Run Benny Boy Run: 2010

Well I have completed my first Ultra (which is technically any run longer than 42.2km in length).

I entered and ran in the Glasshouse Mountains 50km trail run which was held on the 11th September 2010. The race is part of a big weekend of running with 100km and 100mile options also starting on the Saturday and 12km and 30km options on the Sunday.

Going into the run I only had about 9 weeks of running under my belt after my two months off running. I had got in some good training building up to my peak week of 137.97km including a long run of 38.15km. I had changed my approach to training and aimed to run at my ADP (All Day Pace) which I figured on the road to be about 5:15 to 5:30km on the flat.

I had a two week taper with an 80km week the week before the race and about 30km the week of the race. I felt pretty good but my pace seemed to get quicker the fresher I felt which I should have kept a tight rein on. This just shows my inexperience with Ultra running I guess.

Due to work issues I had to change around my shifts so that I could do the event in the first place which was a big hassle and meant that I spent more money than I should have with flights and a rental car, booking late and close to the event. Luckily I was able to housesit for the Grimes in Caloundra and the race is very good value only costing about $50.00 to enter. I ended up working overtime two nights before the run finishing work at about 12:30am and getting a lift home.

I flew down on Tiger Airways after a bit of a wait at the airport and picked up my rental car (a Ford Focus) and drove up to Caloundra. Due to my rental car being late, lack of facilities at Brisbane Airport I ended up getting a semi healthy roll and muffin from a BP service station at about 2pm which was too late and I was too hungry. I set myself up at Deagon's place and got my gear for the race laid out.

I went to the pre-race briefing which is held at the start / finish area which is the Beerburrum State School. The school is about 30km from Deagon's place so was a bit of a drive but is not really an issue. I felt a bit lost at registration because I didn't know anyone and everyone else seemed to be old friends. Add to the list I was only one of a handful of 50km runners there and everyone else was doing either the 100km or 100mile events. Everyone looked normal and there were no prima-donna's out strutting their stuff and showing off like you usually get at triathlon and Ironman briefings.

I talked to a few people but mainly sat by myself and tucked into the free pasta meal that came with the entry. After receiving my number (#501)I signed the waiver and picked up a free t-shirt (pretty good for a $50.00 race entry fee). I sat through the briefing as I was a bit worried about navigation and interested in how the course was faring after quite a bit of rain over the last week.

After the briefing I went home and watched a bit of TV and my body quickly processed my dinner ( I guess that my stomach was doing backflips which is typical of how I get myself all nervous and worked up). I went to bed around 9:30pm as I was pretty tired and slept reasonably well, although I did toss and turn for a while and have a few dreams (including one where I won the race!!).

I woke up at 4:15am, after clock-watching a few times, and had some oats and gatorade before re-checking all my gear. I had another ''pre-game and was ready to head out to the start.

I arrived just before 5:30am which is when the longer events started and managed to get a park after doing a couple of loops around the small school car-park. I got out of the car in time to see the real hard-core runners head out on what would be a very long day for them.

I tried to relax at the school before the run by listening to some music and going through some last minute preparations. I was getting a look at some of my fellow 50km runners and some of them looked very capable. I had said to myself before the race that winning is not why I am there, that I am there to get some experience and get an Ultra under my belt. I thought that a top 3 would be nice but the problem with that is that I always get competitive and think about placings when I should only concern myself with how I am doing as I can be my own worst enemy.

I put on my bug spray, sunscreen and anti-chaffing petroleum jelly and went for a 5-10min warm up jog. I felt pretty good and was getting excited about starting and getting underway. The day promised to be a warm one with a beautiful morning and clear skies.

The 50km runners all lined up at the start / finish and were told that we would be about 1 hour behind the 100km and 100mile runners and that some of them were about to finish their short loop before joining the same course as us. The race director, Ian Javes, began a countdown and we were off. I positioned myself a few away from the front and ensured that I didn't take off like a rabbit in all the excitement.

I tried to run with a group of people that looked like they had done the race before and let a few others get ahead. The pace was quite easy to start so I had no problem in this group. Then came my frist surprise, Mt Beerburrum. Wow, this hill / mountain is a monster. We started a gradual incline and I tried to establish a comfortable rhythm which unfortunately meant that I moved ahead of the group I was with and was catching a few of the guys who took off quickly. The slope kept climbing and climbing and climbing. We took a little detour and began running on an established concrete path which was getting steeper with every step. I could see a few people walking ahead of me (a mixture of 50km, 100km, 100mile runners) and was thinking of some advice I have previously read from Ultra race reports, to walk up the steep hills and conserve energy. I started walking when one of the longer event runners passed me as I was running and he was walking!! I don't know at what angle the incline is but I was up on my toes and breathing hard whilst walking. I passed and was passed a few times and caught a glimpse of the leading runners from the longer events coming down the hill. I eventually made it to the top as well, had my number recorded and began the decent.

The slope was so steep in parts I had to sit up and try to slow myself down or risk falling face first onto the path. My feet were getting really hot from hitting the path and my toes kept slamming into the front of my shoes. I was enjoying myself however and tried to acknowledge all the other runners heading up the hill as I was running down. As the slope started to level out to a more managable incline I found myself running too fast and striding out too much. I knew that I needed to watch myself early on and looked ahead to try and find another 50km runner that I could run with. I could see a few people in the distance ahead and decided that I would slow a little but keep striding out until I caught someone who I could run with.

I was slowly reeling in the runners in the longer events and was a bit conscious that I would look like some over-eager show-off runner in the 50km who will blow-up later in the run. I was getting into a rhythm and was not breathing too hard so I continued until I could see a group of 3 who were in my event. I managed to catch them after a couple of km's but a split was forming so I moved up to the guy in front. This is probably the point where things started to go wrong. My nutrition was going to plan and I had my first gel washing it down with water as I had done in training. The track was quite wide at this point and I could see two runners from the longer event up ahead. The guy I was running with started to drop back ever so slightly (or did I pick up the pace a little?). We took a right turn into a narrower trail following the red arrows on white backgrounds and looking for white tape attached to trees.

At this time I was leading the 50km race with second place just behind me with about 8.5km covered. I know that I am somewhat colourblind but I have a pretty good sense of direction and was keeping an eager eye out for markers. However, I missed a left turn. The red arrow was taped to a tree surrounded by green vegetation and was a couple of metres inside the turn, this in itself is not an issue but I didn't see it. What I saw was a piece of white tape a few metres further on the main path that we were currently running on. I was a bit concerned because I was worried that the left hand path could have been a turn-off but I had seen a piece of white tape on this track, had not seen the red sign and the guy in second place behind me was still there and also thought we were on the right track. We continued on the main track dodging mud puddles and running at a good steady (and too fast) pace. I had not seen any white marking tape or any footprints (which we were told to keep an eye out for) for some time. I spoke to the guy I was running with (we were taking turns in front) and voiced my conerns. He suggested that he had seen the earlier tape and thought that we should keep our eyes open for another. The track we were on ended up being a small loop that took us onto the track we had already run. We stopped and made a decision to back track to find the last white marker. I was pissed off with myself and was running pretty quick because I really didn't want to be lost at this early stage. We ended up running into two other people coming towards us down the wrong path. We told them that we thought it was the wrong direction and they told us about the white tape about 1 minute back the way they had come. So all four of us ran back and sure enough found the red arrow down a different path. As it turned out the white marker had been moved by someone (most likely a motorbike rider who doesn't like runners using the trails). It still doesn't excuse the fact that I missed the red arrow. After reading various accounts on Coolrunnings in the day's after the race I reliased that many more people had taken the same wrong turn and our footprints in the mud probably did not help them much.

After my little detour I figured that we had run an extra 2-3km's and about 15 or so places in the 50km field. I was still pretty angry at myself and was running far too fast. I think that it was a subconscious action to make up the time that I had lost. On one hand I was thinking that I just had to finish now and that I could forget about places and just enjoy it, but on the other hand I was thinking about lost opportunities and glory and thought that a win was still possible.

I started talking to my new running buddy and found out that he is also an ex-pat Kiwi. His name is Antony Boyd and also comes from a triathlon and Ironman background. I found out that he had lived in Wellington for a while and we knew some of the same people. It was great talking to him while running but I was still very conscious of how fast we were going and worried that I would pay for it later. We were running most of the km's under five minutes with a couple around the 4:30 to 4:45 pace which was too quick. I knew it and let up a bit but I think that the damage was already done. We were picking up lots of the runners we had already passed and were running on some undulating terrain with parts that were covered in thick mud coating the bottoms of our shoes making them quite heavy. I was still drinking and eating to plan but I was aware that my legs were starting to feel a bit tired and I was breathing harder than I should.

We kept ticking off the km's and passing runners until we got to check-point 4 where Antony carried on and I stopped to refil my fuelbelt water bottles. The checkpoints in this race are awesome, they have a great variety of drink and food and the volunteers are amazing. Someone helped refil my waterbottles while I got a drink of endura. I was at the checkpoint for a minute or so and took off with Antony far ahead in the distance. From this point I ran by myself and concentrated on trying to relax and run at a comfortable pace.

The trail from checkpoint 4 to 5 changes to a more technical track in parts with some big undulations and trees to navigate around, under and over. This slowed me down a bit more and made it a bit tougher. I had caught up with most of the longer distance runners so was by myself for most of this section. I had to keep an eagle eye out for course markers and had to stop and check for white tape a few times and nearly getting lost again. The temperature was starting to get quite warm now so my nutrition and hydration would be very important.

As I got to check point 5 I caught another 50km runner and some longer distance runners. I refuelled a little and took off catching sight of Antony ahead. I was still running quite steady with my pace fluctuating depending on the terrain. I had thought that the course up until this point was tough, I was in for a massive surprise. In my opinion the trail between checkpoints 5 and 6 were the toughest of the 50km course. The trail has many large undulating and steep hills which were unrunable. I was constantly walking with my hands on my knees up the steep inclines and taking baby steps on the declines. The trail in many parts has been shaped by dirtbike riders with deep crevaces where they have riden. At one point on a steep decent I tripped and fell on my hands and knees. Thankfully it was not a big fall and I landed in relatively soft mud. At another point I tried to artfully avoid a large puddle and went to the left in what I thought was shallow mud. I was wrong. I ended up mid-shin high in thick heavy mud, coating both my shoes and almost getting stuck.

I was getting very tired during this stage and was 'hitting the wall'. I started to walk on more moderate climbs and my stomach was starting to feel quite upset. I was worried that I would be passed by some of the runners I had passed earlier and would feel embarrassed for going out too hard. I was photographed coming up a particularly steep climb just before checkpoint 6. The photograph is pretty good, I have a strange smile on my face and it gives some insight into the steepness and difficulty of the terrain. This is what the race is all about though, so although I was finding it tough and regretting my earlier tactics I was still enjoying myself and glad that I had entered.

I ran into checkpoint 6 and started on the coke. I had a couple of cups of Coca Cola and some lollies as well as a banana and some Endura. I was told that there were 5 other runners ahead of me and as I headed out on the course I could see three of them ahead of me at the point where the 100km / 100mile runners turn left and we go right. I passed another runner as he was walking downhill and felt that I wasn't alone in the suffering department. I concentrated on running the downhills and walking the uphills in an effort to conserve energy as I was still feeling really tired. The problem was the uphills that I was walking were not that steep and having completed about 30km I still had a long way to go.

I took my first pee stop and was starting to get the stitch running on the downhills. I have had stomach problems in the past and was unsure if I had them today because I had gone out too hard, had too much carbs and not enough water or if the heat was a factor. It could have been a combination of all these issues but it was really starting to take its toll and after another 5km or so I was on the side of the course dry-heaving. Nothing came up but I was very uncomfortable and walking some flat sections with my hands on my head to try and settle my stomach. I kept looking over my shoulder for the string of runners about to pass but they didn't come. I ran on when I could and after coming back onto some wider track I caught up to Antony again who was having knee troubles. I stopped and walked with him for a while, it was good to share each others misery for a while. It made me feel a bit better to know that this is a tough race and that I was not the only one finding it tough going.

We started running together towards checkpoint 5 again on our way back. What amazed me as I ran into the checkpoint were the number of runners (in all three races) who were on their way out as I was on my way in. This moment put the day into perspective for me. Here I was feeling sorry for myself after a mere 38km and these other runners were contemplating another 30,80 or 120km's to go. So I sat down at checkpoint 5, had some more coke and rested for about 5 minutes or so before heading out with Antony. I ran ahead and was running baby steps focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. I crested the lookout and ran down the other side but had to walk part of the downhill as the stomach cramps / stitch was making it very hard to breathe. Antony and I would pass each other and catch back up like some bizarre cat and mouse game, we were'nt trying to beat each other, it was more like we each had our own issues and were running when could and walking when we had to. It was great having him there because we fed off each other and encouraged the other to keep running when we felt like walking.

With about 5 or 6km to go were were caught by another runner. He was running reasonably slow but he was running and at a constant pace which meant that he moved ahead of the both of us pretty easily. I told him how well he was running, I was happy for him but slightly envous at the same time. I was in survival mode at this time and Antony soon pushed ahead leaving me to walk / run in the hot sun and unfamiliar terrain. I couldn't face eating and even taking a drink of water made my stomach revolt forcing me to walk again. My main form of locomotion was walking now and would run for a few hundred metres until I thought that I was going to throw up or pass out. I was resigned to a slow time but was focused on finishing and learning from the experience.

I had made it onto the back end of the course and was following the markers towards the finish that we had followed on the way out. I was a bit disoreintated and was confused about how much further I had to go. I was wearing my Garmin 405CX watch but was aware that I had forgot to turn off the auto-pause function and therefore I didn't have an acurate distance showing on the watch. I still thought that I had about 4km to go and was walking down the trail when I could see the school in the distance. I thought that I still had a long way to go and thought that I must have to run a small loop before finishing. I knew that I had followed the course markers but still wondered if I had taken a wrong turn or missed a part of the course as I ran down the finish shute.

I finished the run in 6th place overall in a time of 5hrs 27mins 49secs. I was really happy to have finished my first ultra run but was still really concerned that I had missed a part of the course. I asked the time-keepers at the finish and they said that I was expected at about this time was in the right position and had followed the correct course. I sat down trying to let it all sink in and saw Antony and the other runners who had already finished. I was hot, tired and my stomach couldn't handle any food but I was happy. I caught up with a few of the runners who had finished and we shared some stories and commented on how hard the course and conditions were. Running in events like these is what it's all about for me, pushing and extending myself beyond what is easy and having shared experiences with other people. We all do it for our own reasons but we all get great satisfaction from the sacrifice and sense of personal achievement that training for and completing an event like this gives us.

I hobbled over to the car and grabbed my phone to call Mel. I was a bit stiff and sore and couldn't sit still so I half lay on the car-park concrete. I told Mel all about the race and how I was going to retire from endurance events and how my stomach upset meant that I was not cut out for long distance events. I had been thinking about this during my walking sessions near the end of the race and was contemplating what other sports I could take up. Mel as ever is really understanding and was very proud of me. I promised to call her back and rejoined the other runners and congratulated the finishers as they came in. The runners in 7th and 8th positions were only 3 and 5mins behind me so I was lucky to finish in 6th.

The winner of the race was a woman by the name of Peggy MacQueen who I understand is a bit of a legend here. She finished almost an hour ahead of me in 4hrs 29mins and was 15mins ahead of the next runner. For a while I kept wondering about what would have happened if I didn't get lost. Would I have won the race, would I have run a more even and controlled pace, would I have had stomach problems. I have realised that none of that really matters, I cannot change what happened and need to focus on what I achieved. I completed my first ultra-marathon, I enjoyed the experience and have learnt that I am capable of extending myself outside my comfort zone and achieving what I set out to do.

I didn't hang around at the finish line for too long and made my way back to Deag's place and had a wee nap. As the day wore on I started to feel better about my run and the idea of giving up ultra-running was fading and I started to think about future events.

Run Benny Boy Run

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Glasshouse 50km 2010

Monday, July 26, 2010

Running History