PB, probably not and I was more focused on Herdy’s in March to achieve the one extra lap I needed. Add all of these up and it was time to pull the pin and let Phil run the last lap alone. We discussed this on lap 37 and to mark the last lap wore each others tops, me and Phil have spent a lot of time together and I admire him immensely. He is a world class athlete with a bright future and anything I can do to help him along the way I will. Me, I’m just an old bugger who runs a lot, it is fitting that Phil takes the win, his third in 2021.
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In 2020 I DNF’d the Feral Pig, I got back to the start line, around 126km, but couldn’t muster the energy for the final 36k loop knowing how hard it is. I had trained well enough for the Feral but for some reason on the day I just wasn’t feeling it, I had a lift to the start which at least made me start the event. If I had driven myself I think I may have side stepped the bus to the start line and kept on walking to my car and snuck off home as a DNS. As it was I ended up begrudgingly sitting in the bus regretting my decision and not enjoying the journey as every minute this bus drove south I knew I had to run back, and the bus takes a long time to get to the start, trust me. Anyhow during the day I managed to keep moving forward but after a change of clothes at the start line I just couldn’t envisage completing the DNF loop (as I call it) and so pulled the pin, albeit after completing a twenty minute first kilometre, due to navigation issues.
Funnily enough on the bus this year I sat to next to a young runner , Cameron, who I would run with for most of the event, go figure, I digress. The start really is 40+ runners in the dark forest waiting for midnight to start. Shaun Kaesler was running this year, the owner of Ultra Series WA (and SA) ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) and he got us all in a big circle , turned off all our headlamps and gave us a rousing speech to get us in the right frame of mind for the challenge ahead. I’ll give Shaun his due he really is the pied piper of ultra running in WA, he can inspire the uninspired and make the impossible seem possible, and he does on a regular basis. I hope this pre-start huddle becomes a tradition , which is what normally happens with Shaun, and many runners will be able to feel the togetherness we all felt that night. Looking up at the stars was humbling and to share this with so many like minded people, special, very special.
To make this event even more challenging I had finished the Delirious West 200 miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) only 4 weeks previous so the legs would not be fully recovered. To counter this I decided to use poles from the start and really just enjoy the experience, with time a secondary consideration, this was my final redemption run.
Due to a rookie error I actually started the event 2-3 minutes after everybody else, I had forgot to acquire a GPS on my Coros so had to wait a few minutes before I could start running, if it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen ! Anyhow me and the tail runner eventually started and I moved through the field before bumping into Sergio, Andy and Cam and we formed a group which would stay together for most of the day, bar Sergio who stopped for a sleep and then flew past us about 50k later. Darlene joined us for a few hours before she stopped for some water while we continued on to the first aid station, Sullivan Rocks, at around the 42k mark. This sums up the Feral, the first aid station is marathon distance into the race, after a midnight start, brutal, like the terrain.
Andy, Cam and I spent most of Saturday morning and day together, the three of us rolling through the aid stations and with Andy’s amazing sense of direction never worrying about getting lost, that man really is talented. It makes such a difference running with company and the banter make the miles disappear. For the most part Andy set a perfect pace but if he dropped off I would sneak to the front to keep him honest. Cam was always happy to continue sandwiched between us with a infectious smile. It was Cam’s first 100 miler and he absolutely aced it , that young man has a great ultra running career ahead of him . Andy goes ok as well, just like a finely tuned white diesel van who also doubled as a great source of snickers. The three of us had a great time.
Due to the remoteness of the event there are minimal aid stations for the fist half of the race. Sullivan Rocks is the first at 41.5k then Brookton Highway at 73.5k. After that they are a tad more frequent, Mount Dale carpark ,86.2k, Beraking Campsite, 97.3k, Allen Road bridge 113.4k before returning to the start before the DNF loop at 126.6k. On the DNF loop you have an aid station at the Camel farm you pass through twice (135k and 154.7k) before the last outlying aid station at Kalamunda (144.8k). There are a smattering of drink stops scattered in there as well. This made the event challenging, unlike a 200 miler which feels like an adventure , with better food, the 100 miler feels like a race.
The major selling point of the Feral Pig 100 miler is the scenery and the remoteness of the event. As I said earlier there are few aid stations until well over half way and you start at midnight, a baptism of fire really. By the time you stagger into the first aid station at Sullivan rocks your normally pretty well goosed , before starting back up the granite hill to complete the rest of the event, about another 120km. As with all ultras you go though good and bad times and getting to Brookton Highway is a massive confidence booster. The food here is normally (actually always!) very , very good as Shannon Dale and his tribe provide it. This year was no different, my staple ultra diet of pancakes and bacon was more than enough to raise the spirts and I explored out of this aid station. Well maybe exploded is an over statement, stumbled more like. My quads had started to play up but the food helped and I was able to get into some sort of groove a few kilometres later, cocooned in the Feral train being ably led by Andy.
We caught up with Shaun Kaesler, pre-Brookton Highway, and we all came in together. Pre-aid station we had got into a group of 6-7 runners and the banter flowed while the kilometres melted away before us. The running conditions were just about perfect for November in WA, by this I mean it wasn’t stinking hot which is the norm for that time of year. 2021 will be known for being ‘the cold year‘, albeit it was still probably 22-25 degrees celsius. Shaun went past us later in the day like a scolded cat but I was confident I’d see him again giving his training program is minimal at best, mainly due to the nature of his day job !
Funnily enough what broke up the Feral train was a glib remark from Andy about the possibility of a buckle if you finished quicker then 26 hours. This was just past Allen Road and we had an hour or two of daylight left. As soon as a buckle was mentioned my race changed, all of a sudden finishing was no longer the number one objective, it became something I had no idea even existed a few minutes earlier. Doing some mental math I reckoned I had a chance of a buckle if I put my foot down. We were on part of the bib track I knew very well and was confident I could back to the start quickly. I couldn’t persuade the rest of the Feral train to join me so I set off alone. As I said I have ran from the Perth Discovery Centre to Allen Road and back on numerous times training for the Delirious West 200 miler earlier in the year ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) so was more than happy to tackle it alone, with night falling.
I actually made it back to the start at 8pm and refueled on noodles quickly, ordered at the Allen Road aid station, before setting off into the dark to tackle the DNF (or Death Loop). At this stage I was confident I had more than enough time to make my buckle but I underestimated what was to come and trust me I knew it would be difficult , just not as difficult as it turned out to be.
Fueled on noodles I had my second wind and left the Perth Discovery Centre cock-a-hoop , looking forward to my buckle which at this stage was in the bag as far as I was concerned. I have 6 hours to run just over 30k, how easy would that be. I knew the loop would be hard but 6 hours and I was feeling pretty good, what could go wrong. The night got even better when I caught up with Shaun and his beautiful Wife, and pacer , Sarah five or so kilometres later. Unfortunately for Shaun the chickens had come home to roost and he was paying the piper , big time. He was moving forward but he was in for a long night and he knew it, that’s the Feral though , one minute you think you have tamed the beast and then it comes back to bite you. After I left him and Sarah and continued into the night I wondered what lay ahead for me.
What eventually killed my buckle quest was the next aid station, the Camel Farm. I had arrived feeling quite good having left Shaun in my wake and asked the vollies the distance to the turn around at Kalamunda. In my mind it was a 7-8k stretch but I was informed 9.8k, this destroyed me as I had underestimated the distance for the DNF loop. In my mind is was nearer 32k rather than the 38k it actually was, although the extra 6k doesn’t seem a lot typing this post , at the time it was devastating. My buckle virtually disappeared at that moment and all I could see were chickens coming home to roost and a silly little bloke playing a pipe. As well as the extra 6k it was the terrain ahead of me that would finally break my buckle quest.
The run from the Camel Farm aid station to Kalamunda included two really hard climbs that are virtually unrunable. Add in 24 hours of running before even starting these two climbs and you have the recipe for disaster. The only thing that probably stops runners actually DNF’ing on this loop is you are so close to the finish you just get your head down, adopt the fetal position and take your punishment in the pain box. The climbs were brutal and I use that word a lot for this race but there is no better description. I was alone now and after staggering into the Kalamunda aid station didn’t have much left in the tank for the return to the start. My good friend Shannon Dale was there, him of the pancakes and bacon at Brookton Highway, and he served up some seriously good potatoes which hit the mark, and a cup of sweet tea, my go to drink of choice towards the end of an ultra.
Fed and watered I was unceremoniously kicked out the aid station and I stumbled into the night on the return journey , back to the two climbs but now in reverse. On the way back I bumped into Shaun and Sarah and he hadn’t improved, infact if you could picture death warmed up this would have been Shaun, it wasn’t his best look but he still finished, with minimal training but serious mental strength. Good on ‘ya Shaun. Next I bumped into Andy who was just ahead of Cam (and pacers) , the Feral train, with both runners getting it done and they would finish together.
A highlight of this section of the course was my headlamp dying suddenly, with no moon when it’s dark it’s really dark. I thumbled for my iphone to give me some light so I could change headlamps. Note: always have a backup headlamp, always ! I was helped by another runner and then off I went again, alone into the night. At this point I was approaching my second night of no sleep so was starting to hallucinate. This is an added benefit of ultra running, get to your second night of no sleep and there is a good chance you’ll get to see all sorts of weird stuff, makes the event worthwhile ! I find the second night of an ultra is where the hallucinations begin, (assuming you don’t sleep) and thus far they have always been quite cool, I suppose it would depend on your mindset ?
Into the Camel Farm aid station for another cup of tea and some fruit before the final stage to the start , which would now also be the finish. There were numerous runners coming the other way and I didn’t envy their task ahead but all of them finished. I did bump into Chemie Banger (Jamie), who was running the 100k, but he was happy for me to carry on at my pace.
From the Perth Discovery Centre you cross over the Mundaring Dam , or around it if the dam was shut , which funnily enough at 2am it was ! This meant a lot of stairs which hurt both ways trust me. The dam is a lonely place at 2am with only Kangaroos for company setting off the security lights. I actually got lost running into the Discovery Centre, second guessing the Bib track signs and convincing myself they were wrong, of course they weren’t. Frustrating doesn’t sum up that feeling after nearly 100 miles of knowing you’re a few kilometers from the finish but which direction..? After some back tracking and checking on the GPS software, (thankyou https://www.gaiagps.com/ ) I eventually stumbled into the finish to a rapturous reception from both people still up at just past 3am in the morning. (Note to self, even finish a lot quicker or a lot slower next time, at least in daylight)!
A big shout out to some of the runners who hadn’t even left the Discovery Centre when I finished. These runners were going to run through a second night and finish in daylight. To get to the start line after nearly 30 hours of running and then facing the DNF (Death loop) is absolutely top drawer in the mental toughness stakes. I was sitting opposite John Cooke as he prepared to go out into the dark and take on his demons after DNF’ing the previous year, what an incredible effort. John, like myself, subscribe to Rob Donkersloot and his Mind Focused Running program. I can’t recommend this program enough and his results speak for themselve. ( https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ ) In ultra’s the back of the pack runner is the real hero , in my book !
So I finished in just over 27 hours, it was then straight to the warm showers, into a pair of warm pajamas’ and an onesie sleeping bag and to the front seat of my car, took me about ten seconds to fall into a deep sleep.
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The Kep Ultra is a legendary race started by the Godfather of WA ultra running Rob Donkersloot , he off https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ , where Rob teaches the runner all about the mental side to ultra. The Kep ran for 6 years from 2009 through to 2014 before the local council and red tape brought it to a close. It then became a thing of legend with local ultra runners talking about it but never really understanding its roots in the WA Ultra Community, it was the first real WA ultra of substance. The original website is still live and it’s worth a look , https://kepultra.com/ Some serious WA ultra legends in that list of results.
So this legendary race was due for a reboot and Shaun Kaesler and the USWA team ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) were up for the task, and the Kep V2 was born. ( https://kepultrav2.com.au/ ) Due to the amount of volunteers needed for this event, down to the numerous road crossings, the new format was a 100k or 75k out and back course, rather than the original point to point.
I’d entered the race on a whim , why do I keep doing this ?, after recovering well from the Lighthorse 24 hour ultra two weeks earlier. Of course entering is the easy part, finishing is the harder task ! My training had been going well with the next A-race the Irrational South in June, ( https://irrationalsouth200miler.com.au/ ) the Kep was to be my last long run , with the added bonus of a medal, what could go wrong?
Training went well enough for the Kep but a few days out I started to second guess myself , really trying to understand why I’d entered a 100k race three weeks before the Irrational South 200 miler. I was even doubting myself on the way up the start at the Mundaring Hotel but decided I’d run the first half and then grab my poles and casually cruise the second half, good pole practice for Irrational. Leaving it late I got to the start with about 30 seconds to go, totally unprepared truth be told , and off we went.
The start was a ‘soft start‘ as Shaun called it due to noise restrictions, the locals like their lay in apparently and 50-60 noisy ultra runners was deemed far too much for a Saturday morning. It was a case of 1-2-3 go, quietly ! There were drop bags available but I decided to take a backpack and carry my nutrition , which was about 8-10 gu’s, with aid stations available for hydration fill ups and lollys.
The Kep is basically 15k down hill, then about 37k uphill before turning around and returning to the start. This means after the half way you have a relaxing 37k back down the way you came before a 15k climb to the finish. I knew I’d need to save something for the final 15k rise and was hoping my poles would make it easier. The plan was to enjoy the first 15k, get into a good rhythm , struggle through the 37k to halfway and then cruise home with poles, simple really. This way I broke the race down into four smaller races, something I recommend any ultra runner does, lots of mini-goals rather than the one finish goal which can be a long way off at the start of an ultra.
The race started well and I got into a small bunch of runner including Dru, running in sandals !, and the mastermind behind the Ultra Series WA , and a true bloody legend, Shaun Kaesler. Shaun had run the Lighthorse 24 hour, like me , a few weeks earlier and had enjoyed his first event for sometime (as he is normally either the RD or organising stuff) so much he entered the 75k Kep. Given his busy life training had taken a back seat of late but he is a tough mother and , like me, had decided on a whim to take on the Kep. He was running well and the kilometres drifted away, even had a cameo appearance from Bart’s on his Saturday long run.
Getting to the first aid station was a breeze, remember as I mentioned earlier it is basically all downhill, and then we started the climb to the halfway point at 52k. Not much to report here really, Shaun and Dru turned at 22k as their course was slightly different to mine and Bart’s left me a few kilometers later. I was probably running 6th , albeit the 100k field was only 10 strong. It really was a training run and I was just concentrating on getting to halfway in a reasonable shape and picking up my poles for the 37k downhill section. Jen Millum, the sole female 100k runner, and Dylan Bentley were ahead of me and I used them as markers to keep me honest and set my pace to the halfway point. I even got a rush of enthusiasm as I neared the halfway point and managed to sneak past them both, knowing we’d regroup at the next aid station. There is elevation but no large climbs as such, just a gradual grind uphill on a good running service.
The halfway point at this new version of the Kep V2 is a nice place to be, you know you have a mainly downhill 37k ahead of you and probably enough to get your over the last 15k ‘hump’ to the finish, add in poles and I was ready to explode to the finish ! I left Jen and Dylan in my dust and even caught and passed Mike Head to move into 4th place and a possible podium. Tony Smith was way ahead so a win was out of the question, he eventually finished sub 9 hours, setting a time that I reckon will be very hard to beat. Two of his athletes, Graham Dixon and Michael Snart, eventually finished second and third both running low 10′ hours. Coming down the hill Mike caught me at around 22k to go and although I saw him at the last aid statin at the bottom of the last 15k climb I would not catch him. Eventually finishing 5th in a time of 10:39 for the 105k course.
So what did I take from the Kep V2 ? It was another hard race, mentally tough, long time in the saddle and some good elevation. Good points was just starting and finishing as a few minutes before the start I was wavering, also the poles were a God send and I now feel more comfortable using them for an extended period of time. They will definitely be coming out late on the first day of Delirious in October. ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) It was also good to run a 100k so soon as the Lighthorse Ultra and Herdy’s, again running on tired legs will be a good skill to have running 3-4 day events later in the year. Not so good points was I could tell the legs were hammered and ultimately I would pay a heavy price for this race.
Once I finished there was the obligatory photo with the bling and a kilometre walk back to the car before returning the Mundaring Hotel for a bloody good sausage and mash meal, great conversation with fellow runners and some verbal sparing with the Vegan runners on the benefit of steak and chips. Shaun has done a great job organising anther great event to add to the USWA (Ultra Series WA) catalogue and there’s even talk of a 50k next year after Shaun won the event, albeit he didn’t broadcast it actually existed and had an entry of one, himself ! ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) I’m sure Rob approves of this new format and the legend of the Kep is definitely now alive and kicking and it will once again be the measuring stick of the Ultra scene in WA moving forward.
Right the Lighthorse Ultra , 3/6/12/24 hour. This was my first ever DNF, assuming you can DNF a timed event after you start?, in 2018 when I got caught up in Jon’s run of his life so far , running an incredible 140km’s for 12 hours. I was left to lick my wounds after 3 hours as I drove home a broken man. You can read all about my tales of woe in this post. https://www.runbkrun.com/2019/06/01/what-you-learn-from-a-dnf/
Last year I redeemed myself when I placed third in the 24 hour event running 192km, although there were a few moments I was close to pulling out and I reckon it was only the fact I made my Wife drive me to the start and take the car home that saved me, the post is worth a read.. ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/09/19/24-hour-redemption-ultra/ )
Coming into the event this year I was in some good form after just running over 315km at Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra 5 weeks earlier but the only possible fly in my ointment was it was only 5 weeks earlier. I had put together 3-4 weeks of triple figure weekly distance but no speed work to talk off. I went into this event with a ‘it will be what it will be ‘ attitude and of course I knew sometime during the 24 hours there would be mental challenges to overcome. This was another reason to do the Lighthorse, give myself another big tick before the Irrational South 200 miler in June ( https://irrationalsouth200miler.com.au/ ) a risk but one I thought worth taking.
The event is held close to Anzac Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served”. As the images below show it is a day to remember their sacrifice and many times throughout the event the sight of these small figurines was enough to give you the energy needed to continue on. Shaun had put together an event which really does bond the runner to the past and remind them of the sacrifice that was made for them by our Anzacs, inspiring stuff.
So to the race itself. As the images below show it’s all fun and games for the first few hours and you need to remind yourself it’s a 24 hour event. Running just over 5min/k average feels so easy but you know achieving this pace the following morning, into the afternoon, will be impossible, of course it doesn’t stop you carrying on regardless. Not much to report for the first three hours before the sunset sneaks in and it’s time for the night time mental battles. I say mental battles because at night is when the mind starts to play games in an effort to slow or stop you. Running long is so much more mental than physical and at night doubly so. I always call the 2am – 5am the witching hours as this is where you are your weakest and this is when the mind starts to play with his good mate fatigue and try to stop you in your tracks. I always take solace from a David Goggin’s (https://davidgoggins.com/ ) quote where he states when you are at your lowest and you think you are finished , unable to continue, he reckons you are about 40% of your potential. The final 60% is there, available, but you have to want it bad enough to release it. I would certainly need this quote in the next few hours.
Last year at Lighthorse my running time was just over 18 hours. The rest was spent trying to sleep, and failing, or time sitting in my chair doing ‘stuff’, be that eating, complaining about <insert subject here> or just not running. This year was about more time running and less resting. Unfortunately I made a rookie error when it comes to ultra running, I tried new nutrition on the day of the race, this was to be a nearly fatal error for my racing goals.
The day before I made my normal visit to The Running Centre ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) to see Sam, Amanda and the team and get my provisions for the event, this has turned into a bit of a tradition and the guys at TRC are always good value. On this visit I spied new Maurten Gels with Caffeine. ( https://www.maurten.com/ ) Now I am a big fan of Maurten and now with added caffeine, what could possibly go wrong ? Well it seems quite a lot. I was taking one gel roughly on the hour but by 10pm my stomach was not happy and I was feeling very, very queasy. So much so it stopped me in my tracks and it was time to bring out the onesie. (A sleeping bag with arms and legs from Aldi, good, different https://www.aldi.com.au/) After last year when I shivered in my sleeping bag for 90 minutes I was hoping the new onesie would see me cocooned in my own heating chamber, not to be. I had underestimated my soaking wet running gear and basically just lay in my own sweat freezing, no change from last year then ! Rob was my support for the event and I asked for 30 minutes initially and then another 20 minutes as I was in no state to get back out into the cold and dark. When I did eventually arise from hour of laying in a prone position, freezing cold, I had to put on a rain coat as well as my thermal, running shirt and running waterproof jacket. I was still so , so cold but managed to warm up by the end of the loop and started to tick off the laps.
As in the previous year I was determined not to walk on the course but use my resting time at the gazebo. Because the loop is so small this approach is do able but the only down side is you pass ( or not as the case may be!) your comfortable , reclining, chair and gazebo far too regularly, meaning the temptation for a quick sit down is always there. You say to yourself three laps before a rest and then all of a sudden you’re passing your gazebo , the light is on, you can see the chair and all your goodies and you think, ‘maybe a few minutes won’t hurt!’…. This has proved to be my undoing because I think this year I was 18hours and 58 minutes moving time, a slight improvement from last year but this probably accounts for a similar distance.
As I have said earlier running through the night in these events is the most difficult time and when you add in an upset stomach and freezing conditions you have all the reasons you need to pull the pin and scuttle off home, tail between your legs. Many times during the night I was tempted to make myself sick but was worried if I started down that road I may be unable to stop and that would lead to severe dehydration, not an option when you’re not even halfway through the event. So it was on with the Aftershokz Aeropex headphones and back to the 1970’s I went, my happy place. Apart from changing my headtorch every few hours the night was uneventful. I promised myself another snooze just before sunrise knowing if I could get to sunrise the whole event changes as the images below show you why. Thanks to Joanne Oosterhoff who captured the moments beautifully.
As you can see from the images below I certainly cheered up when the sun eventually decided to peek over the horizon and start to heat up the surroundings. It was a nice change from the previous evening when at one point the mist made it virtually impossible to see where you were going, very strange. You’ll also notice my support crew out like a light, albeit in Robs defence he had been with me most of the night and just returned from a top 3 finish in the 3 hour event. I spent my time logging the laps with breaks every other lap for some hydration and a SIS GU ( https://www.scienceinsport.com/au/ , ) these are more liquid than the Maurten so slightly more palatable. I knew I wasn’t eating enough but had enough energy to run each loop without walking although I was probably spending too long at my marquee. Slowly my total distance crept up, I hit 100k in around 12 hours and set myself a target of 100 miles (160km) for the event, not too much of a stretch goal but I wasn’t in the mood for thinking of bigger numbers at that point.
Although the sun was up I was still suffering with stomach issues and relying on more liquid than solids but still lapping in the around 5:45min/k average , comfortable. Moving towards late afternoon I was three laps up on my nearest rival for third place and closing in on my 160k target. It is at this point I made another rookie error which would make the last 4 hours of the race challenging, to say the least. As the temperature started to rise it was time to change out of my skins and into some shorts after a good leg massage. After doing this I put in a good burst as my legs felt great and was sure I would be even further ahead of my rival for third place. Imagine my surprise when Rob checked the field and found Sergio and I were both on 152k, I was dumbstruck, how could this be ? Rob asked if the ankle bracelet was faulty and looking down I realised I had forgotten to put it on after I had changed out of my skins ! This was the low point of the day, instantly I knew I had 4 more hours of racing ahead of me to keep my podium finish and at a time where I was really beginning to suffer after putting in a big burst to break my opponent. At the time my friend Mark C. was with me and he drove to the local service statin to grab a bag of ice and a litre of orange juice, at my request. These items probably saved my race, I used the ice virtually every lap adding it to a neck tie and also my arm sleeves, the OJ was just something I could keep down and had enough sugar to keep me moving forward.
As expected the last 4 hours was a slog but I managed to eek out a three lap advantage and then never let it go, running until the final few minutes of the 24 hours. In the end I ran an unofficial 196km total, a 4k PB , officially 187.5k. Totally stoked with the end result, nearly matching my first 12 hours and working so hard for the third place. Must admit to a few tears when I finished, this feeling only a runner will understand, the release of pressure of the whole event builds up and add in some seriously hard racing at the end, finishing really is special. As I have said many times these ultra events strip you bare , there is no hiding and you discover so much about yourself each time you run one. The only caveat of course is one day you are going to go to the well and it will be empty, I’m glad to say today was not that day.
Will I go back and do this race again ? If you’d asked me this a day or two afterwards I would have said an emphatic no but now , after typing this, I’m not so sure. Because while I sit here at my keyboard and try and pen what I felt I realise how special it is to push yourself past what you think is achievable. To reach out past the 40% that Goggins’s reckons is the limit for most people and see what the other 60% looks like, this is something special and this is what keeps you coming back. Several times during the race I was finished, 10pm lying freezing cold with stomach issues, 3pm in the same situation but even colder and more fatigued and finally 4 hours to go and knowing I would have to race every minute due to forgetting my timing bracelet. These are three occasions when I could have easily stopped, packed up my gear and gone home but on each occasion I chose to continue on, I chose to move past the 40% that limits most people in their daily life’s, I chose the path of most resistance.
The reward for all my hard work, a unofficial distance PB , a nice shiny medal and another great trophy to add to my one from last year for the same position. Both of these sit in my study and whenever they catch my eye I smile , remembering the pain I put myself to earn them and boy did I earn both of them. On a side note we had a COVID outbreak while the race was being run so at the end we all had to wear masks, go figure ? Made the presentations interesting.
Final few images below are the washing from a 24 hour race and my two trophies with all the regalia, I earned these bad boys but that’s the point isn’t it ? Looking at that image it does look like there could be room for maybe one more, maybe ? Giddy up…
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It is with a heavy heart I have to inform you that the Delirious West 200 Miler ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) has been postponed until October due to a 2 week snap lockdown after 10 months of COVID free restrictions. On the bright side I now get to run the race twice in the space of five months, October and then February 2022 to get the infamous ‘double plugger’ trophy. Always the optimist. Unfortunately I now find myself about as fit as I’ve been in many years with no races and a new addiction, trail running. Not a bad thing but the trails, the good ones, are at least an hour away so my runs now take two hours extra for the journey and also another hour for photos and just enjoying being on the trails, taking it all in so to speak. Thus a 3 hour trail run equates to about 6 hours of real (non-runners) time. As you can imagine No1 Wife and my many Daughters are none to impressed. It is lucky of course that No1 Wife has created her own social circle of friends after I started to hibernate and hide form a social life about 10 years ago. My many Daughters are now old enough to prefer time with their friends or electronic devices to spending it with Dad , so I’m onto a winner .
Right so Delirious is put back to October I now concentrate in my next race , the inaugural Herdy’s Frontyard, ( https://www.herdysfrontyard.com.au/ ) another last man standing event. I’ve been racing for over 20 years and without doubt the most fun I have ever had, with a bib on my chest, was Birdy’s backyard in August 2020, Herdy’s sister event. The concept is simple, it’s a 6.7k loop and you need to complete the loop and get back to the start line on the hour , every hour. The event continues until there is only runner left who then has to complete on their own to win, everybody else is a DNF ! It’s a brainchild of the great Gary Cantrell AKA Lazarus Lake, he of the Barkley Marathons fame. For a feel of the Barkley marathons watch this great Youtube video, inspiring stuff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDZdsqbcGTU
Birdy’s was really in the middle of nowhere around a beautiful lake so the scenery was stunning, if you search on birdys in the search option on the blog you’ll find a few posts with photos. Herdy’s frontyard is around a lake but this time it’s in the middle of Perth so there should be some spectators who will add to the atmosphere. I’m sure the organiser, Shaun Kaesler, will also have a few more ideas up his sleeve to make the event more memorable, which I hope includes at least one coffee van on 24 hour standby ! So for all Perth runners on Friday March 26th you need to get yourself down to Herdsman lake to either compete or spectate. There will be well over a hundred runners and with Birdy’s last two runners, Phil Gore and Michael Hooker, racing the event promises to go well into a second day and maybe even a third. Around the world these races have gone over 60 hours so you never know what to expect, of course in this instance it really does take two to tango as the winner can only run one more loop than the person who comes second, unfortunately.
For this type of event I highly recommend a massage gun, the running answer to eternal youth. If you haven’t got a massage gun you really are missing out. I use a gun from an Australian firm (made in China of course?) but, as with all things, you get what you pay for. In the 10-15 minutes you have at the end of each lap (assuming all goes well) you need to hydrate, get some nutrition, rest the legs and get on the ‘gun’. Worked for me last time when I was able to hit the magical 24 hours , which equates to just about 100 miles, give or take a few hundred metres apparently. For Hirdy’s I am going for broke, however long that may be ?
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