Standing in the cool crisp morning air I contemplated what was ahead of me, 100 miles (161.7kms) of running and anywhere up to 30 hours of remaining vertical on my feet. I felt ready and excited to begin what is widely regarded as the true 'Ultra' distance. I was not nervous really as my training had gone very well, I had not suffered any major injuries and I was not affected by any cold or flu. I was ready. Or so I thought........
I was standing at the very back of the 70 strong field talking with fellow miler runner Mat, his dad Stuart who was doing the 100km course and three Ultra friends, Tylana, Jaci and Dean. Tylana, Jaci and Dean had all run TNF100 with Mat, Stuart and I in May and were running in the 50km run which started an hour later. Unfortunately Dean had to withdraw due to an injury but was looking incredibly fit regardless. All of a sudden we were off, I was not paying attention and hurriedly started the Garmin GPS watch and took off at a casual trot.
We left the sanctuary of the school and turned left to begin the 109km Western loop of the course. I tried to run with Mat and Stuart for a little but there were quite a few runners around and it was clear that I was chomping at the bit to move ahead and run at my own pace. We wished each other well and I zig-zagged my way through the field slowly ticking off the first couple of kilometres.
Now anyone who knows me, or has done some racing with me, knows that I tend to get a bit excited and go out too fast at the start. Because 100 miles is a long way and I wanted to last until the end, I started off very slowly for me (relatively speaking of course) and ran 5mins 56secs for my first kilometre. The next 4km were on mainly flat wide trail and I continued to slowly pass runners who took off too quickly. The trail then turned left where we encountered our first small incline. It was on this hill that I caught up to Josh Cooper who was also running the miler after running a few 100km races including a very good 13hr The North Face 100 this year. Although Josh had been sick at the beginning of the week he was still running well and at a pace similar to mine. So without saying it out loud we fell into sync and made our way back to the school.
After a quick out and back detour into the school grounds we made our way up the familiar path to the top of Mt Beerburrum. Although incredibly steep I really enjoyed the climb. I have recounted my two previous excursions on this hill in older posts on this blog and in comparing the three, this time was the easiest. The pace from the outset was much easier and when I reached the summit I took a few seconds to really admire the view which I have failed to do in previous races. The view was spectacular with a wide panorama view of the whole area. I reached the top after running 11.6km in 1hr 11mins. All the key players gunning for podium places were five minutes ahead of me with the quickest time going to young 19 year old Zac Braxton-Smith in 1hr 05mins.
From the bottom of the climb Josh and I met up with and ran with Lisa Spink who is a very experienced 'ultra' distance runner having won this 100 mile race before and has finished the 240km Coast to Kosciuszko three times including two second place finishes. We continued to run at an easy conversational pace as we made our way around the course. Lisa went on to come fourth overall and first female in the 100km in an awesome 11hrs 25mins.
The first major checkpoint for me was Checkpoint 5 which is situated at about the 33km mark. This is where I picked up my first drop bag containing more of my Hammer Perpetuem drink. The course to this point had been relatively flat with some undulations and was not particularly difficult. We arrived at this checkpoint in 3hrs 26mins which was over half an hour quicker than my fastest estimated forecast to this point. Although ahead of schedule I was happy with the pace and how I felt. We had included lots of walking breaks on all the hills and even on the flat when we were feeling good. These walking breaks helped to stretch out and activate different muscles and allowed me to ensure that my nutrition and hydration was going to plan, which it was.
Running into the checkpoint I saw Dean and as I was filling up my bottles Tylana arrived as part of the 50km race. She was looking relaxed and happy. We wished each other luck and Josh and I proceeded towards checkpoint 6 on a part of the course known as the 'goat track' for obvious reasons. I started getting warm during this section and had to take off my long sleeve top and tie it around my waist. It was on the 'goat track' last year that I blew up so I took a little solace in the fact that I was running very comfortably, having lots of walking breaks and felt really good. I was enjoying myself immensely and was talking to other runners who we met up with along the way.
We reached checkpoint 6 after running for 4hrs 14mins and completing 38.7km of the journey. CP6 was extremely well stocked and I grabbed a couple of pieces of delectable watermelon which tasted so good. The day was starting to heat up a little bit more but thankfully a cool breeze was helping us from overheating. As we left CP6 I entered new territory having never run on this part of the course before. I was in very good spirits and was having a really good time. I remember thinking at the time that it felt more like a day out exploring than a timed race. Josh and I were getting on very well chatting away and we continued to talk with others who came past or we caught up to.
The next section, known as the 'power lines', from CP6 to CP8 is thought of as one of the harder parts of the course. The reasons for this are that it is usually encountered in the hot part of the day and, as I found out, is run through a wide open and undulating area with little or no shade. Although not particularly picturesque the view leading towards CP8 is amazing. As Josh and I crested a small hill we could see a long line of electrical pylons towering above the trail as it meandered its way down into the gully before ascending to the horizon in the distance. From our vantage point it looked like a formidable task and I for one was glad that we heeded the advice to take it easy and save ourselves for this section. I still felt very good and was running comfortably on the downhill and flat sections and walking the hills. We encountered more motorbike riders in this section and also a convoy of 4WD vehicles who were negotiating the various steep twists and turns in this area.
It only took me 1hr 17mins to run the 10.5km to CP8 and I was still over half an hour ahead of my fastest estimated time. As I approached the hive of activity which is CP8 I was ushered to the weigh-in area. Weighing in at an ultra of this length is very important as a significant loss (or increase) in bodyweight can negatively affect your performance and increase the risk of suffering serious health problems as the race progresses. My nutrition and hydration had been going to plan and I had lost only 2kg after 49.2km and 5hrs 31mins of running. My actual weight-loss was probably a little less because when I had my original weigh-in, before the start, I was wearing a light jumper and track-pants. As soon as I stepped off the scales I was met by one of the truly fantastic CP volunteers who handed me my drop-bag. I took my bag over to a fold-out chair and set about restocking my supplies and changing my watch. I grabbed my GPS charging unit and hooked it up to my watch. The Garmin GPS watch I use only has a very limited battery so I have a portable USB unit which charges the watch on the go. The beauty of this system is that I still receive kilometre splits and the data is still recorded without being lost or over-written.
I thought of check-point 8 as a kind of mini home-base because we pass through multiple times. From CP8 the course heads downhill for a short time before making a sharp right hand turn which is part of the 10.8km western loop before returning to CP8. From there we do an 8km loop to the east before arriving at CP8 for the last time. It was at CP8, as I restocked my food and fluids, that I saw some of the race leaders in both the miler and 100km races. They had already completed the 10.8km western loop and were over an hour ahead of me.
Josh and I began the western loop and made the sharp right hand turn into what felt like another world. One moment we were running on wide rugged fire trail and the next we were running through fields of beautiful wild flowers. The colours were so vibrant with deep purple, pink, blue and white flowers swaying lazily in the gentle breeze. The serenity I felt in this area was occasionally interrupted by the sound of falling branches as the wild wind raged almost un-noticed in the tall trees above. I was starting to feel increasingly fatigued and the walking breaks were becoming more prolonged and frequent. As we continued, the wild flowers were gradually replaced by the usual familiar vegetation along the fire trails. It was at this point we were joined by a runner of the four legged variety. A friendly dog without collar or tags ran with us for the remainder of the loop seemingly content to accompany us along the trail. As we began walking the climb to CP8 I got to see Mat and Stuart for the first time since the start of the race. They were setting out on the western loop and both looked in really good spirits. We said a brief hello to each other and Josh and I continued to walk up towards CP8.
We only stopped for long enough to refill our water bottles and grab a handful of food before beginning the steep climb which marks the beginning of the eastern loop at CP8. It appeared that our canine companion had waited for us and as we trudged upwards I looked back and spotted the dog following behind. We found out that we were not that special and the dog had already done a loop before joining us. As if to highlight this message the dog dropped back to accompany another runner behind us. Thankfully the eastern loop was only 8km long as the heat was starting to take it's toll and we were needing to walk for longer periods. Josh had been struggling with cramp for most of the race and we took a few stops to stretch and recharge our batteries. Upon reflection, we were running through this section in the midday heat and neither of us were drinking enough water. We eventually made it to CP8 for the last time and I was required to weigh in again before leaving. I had lost another kilogram taking my total weight loss to 3kg. I took advantage of the stop to change my running top, hat and shorts.
As we made our way towards CP7 we eventually caught up to a woman by the name of Pam Muston. Pam is another of Australia's ultra running legends. She has so much experience and only a few months ago completed arguably the world's toughest footrace, the Badwater Ultramarathon. Badwater is a 135mile (217km) continuous run which begins at the lowest point in the western hemisphere (85m below sea level) and ends at the Mt Whitney portal (2530m). What makes this particular event so difficult is that it is run in the middle of summer where the temperatures are consistently in the mid 50 degrees celsius range. I learnt a lot from watching Pam run. She was not particularly fast, however she ran at a good consistent pace, took walking breaks and had a very energy efficient stride. Pam went on to finish the 100 miles in 22hrs 33mins for first woman and 19th overall.
The temperature had dropped a little, I had gotten on top of my hydration and I was feeling really good as we ran into CP7. We continued to run on and off with Pam for quite a while as we began the short 4.5km loop at CP7. We were running for longer periods of time now, ticking off the kilometres and picking up places as we caught other runners. The course from CP8 had been relatively flat with a couple of gentle inclines but as we ran from CP7 to CP6 the course changed to feature more undulations with more technical uneven terrain, compared with the graded surface we had been running on for the last couple of hours. When I passed the 84km mark on my watch, Josh and I had a little celebration to acknowledge that I was now in new and unfamiliar territory. My longest run up until that point was the 83km that I had completed as part of the 2011 The North Face 100. I was very pleased at this new milestone because I felt really good and with less than 80km to go I was very confident of finishing the race.
I arrived at CP6 in 10hrs 49mins having completed 87.9km. I was feeling great and almost had a little dance to the music pumping out at the check-point. I resisted the urge to boogie and got down to business. I was still 10 minutes ahead of my fastest estimated time so was pretty much exactly where I wanted to be. As per my race plan, I donned my running backpack which contained all the items I would need for the remainder of the race. My bag contained:
2L bladder
Dry sack
Headlamp
Spare torch
First aid kit
Extra plasters, vaseline, neurofen
Spare batteries (AA & AAA)
Mobile phone
Emergency space blanket
Course map & directions, pace charts
Collapsible cup
Spare socks
I filled my hand held bottle with Perpetuem, the hydration bladder with water and departed CP6 with a spring in my step. I was having lots of fun and really enjoying myself. I sent a quick update on Facebook to let my friends know how I was going and made a quick phone call to Mel. I had run on this part of the course before and felt very confident of achieving my pre-race goal of a Sub24 hour finish.
We continued to make forward progress as we made our way through the fading light over the undulating terrain. It was 10.6km to the next checkpoint and by the time we arrived at CP5 a lot had changed. We had slowed considerably since CP6 and both of our stomachs were starting to give us grief. I didn't feel like drinking water but made myself do it anyway. I'm not sure if it is drinking from the bladder that makes my stomach this way but I just felt off and didn't feel like drinking much, ever since I picked up the backpack and began drinking from the bladder. The undulations towards the check-point were not particularly difficult but because we were both going through a bit of a bad patch we were pretty much walking only. We caught up to a few other runners and with less than a kilometre to the check-point, Josh's leg seized up tight with painful cramping. He tried to walk it out but we had to stop and stretch for a while before his muscles would relax enough for him to walk again.
Night had fallen as we were received into CP5 by the sight of a welcoming fire and the happy faces of some of my friends from Rocky. Gavin, Raelene and their son Dylan were waiting at the check-point to surprise me. It was so great to see them, especially as I was starting to really feel the effects of my stomach upset. Raelene had run in the 50km race earlier on, in an impressive 6hrs 23mins and Dylan had run the 10km race finishing 2nd in the under 18 category. I sat down for a while in one of the camp chairs letting the fire warm me as it was getting quite cool. I put on a long-sleeved thermal top as my friends helped me to get my headlamp ready and top up my water and perpetuem. I couldn't stomach any solid food which is a shame as there was such an amazing array of delectable delights on offer, something they are very well known for. Just as I was about to head for the school, Stuart arrived at the check-point looking really good. He ordered a hot drink and perused the banquet on offer. I said a quick hello and thanked my friends before embarking on the new challenge that is night running.
I have run at night and early morning in training and at TNF100 so I am not worried about running in the dark. I have a very good headlamp and the feeling of running through the darkness, with a beam of light to lead the way, strangely enhances the experience rather than detracting from it. Running at night is actually rather peaceful and without the visual distractions can be quite an uplifting experience. CP5 is situated at the 98.5 kilometre point. We had arrived after running for 12hrs 31mins. Unfortunately my watch had cut out a few times and I missed passing the 100km milestone. I estimate that we would have run 100km in about 12hs 45mins but it wasn't until the 13 hour mark that I acknowledged that we had cracked a century and sent another Facebook update. I took advantage of our frequent walking breaks to call Mel and talk to the kids before they went to bed. It was great talking to my family but my energy levels were getting low and the predominant form of locomotion had changed from running with walking breaks to walking with running breaks. Despite slowing considerably we were still comfortably on target pace and decided to take it easier until the school where we could recharge before starting the eastern loop.
A short time later a light came bouncing along from behind. The light turned out to be Stuart who was having a fantastic race and finishing really strong. We wished him well as he disappeared around the corner and was enveloped by the darkness of the woods. Both Josh and I had been quiet for some time as the fatigue was really affecting us and my stomach issues were aggravating my energy levels. The 10.5km between CP5 and the school seemed to take an eternity and I was having an introspective debate with myself on whether or not I wanted to continue. In my tired and depleted state I was happy having covered over 100km on foot and was having difficulty contemplating the additional 50 odd kilometres yet to be run on the Eastern loop. In my mind I had convinced myself that I had achieved the goal that I had missed at TNF100 and didn't need to go any further. I remember thinking that there was no need for me to run 161.7km when I could get the same feeling of accomplishment with running 109km. Josh seemed to sense my despondency and I told him that I was thinking of pulling the pin. He did his best to try and motivate me as we entered the school grounds, also known as CP2. We ran to the side of the finishers shute and were applauded by the hardy supporters and some of the 100km finishers including Stuart and Lisa. I was ushered to another set of scales for a further weigh-in. I can't remember what I weighed but I think that I had gained or lost about 300g or so.
I fear that I was not on my best behaviour at this point as I was feeling sorry for myself and trying to find a way to justify the decision to withdraw, a conclusion I had come to about half an hour earlier. The checkpoint staff were fantastic, offering me food and drink as I sat there mumbling that I could not stomach anything. At least I had the presence of mind to say "no thank-you" but I still felt very rude. Gavin, Raelene and Dylan were at the school and upon learning of my intention to pull out, instantly took on the roles of counsellor, motivator and most importantly just being my friends. They knew how much I wanted to do this race and that I would be disappointed if I gave up so easily and so early on in the race. Josh came over from where his family were helping him and checked to see if I was going to stay or continue on with him. He said he was about to go and would come back in a couple of minutes before heading out again. Although content with my decision to drop-out I still had a nagging feeling, somewhere deep down in my soul, that I would be letting Josh down. We had spent the last 14 hours working so well together and here I was about to give up just because it started to get tough. I would be letting myself down but I would also be letting him down.
So I stood up, Gavin put my jacket into my backpack and Dylan grabbed me a cup of pumpkin soup, some buttered bread and a cup of Solo. It actually felt good eating and drinking again and I felt better about continuing on. I apologised to, and thanked my friends as Josh arrived and we headed off on the eastern loop. The eastern loop is generally considered to be easier and more runnable than the western loop and I was just focusing on getting from one check-point to the next. We walked for a little bit to allow our stomachs to settle and then set off at a trot. We got lost a little but checked the map and course description I had in my backpack. We managed to find the marked track without losing too much time and continued with our run / walk strategy.
We had crossed over the main road and were making our way towards CP9 when we saw a light in the distance. As we got closer we realised we were looking at the race leader, Mike Le Roux, who was running by himself at a good steady pace with nobody behind him. We congratulated him as he passed and were very impressed with his position. Mike went on to win the race by 21mins over 2nd place in 15hrs 38mins, taking over an hour off the race record in the process.
At about 115km I had the sudden feeling that I was going to vomit. I stood to the side of the road and emptied my stomach of pumpkin soup. The funny thing about vomiting is that you feel better almost immediately. I threw up for a second time and told Josh that I was all set. We ran off as I tried to re-set my hydration and nutrition strategy. I began drinking water again and took in some Perpetuem when my stomach had settled. We crossed paths with second place runner, David Waugh, as we turned right and began running through the forest again.
The section from CP2 to CP9 is the longest in the race and at 12.5km it seemed to take forever. In fact it took 2hrs 19mins before we made it to the checkpoint. We were both so relieved to see the caravan and camp-like set-up as we had both been struggling and were only running for about 100-300m of each kilometre. I had a cup of hot tea to drink at the checkpoint and was given a small card with my race number on it. From CP9 we took a detour up Wild Horse Mountain which is a 750m climb on a sealed road to the observatory. The climb was steep but not as difficult or as long as I had anticipated. Having said that, when we reached the top, I looked around the lower level hoping that the box for our race numbers would be there instead of up the stairs. After a fruitless search of the lower level we climbed the stairs, deposited our numbers into the plastic container and began the descent back down to the caravan. I only stopped long enough to re-fill my water bladder before heading towards CP10. Having run up the hill I felt like we were making real progress, we had been running for 16hrs 47mins and had covered 123km. The next section of the course was only 4.5km, we would have to do two loops at CP10 and could then head back towards the finish. How hard could it be?
Well, I sure found out how hard it could be. The 4.5km between checkpoints seemed to take forever. Added to that, my stomach was protesting and I could not tolerate Perpetuem or water easily. I don't think we ran more than 500m and I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I was so tired that I began drifting off to sleep, my head was spinning and I was on the verge of closing my eyes. That is until I saw a large snake on the side of the track. Along this area the ground is covered with sand and I was sliding along the track from side to side. As I played the beam to the side of the trail, my headlamp illuminated a large python coiled up less than a metre to my right. I almost jumped into Josh's lap in my effort to evade certain death. As a New Zealander I am not too familiar with snakes and have only had the opportunity to hold a snake twice when I have visited wildlife farms here in Australia and in the US. My encounter with the snake helped to keep me awake for another 10 minutes or so before the cool seductive tendrils of fatigue threatened to envelope me again. It was during this section that I began to hear voices and see things. I thought that I could hear peoples voices and was adamant that I could see the checkpoint but as we plodded along, dragging our feet, I realised I was mistaken.
Josh and I were so defeated and tired that when we finally arrived at CP10 we didn't care too much. Josh stood on the scales to be weighed in, only to be told that they weigh us after completing the two loops. Josh went off in search of his family and I sat down in one of the camp chairs. I was offered some food and drink but politely declined. As I sat there waiting for Josh I dozed on and off. I was so tired I couldn't keep my eyes open. I was aware of people around me and opened my eyes periodically to prevent myself from falling into a deep sleep. It felt like half an hour, but in reality was more like 10 minutes, before Josh's step-father came over to me and said that Josh was in a bad way and would not be going on. Josh had been having stomach issues all day as well and when I got to him he was groaning in pain and was clearly finished. They asked me if I was going to carry on and I had to ask myself again if I was willing to carry on. I thought about what was ahead of me, the two unfamiliar loops at CP10 and the return journey from CP10 through to CP9, up Wild Horse Mountain, back to CP9 and the final 12.5km back to the school and the waiting finish line. I briefly contemplated the solo journey through the night, but considering my earlier melt-down and the daunting prospect of re-tracing the easier eastern loop that had destroyed me, I joined Josh and withdrew from the race at checkpoint 10. I had covered 127.5km in 17hrs 36mins.
I was lucky enough to catch a lift back to the school with Josh and his family. As we arrived Josh nosily filled a sick bag with at least a litre of fluid from his stomach. I thanked his family and made the embarrassing journey through the school grounds and officially withdrew to the race director and volunteers. The volunteers at this race are superb and I was met by Susannah Harvey-Jamieson who is an experienced ultra runner having completed the miler here multiple times and was fourth woman overall at Badwater last year. I sipped another cup of tea and met with Gavin and Raelene who came to pick me up. I did not intend to stay with them on the Saturday night as I had planned to still be running, however they were there for me and took me back to their unit so I could finally sleep. To make matters worse, as I sat there, defeated and feeling sorry for myself, four other runners arrived. They had only just finished the western loop and were getting ready to tackle the eastern loop that had just defeated me. To credit the strength of these four runners, as I was driving to the awards BBQ the next morning, I saw them still running on the course as the warm sun was shining down on them. They had the fortitude and strength of character to keep going. Of the 70 people who started the 100 mile race, only 42 people finished. The last finisher was the legendary Bill Thompson who finished the Glasshouse 100 miler for the 11th time in 29hrs 40mins.
After a shower, a sleep and a decent breakfast the next morning I had time to reflect upon my run. I also learnt that Mat had finished the miler in a great time of 25hrs 16mins, a time that I would have been really happy with. I am not disappointed with myself for pulling out when I did. I am very happy with my performance. My ultimate goal was to complete the event and although I didn't achieve that target I learnt a lot. I now know that I underestimated the mental aspect of the race. I knew that endurance races of this length are more about mental strength and less about physical ability, however I was un-prepared for how this would affect me on the day. I am still relatively inexperienced when it comes to ultra marathons having run my first one (50km) a year ago at this very event. I am so glad and thankful to my friends for pushing me at the school and I am proud of myself for getting back out there for another three and a half hours when all I wanted to do was stop.
I had planned for the race extremely well, working out a comprehensive nutrition and hydration plan together with a realistic pace chart to gauge my progress. I was physically ready and my run / walk strategy worked exceptionally well. For the entire run I did not exert myself beyond my limits. I ran at a comfortable conversational pace and took regular walking breaks even when I felt very good and could have easily run. I kept my heart-rate and breathing to an easy rhythm and never got to the point where I had to stop to catch my breath. My legs were stiff and sore the next day but I didn't receive any injuries only suffering a blister on the outside of each foot.
I have had to be really honest with myself and admit that I did not want this as much as I thought I did. If I truly wanted to finish I would have kept going, I would not have let anything prevent me from crossing the finish line. I was not prevented from finishing by any injury or physical obstacle, instead I failed to finish because I lacked the experience and desire to push past my preconceived limits. Thankfully this experience is something that I can learn from and work on. During the race I contemplated finding a new sport and taking up something like table-tennis. Luckily that brief moment of weakness passed quickly and I have realised what I have accomplished. Prior to standing at the start line, I had only run three 50km trail runs and run 83km as part of TNF100. On the day I managed to run a little over three consecutive back to back marathons, running over 44km further than I had ever run before and lasted for almost 18 hours, over 5 hours longer than I did at TNF100.
The results will show a DNF against my name, but as somewhat of a consolation prize I received a mug and medal for completing 100km.
In contrast to my state of mind after TNF100, I am NOT retiring from ultra running and instead am looking toward the future. As promised to myself and my loving and supporting family I am taking two weeks off all exercise. After one week I am already chomping at the bit to get back out there but a total rest will help both mentally and physically. Physically I feel as if I could go out and run the whole thing again this weekend but I know that I need to let the body recover. I am looking at a number of other races before heading down to the Blue Mountains next May to achieve a finish at The North Face 100. In 2012 I will continue on my journey of discovery along the ultramarathon path. I am looking forward to returning to the Glasshouse Mountains to again take on the challenge and adventure of running 100 miles.
I would like to thank all of my friends and training partners who have helped me to develop as an athlete and a person. They have been with me when I have struggled through tough training runs and helped to motivate and inspire me through their own experiences and achievements. There are far too many to name but you all know who you are. I would also like to thank the readers of my blog. It started off as more of a journal to remind me of my training and racing experiences but has become so much more. I'm glad you like reading my posts and I apologise for the length of this one, but how could I eloquently capture such a long race in a few short paragraphs. Most importantly I would like to thank my wonderful and supporting wife Melanie and my incredible children Holly and Ethan who have put up with all my long training runs (including my 3am starts) and helped support me through this running obsession of mine.
I will continue to publish more posts soon including race photos from the event when they become available.
Keep running.
