For the past few days I've been trying to process my epic weekend and get my brain back to normal.... I knew I wasn't quite caught up with reality when I tried to make a cup of tea for Richard and I, and get us some cheese and bikkies on Sunday night. I came upstairs with one cup of tea, on a plate, with a knife. No cheese or biscuits and no second cup of tea. I burst out laughing... clearly the mental recovery takes a little while after such an event! I have been using the wrong words and have been really scattered, but now four days later I finally feel almost back to my regular self, so it's time to get it all down in writing. So here goes... grab a coffee and get settled in as this is a long read!
Firstly, a few pics from the race briefing and prepping back in the cabin - I felt so relaxed in the whole lead up to the event, zero start line nerves, just happy and excited! The only time I felt a little anxious was on the Monday prior to the race and I think that was to do with the amount of coordinating and logistics that had to happen that week to just get to that start line.
Leg 1: 0 - 21km
To sum up this leg... arctic winds, rain squalls, a rainbow, razor sharp technical reefs, cold then hot, jacket on, jacket off, slipping into the surf, thigh deep wading through waves as they crashed into the rocks, giving up on staying dry, a bit of soft sand but mostly nice firm sand, some pretty sketchy reef clambering around a headland, and a fantastic effort from my support crew!
I went into the first 21km with a lot of trepidation... how firm was the sand really? Would I be completely trashed after this leg and struggle for the rest of the day? I planned to really take my time and just run when I felt good, and walk regularly as needed. As soon as I set off I realised that the sand was indeed very hard and felt similar to running on trails. I should have trusted race director Sam when he told me that a while back! Still, I wanted to conserve my energy and although I was super fresh from a nice relaxed taper, I had to rein it in a bit and accept that I was where I needed to be: well towards the back of the pack with a lot of people passing me. It's gonna be a looong day out, I told myself, just keep a lid on it and run your own race!
The running along here was just magic, the sea cliffs are so different from anything I've seen around where I live, and since I was a very young girl I've loved rock hopping around rock pools, so I absolutely loved the reef running. I had an old pair of Saucony Peregrines on and managed to keep my footing most of the time. I had heard from friends who had raced in previous years that the reef sections were very slippery and difficult to navigate through, but although they slowed my down I didn't feel unstable on them. One or two minor slips is pretty good going for a clumsy runner like me. Many others around me slipped and slid on the rocks and on the earlier clay sections though! It was great to have our names on a small bag tag and I was able to strike up conversations with a few people, and also had a few guys and girls come up to me and say they had enjoyed my training blogs - thanks!
Although it was a very cold day it wasn't long till I was down to my singlet for a while. Probably because I was going too fast and getting warm because of it. I have a photo looking ahead at the ominous hail-carrying thunderstorm, and a photo looking behind me of clear blue skies and a rainbow!
Yep, I'm definitely in Victoria with that '4 seasons in one day' weather, I thought. This was to continue throughout the day, staying cold (which I liked) but clearing, then raining, then clearing again; a wee bit of hail in leg 2, and rumbling thunder in the distance. I figured this was pretty standard for this part of the world but read later on that even the locals thought it was a bit wild and woolly. I love running in the cold and rain but felt for my poor crew, seemingly being rained on every time I was about to come into a checkpoint. They were bloody troopers the whole day!
Rounding Rocky Point was probably the most hairy moment of leg 1; there was a big swell ahead of the impending storm and we had to climb through, over and then under a narrow sharp rocky outcrop as the waves broke high and the swell pushed and pulled us around. I am fairly confident in the water and enjoyed the adventure of this part but I know a few others did not like this bit at all! Personally the toughest bit for me were the couple of smaller beaches in the middle of this leg where the sand was softer.
Soon we were on the last beach stretch, with a gathering of people now in sight up on the headland in the distance. Coming into the first checkpoint to the cheers and cowbells was wonderful and I ran straight to my crew to sort out a tailwind refill, vegemite sandwich and some soggy but deliciously salty chips. The rain and wind had picked up to a ridiculous level and some garbage bins toppled over; it was really not fun weather to be standing around in. Rita told me there was a wind chill of zero! There were two cute little dogs in the checkpoint that were huddling to get out of the weather. I changed my shoes and put on fresh socks, not bothering to re-tape my toes as everything felt good so far. A loo stop and a few quick hugs and photos and I was out the chute to continue along the surf coast walk through to the next point where I'd arranged to see my crew, at the 49km checkpoint.
Leg 2: 21 - 49km
Running along the clifftops was nice with lots of small undulations. I walked a bit, getting my legs back after the sandy section, walking some small hills that on a shorter run I most certainly would have run up rather than walked, but I was still conserving energy knowing I'd need it for all the climbing in leg 3. I was eating and drinking lots and felt a bit tired but ok, and I was glad to see the trails turning into something more familiar after the beach leg and really enjoyed trotting through here. I was glad that the most 'unknown' leg was over.
I didn't take as many photos as the rain was near constant and blowing sideways into my ears so I didn't get my phone out much. Luckily it was in a waterproof case made for canyoning, as I'd dropped it in the surf earlier! This leg was very wet, but pretty, firstly along gravel path with views back to Bells Beach and then bending away from the coast into the lovely single track Eumeralla woodland area. As I ran through this part I thought how lovely it would be to come back for a family holiday, as Richie and Tyler would love mountain biking through here. It was beautiful but a little hard to get into a rhythm as the track was very skinny and my giant feet take up a lot of room! Also I was trying to ensure I landed with flat steps rather than bouncing side to side off the berms as my knee had started to make itself known.
It has been giving me some grief lately, caused by a tight quad that pulls my kneecap sideways towards the outside of my leg. My mantra for the day was CHOOSE JOY and whenever something hurt or it felt tough, I reminded myself what a beautiful place I was in, how lucky I was so be able to do this, and how much support I had from friends and family. At a few points through this section I caught up with some other guys and girls for a chat, many of whom were doing the relay, and I ran into checkpoint 3 with another RMA, grabbing a handful of chips and a gel but not really stopping other than to say hi to the volunteers.
I was in more of a rhythm now, munching torn off chunks of my vegemite sandwich and remembering to sip little and often on my tailwind. There was a beautiful flat section through the trees just before that checkpoint where I was able to really relax, although my knee was starting to annoy me and I had messaged Rita earlier asking her to get the K Tape ready.
As I reached the 49k check point I was pretty soggy, glad for some hot minestrone soup and a coke, and sat for a minute taking time to try and loosen up my leg with some self massage. Despite the rain I was still feeling great and very positive - and with my RMA visor on all day, the rain wasn't in my eyes anyway. I would have been much more uncomfortable and really struggled had it been warm and sunny - my heart rate would have been right up and I would have had a headache by now from the sun.
My penguin crew were awesome; Rita ran down to meet me a little way before the checkpoint entrance, and she worked with mum and Jimmy like a well oiled machine to fill my hydration pack, stuff more food into me and generally get my shit sorted while I had a quick break. Mum stuffed soup and a bread roll into my face, Jimmy helped Rita fill my pack, and as I sat I saw Sam B come into the checkpoint; a fellow RMA I'd just met. Her leg 1 relay runner had unexpectedly pulled out just hours before the start, so she had bravely taken on doing both leg 1 and leg 2 at the last moment, having not even done a marathon distance before! Well done Sam! I also heard over the loudspeaker that the 100k winner was so close to finishing - just unbelievable what those elites can do! Mum and Jimmy commented that I looked remarkably fresh for someone who'd just done 50km. I felt relatively fresh too - my head space was good, my tummy was good and that amazing soup really did the trick, I felt revived and ready to push on!
Leg 3 : 49 - 77km
I knew this was the toughest part of the course and planned to hike the hills and just manage my energy so I had enough left in the tank for the final leg. Well, I didn't have to worry about going to fast here... my knee was really hurting now, as soon as I'd got round the corner from the 49km point the pain kicked in big time and as I crossed a pretty bridge near the inlet I stopped to use a bandage to try and yank my kneecap back in the right direction. It helped a tiny bit but not much.
Again I tried to 'choose joy', and figured it was going to just hurt up to a point then not get any worse. I considered turning back but didn't want to set off the timing mats incorrectly, so I just walked for a bit, munching on my bread roll, enjoying the tiny wildflowers blooming everywhere in the rain. I even managed to take some photos of some native orchids for mum and Jimmy who are keen orchid collectors. I tried to hack together a knee solution MacGyver style, using a regular crepe bandage and pulling my knee tightly over to the other side, but it kept slipping down and by the time I got to the climb up to Currawong Falls I ripped it off in frustration.
I was still trotting along ok, hiking strongly up the hills but the downhills were debilitating... then I came to this endless clay slick! I'm sure it would be perfectly runnable in fine weather but today I minced down it like an old lady and it seemed to take me hours! The clay glued to my shoes and I felt like I was wearing lead boots.
Finally, the trails turned to dirt and rocks again and I could get a decent foothold, and I turned into the Otway national park for the biggest climb of the course up to Currawong Falls. On Rita's recommendation I'd picked up my head lamp at the 49km point, not knowing quite how long this leg would take, and due to the overcast weather I thought the sun might set a little earlier than 6.15. I eventually needed my light as I reached the top of the biggest hill, hoping that I'd finally see these falls and that would give me a boost, but I didn't see a waterfall anywhere. It got dark quickly and I felt quite comfortable and calm, having trained so much in the dark I felt pretty comfortable here. It felt like it was taking sooo long though, but what Rita said at the 49k point kept coming back to me - 'You're not Brendan Davies, you're not Jo Brischetto, you're Leonie Waldron and you want to complete 100k!' Yep, she was right, I was running, not racing, and needed to stay within my capabilities. This phrase picked up my spirits a few times during the night!
I'd fallen into step with a lady doing the relay leg and we had a great conversation but she was hiking it and had planned on it taking her 5 hours. My maths skills were fading fast and that sounded like a really long time (it wasn't) so near the top of the hill I wished her luck and went ahead. I was quite surprised from about 50k onwards how few people I had seen; with so many starters I figured I must just be right at the tail end of everyone. I tried not to let times get into my head; I'd planned for plenty of time and felt like I was moving at the right pace but my phone had died near the big clay hill, and my watch was on it's last bit of juice as well. At 66k I saved my run and let my watch go flat, so now I was flying blind.
I was looking forward to seeing mum, Jimmy and Rita at the 70k checkpoint, knowing I needed to do something about my knee, but when I got there we had missed each other - I thought perhaps they couldn't get the car down the 4WD track, or I'd misunderstood and they were waiting for me at the next one, or that I was so slow and right at the back and they had gone on without me. Despite eating constantly all day, I think I had stopped absorbing gels and tailwind and everything else, and needed a different type of sugar; I was rationing a Vegemite sandwich I had as it was the only thing perking me up.
I must have looked a bit shellshocked at the 70k checkpoint as a lovely man who I later found out was named Dennis all but fed me, stuffing food into my pack and telling me to get as many calories into me as possible, just keep eating, it's a long way to the next checkpoint he said. I wandered around the cars checking if my crew were here but realising they weren't, I went on knowing that the next point was a major checkpoint and there would hopefully be hot food that would kick my brain back into gear. I thought, it's only 7km, but Dennis was right - it was a long lonely climb up fire tails and I knew I was weaving all over the road at this point.
I couldn't keep my eyes open and a few times found myself in the gutter, having probably just had a micro-sleep. I was still able to think, almost looking at myself from above, knowing exactly what was going on but just not able to stop it. I told myself it would pass, I knew that bad patches were part and parcel of ultras. I knew I needed sugar but what I had on me wasn't working. My legs were good but I just could not keep my eyes open. There was nobody around and I seriously considered a nap on the side of the trail. This feeling was familiar; the first time I ran UTA50 I'd felt the same and so I knew it would pass and I just needed to stay as alert as I could manage, and keep moving forward. I climbed more, pretty dazed, and then eventually came upon my friend Ana, and talking to her brought me back to earth a bit. She was in the hurt locker a bit; she is normally much faster than me! She suggested getting changed completely including undies; she had done so at the previous checkpoint and felt amazing. I'd planned for that but wondered if I'd get cold taking my clothes off; it was now around 9pm and I wasn't moving fast and was cooling down.
We rolled into the 77km checkpoint together to lots of amazing cheers from our crews, and I was able to sit for a second by the fire and eat some delicious risotto. Mum and Jimmy put blankets on me and Rita refilled my tailwind (I was pretty over the taste of it by this stage!). I was glad to have my crew do the thinking for me and they got me changed into a fresh dry outfit, which made my legs feel amazing. Dennis was there again too, telling me I mustn't get comfortable in front of the fire, and to eat up and get going. It turns out I had come in here faster than I expected and my crew had missed me at the previous checkpoint, not because I was slow, because I was a little too fast! That gave me a little boost. I was warm, fed and completely revived, knowing I was on the home stretch now, just the equivalent of a regular Sunday long run left to go!
Thank you to mum and Jimmy for jumping into the unknown with both feet and being there to support me even if it's hard to understand why I do it! You were both legends this weekend and I hope now that you are warm and caught up on sleep you can look back on it and tell good stories! I'm sure you saw lots of examples of why the trail running community is so great and I'm sure you guys made some other people's day in ways that you'll never know about. You certainly made mine... thank you, and I totally owe you dinner!
Finally to Rita, the bestest second mum ever. Thanks for everything, your selfless dedication to getting me through and being a ray of sunshine whenever I saw you. From thinking for me when I couldn't think for myself to changing my pants in the dark in the middle of the forest, nothing was too much trouble. Thankyou is just not a big enough word!!
Quick shout out too to race director Sam Maffett for putting on a beautiful, challenging event and for guiding me through over the past 6 months or so. Also thanks to Michael at Complete Body Dynamics for putting up with me kicking you when you're getting your elbows into my muscles, and to David and Ashley at Connect Physiotherapy for getting me to the start line 99% uninjured even after a serious increase in training volume this year.
Firstly, a few pics from the race briefing and prepping back in the cabin - I felt so relaxed in the whole lead up to the event, zero start line nerves, just happy and excited! The only time I felt a little anxious was on the Monday prior to the race and I think that was to do with the amount of coordinating and logistics that had to happen that week to just get to that start line.
It was exciting to be at the briefing and rego and take a photo near that huge 100KM sign... I'm actually doing this!! I picked up my bib #99 - like agent 99 from Get Smart I thought - and Rita and I caught up with Nicole and a bunch of other RMAs that were tackling the big one tomorrow.
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| Super OCD organising, complete with laminated notes, much to Rita's amusement! |
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| Pizza box notes for the morning... didn't want to forget my all important hydration! |
Leg 1: 0 - 21km
To sum up this leg... arctic winds, rain squalls, a rainbow, razor sharp technical reefs, cold then hot, jacket on, jacket off, slipping into the surf, thigh deep wading through waves as they crashed into the rocks, giving up on staying dry, a bit of soft sand but mostly nice firm sand, some pretty sketchy reef clambering around a headland, and a fantastic effort from my support crew!
I went into the first 21km with a lot of trepidation... how firm was the sand really? Would I be completely trashed after this leg and struggle for the rest of the day? I planned to really take my time and just run when I felt good, and walk regularly as needed. As soon as I set off I realised that the sand was indeed very hard and felt similar to running on trails. I should have trusted race director Sam when he told me that a while back! Still, I wanted to conserve my energy and although I was super fresh from a nice relaxed taper, I had to rein it in a bit and accept that I was where I needed to be: well towards the back of the pack with a lot of people passing me. It's gonna be a looong day out, I told myself, just keep a lid on it and run your own race!
The running along here was just magic, the sea cliffs are so different from anything I've seen around where I live, and since I was a very young girl I've loved rock hopping around rock pools, so I absolutely loved the reef running. I had an old pair of Saucony Peregrines on and managed to keep my footing most of the time. I had heard from friends who had raced in previous years that the reef sections were very slippery and difficult to navigate through, but although they slowed my down I didn't feel unstable on them. One or two minor slips is pretty good going for a clumsy runner like me. Many others around me slipped and slid on the rocks and on the earlier clay sections though! It was great to have our names on a small bag tag and I was able to strike up conversations with a few people, and also had a few guys and girls come up to me and say they had enjoyed my training blogs - thanks!
Although it was a very cold day it wasn't long till I was down to my singlet for a while. Probably because I was going too fast and getting warm because of it. I have a photo looking ahead at the ominous hail-carrying thunderstorm, and a photo looking behind me of clear blue skies and a rainbow!
Yep, I'm definitely in Victoria with that '4 seasons in one day' weather, I thought. This was to continue throughout the day, staying cold (which I liked) but clearing, then raining, then clearing again; a wee bit of hail in leg 2, and rumbling thunder in the distance. I figured this was pretty standard for this part of the world but read later on that even the locals thought it was a bit wild and woolly. I love running in the cold and rain but felt for my poor crew, seemingly being rained on every time I was about to come into a checkpoint. They were bloody troopers the whole day!
Rounding Rocky Point was probably the most hairy moment of leg 1; there was a big swell ahead of the impending storm and we had to climb through, over and then under a narrow sharp rocky outcrop as the waves broke high and the swell pushed and pulled us around. I am fairly confident in the water and enjoyed the adventure of this part but I know a few others did not like this bit at all! Personally the toughest bit for me were the couple of smaller beaches in the middle of this leg where the sand was softer.
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| Happy to see my smiling crew and their silly penguin hats at the first major checkpoint |
Soon we were on the last beach stretch, with a gathering of people now in sight up on the headland in the distance. Coming into the first checkpoint to the cheers and cowbells was wonderful and I ran straight to my crew to sort out a tailwind refill, vegemite sandwich and some soggy but deliciously salty chips. The rain and wind had picked up to a ridiculous level and some garbage bins toppled over; it was really not fun weather to be standing around in. Rita told me there was a wind chill of zero! There were two cute little dogs in the checkpoint that were huddling to get out of the weather. I changed my shoes and put on fresh socks, not bothering to re-tape my toes as everything felt good so far. A loo stop and a few quick hugs and photos and I was out the chute to continue along the surf coast walk through to the next point where I'd arranged to see my crew, at the 49km checkpoint.
Leg 2: 21 - 49km
Running along the clifftops was nice with lots of small undulations. I walked a bit, getting my legs back after the sandy section, walking some small hills that on a shorter run I most certainly would have run up rather than walked, but I was still conserving energy knowing I'd need it for all the climbing in leg 3. I was eating and drinking lots and felt a bit tired but ok, and I was glad to see the trails turning into something more familiar after the beach leg and really enjoyed trotting through here. I was glad that the most 'unknown' leg was over.
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| Must take my boys and their mountain bikes back here one day |
I didn't take as many photos as the rain was near constant and blowing sideways into my ears so I didn't get my phone out much. Luckily it was in a waterproof case made for canyoning, as I'd dropped it in the surf earlier! This leg was very wet, but pretty, firstly along gravel path with views back to Bells Beach and then bending away from the coast into the lovely single track Eumeralla woodland area. As I ran through this part I thought how lovely it would be to come back for a family holiday, as Richie and Tyler would love mountain biking through here. It was beautiful but a little hard to get into a rhythm as the track was very skinny and my giant feet take up a lot of room! Also I was trying to ensure I landed with flat steps rather than bouncing side to side off the berms as my knee had started to make itself known.
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| Soaked, but loving it |
It has been giving me some grief lately, caused by a tight quad that pulls my kneecap sideways towards the outside of my leg. My mantra for the day was CHOOSE JOY and whenever something hurt or it felt tough, I reminded myself what a beautiful place I was in, how lucky I was so be able to do this, and how much support I had from friends and family. At a few points through this section I caught up with some other guys and girls for a chat, many of whom were doing the relay, and I ran into checkpoint 3 with another RMA, grabbing a handful of chips and a gel but not really stopping other than to say hi to the volunteers.
I was in more of a rhythm now, munching torn off chunks of my vegemite sandwich and remembering to sip little and often on my tailwind. There was a beautiful flat section through the trees just before that checkpoint where I was able to really relax, although my knee was starting to annoy me and I had messaged Rita earlier asking her to get the K Tape ready.
As I reached the 49k check point I was pretty soggy, glad for some hot minestrone soup and a coke, and sat for a minute taking time to try and loosen up my leg with some self massage. Despite the rain I was still feeling great and very positive - and with my RMA visor on all day, the rain wasn't in my eyes anyway. I would have been much more uncomfortable and really struggled had it been warm and sunny - my heart rate would have been right up and I would have had a headache by now from the sun.
My penguin crew were awesome; Rita ran down to meet me a little way before the checkpoint entrance, and she worked with mum and Jimmy like a well oiled machine to fill my hydration pack, stuff more food into me and generally get my shit sorted while I had a quick break. Mum stuffed soup and a bread roll into my face, Jimmy helped Rita fill my pack, and as I sat I saw Sam B come into the checkpoint; a fellow RMA I'd just met. Her leg 1 relay runner had unexpectedly pulled out just hours before the start, so she had bravely taken on doing both leg 1 and leg 2 at the last moment, having not even done a marathon distance before! Well done Sam! I also heard over the loudspeaker that the 100k winner was so close to finishing - just unbelievable what those elites can do! Mum and Jimmy commented that I looked remarkably fresh for someone who'd just done 50km. I felt relatively fresh too - my head space was good, my tummy was good and that amazing soup really did the trick, I felt revived and ready to push on!
Leg 3 : 49 - 77km
I knew this was the toughest part of the course and planned to hike the hills and just manage my energy so I had enough left in the tank for the final leg. Well, I didn't have to worry about going to fast here... my knee was really hurting now, as soon as I'd got round the corner from the 49km point the pain kicked in big time and as I crossed a pretty bridge near the inlet I stopped to use a bandage to try and yank my kneecap back in the right direction. It helped a tiny bit but not much.
Again I tried to 'choose joy', and figured it was going to just hurt up to a point then not get any worse. I considered turning back but didn't want to set off the timing mats incorrectly, so I just walked for a bit, munching on my bread roll, enjoying the tiny wildflowers blooming everywhere in the rain. I even managed to take some photos of some native orchids for mum and Jimmy who are keen orchid collectors. I tried to hack together a knee solution MacGyver style, using a regular crepe bandage and pulling my knee tightly over to the other side, but it kept slipping down and by the time I got to the climb up to Currawong Falls I ripped it off in frustration.
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| Clay slick and a sore knee that was protesting against downhills meant this bit took forever! |
Finally, the trails turned to dirt and rocks again and I could get a decent foothold, and I turned into the Otway national park for the biggest climb of the course up to Currawong Falls. On Rita's recommendation I'd picked up my head lamp at the 49km point, not knowing quite how long this leg would take, and due to the overcast weather I thought the sun might set a little earlier than 6.15. I eventually needed my light as I reached the top of the biggest hill, hoping that I'd finally see these falls and that would give me a boost, but I didn't see a waterfall anywhere. It got dark quickly and I felt quite comfortable and calm, having trained so much in the dark I felt pretty comfortable here. It felt like it was taking sooo long though, but what Rita said at the 49k point kept coming back to me - 'You're not Brendan Davies, you're not Jo Brischetto, you're Leonie Waldron and you want to complete 100k!' Yep, she was right, I was running, not racing, and needed to stay within my capabilities. This phrase picked up my spirits a few times during the night!
I'd fallen into step with a lady doing the relay leg and we had a great conversation but she was hiking it and had planned on it taking her 5 hours. My maths skills were fading fast and that sounded like a really long time (it wasn't) so near the top of the hill I wished her luck and went ahead. I was quite surprised from about 50k onwards how few people I had seen; with so many starters I figured I must just be right at the tail end of everyone. I tried not to let times get into my head; I'd planned for plenty of time and felt like I was moving at the right pace but my phone had died near the big clay hill, and my watch was on it's last bit of juice as well. At 66k I saved my run and let my watch go flat, so now I was flying blind.
I was looking forward to seeing mum, Jimmy and Rita at the 70k checkpoint, knowing I needed to do something about my knee, but when I got there we had missed each other - I thought perhaps they couldn't get the car down the 4WD track, or I'd misunderstood and they were waiting for me at the next one, or that I was so slow and right at the back and they had gone on without me. Despite eating constantly all day, I think I had stopped absorbing gels and tailwind and everything else, and needed a different type of sugar; I was rationing a Vegemite sandwich I had as it was the only thing perking me up.
I must have looked a bit shellshocked at the 70k checkpoint as a lovely man who I later found out was named Dennis all but fed me, stuffing food into my pack and telling me to get as many calories into me as possible, just keep eating, it's a long way to the next checkpoint he said. I wandered around the cars checking if my crew were here but realising they weren't, I went on knowing that the next point was a major checkpoint and there would hopefully be hot food that would kick my brain back into gear. I thought, it's only 7km, but Dennis was right - it was a long lonely climb up fire tails and I knew I was weaving all over the road at this point.
I couldn't keep my eyes open and a few times found myself in the gutter, having probably just had a micro-sleep. I was still able to think, almost looking at myself from above, knowing exactly what was going on but just not able to stop it. I told myself it would pass, I knew that bad patches were part and parcel of ultras. I knew I needed sugar but what I had on me wasn't working. My legs were good but I just could not keep my eyes open. There was nobody around and I seriously considered a nap on the side of the trail. This feeling was familiar; the first time I ran UTA50 I'd felt the same and so I knew it would pass and I just needed to stay as alert as I could manage, and keep moving forward. I climbed more, pretty dazed, and then eventually came upon my friend Ana, and talking to her brought me back to earth a bit. She was in the hurt locker a bit; she is normally much faster than me! She suggested getting changed completely including undies; she had done so at the previous checkpoint and felt amazing. I'd planned for that but wondered if I'd get cold taking my clothes off; it was now around 9pm and I wasn't moving fast and was cooling down.
We rolled into the 77km checkpoint together to lots of amazing cheers from our crews, and I was able to sit for a second by the fire and eat some delicious risotto. Mum and Jimmy put blankets on me and Rita refilled my tailwind (I was pretty over the taste of it by this stage!). I was glad to have my crew do the thinking for me and they got me changed into a fresh dry outfit, which made my legs feel amazing. Dennis was there again too, telling me I mustn't get comfortable in front of the fire, and to eat up and get going. It turns out I had come in here faster than I expected and my crew had missed me at the previous checkpoint, not because I was slow, because I was a little too fast! That gave me a little boost. I was warm, fed and completely revived, knowing I was on the home stretch now, just the equivalent of a regular Sunday long run left to go!
Last leg! 77 - 100km
Full of risotto and with fresh dry clothes on, I felt fantastic and headed quickly out towards the final checkpoint at 86km. I knew I was on the home stretch but tried to contain my excitement too as it was still a decent distance. I had Jimmy's phone powerbank so had phone charge again. Now I could check the course map again and make sure I was on track, and I started the live tracker too so mum, Jimmy and Rita could stay in the warm car as long as possible and only hop out into the bitterly cold rainy weather just as I was about to arrive. Oh did I mention there was hail earlier in the day too!? I could eventually hear the ocean again and knew there would be some tough bits as there was some more sand running coming up. This leg went up and down a few more hills; my knee had almost stopped hurting by now but I was taking it easy on the downhills still. With our hiking holiday to Tassie planned for 2 weeks time, I couldn't risk any injuries that were worse than just general muscle aches and pains. The course now joined back up with the lovely meandering surf coast walk, past the lighthouse and along the cliff line.
I wished I could see this bit in the light, I bet it was pretty. I was running again at an easy pace, enjoying the fact that it had flattened off after all the hills. I felt strong and power hiked in parts, managing a pain on the top of my foot that had appeared suddenly, probably just from constantly thumping my feet into the ground for hours. My Achilles was making itself known too so I was careful, taking my time, knowing pushing too hard now could mean weeks or months of recovery if I injured a tendon.
It was around here I reached the final checkpoint at 86km and my crew handed me Anzac slice, more coke and I also are some random lollies I found on the picnic bench!! I also grabbed my special notes that the kids had written for me and read them not long afterwards. Ty's note brought me to tears, and Holly's picture of a unicorn in funky tights made me smile.
I tried to calculate the time I might finish in, wondering if I'd make my rough estimate of 18 hours. That would also mean qualifying for Mt Solitary Ultra which has been just out of reach for so long now! Regardless, I refused to push too hard just to make that time, it was more important to be healthy for Tasmania and not have Richie cranky at me for hurting myself!
Then came the bridge we had to go under, well, this seemed to take me a while, there was literally nowhere to really hold on to and I was worried about slipping into the water. I grabbed onto handfuls of weeds and the chunky rough concrete and slowly edged underneath, thankful to be back upright on the other side. I was overtaking quite a few people along this bit, lots of guys who had blown out or hurt themselves, one guy had done his groin, another who was sitting down just having a breather. I stopped to chat and check everyone was OK.
Also along this stretch somewhere was a race official ticking off names as we came through. What's your number he called out as I passed. 'Agent 99' I called back. 'Oh where's 86?' he shot back. 'Missed it by that much!' I replied - he laughed and said I was doing really well if I was still smiling and cracking jokes at this point! I saw a 90km marker; the finish was so tantalizingly close.
The trail bent away from the water and towards the great ocean road which was a bit disorientating at first - the car noise sounded like the breaking waves and I couldn't work out why that wave sound was on my left and not my right. I'd heard later that some runners had become disoriented not far from the finish and I can imagine this patch could easily mess with your head. Finally I headed back towards the actual waves, and down on to the beach for the final bit of sand, maybe 3 or 4km of it.
I caught up with some girls for a chat but had to eventually power on ahead as I had slowed to talk to them and started getting cold quickly. The wind coming off the water was really cold now, it was probably 12.30 or 1am and I needed to hurry to warm myself up. The merino buff I had pulled up over my ears and face like a balaclava wasn't keeping the wind out, even with my waterproof jacket over the top of a long sleeve top AND a long sleeve merino, I was getting the shivers.
I could nearly smell the finish line but had to remind myself to keep eating and drinking, I wasn't quite done yet. I was only power hiking now, but felt like I was flying along. I had a brief sniffle and some tears, knowing I was so close to the finish line, I could see the lights at Anglesea but still had a few kilometres to go.
Finally some bits started to look familiar, parts I had seen earlier in the day around the inlet at Anglesea. Yet still, it took forever! I knew I'd just gone a little over the 18 hour mark but didn't care. I was so happy to be so close and still felt positive and strong; I felt I could have hiked on strongly for much further. Finally I rounded the corner towards the floodlights and trotted gently into the finish chute to wonderful cheers from my crew, and Sam, and a few other wonderful people who were still waiting for their runners. It was so nice to just stop! I was happy, relieved and pleased that mum, Jimmy and Rita could finally go home and get out of the cold. I had been worrying about them all day. I had planned to stay at the finish line and cheer others on but it was so cold, and the 3 of them dragged me to the car to go back and get warm. I had done it. WOOOHOOOO!!
Mum and Jimmy dropped us back at the cabin and I was so happy they could head to bed themselves after an exhausting day! Rita had thoughtfully set the heater on 30 degrees and it was just amazing to sit under that warm air for a bit, ugg boots on and legs up the wall, having a quiet celebratory drink with Rita. There was no epic runners high, just quiet satisfaction that I had done what I set out to do, and I couldn't have done it without the support of my family and friends.
Full of risotto and with fresh dry clothes on, I felt fantastic and headed quickly out towards the final checkpoint at 86km. I knew I was on the home stretch but tried to contain my excitement too as it was still a decent distance. I had Jimmy's phone powerbank so had phone charge again. Now I could check the course map again and make sure I was on track, and I started the live tracker too so mum, Jimmy and Rita could stay in the warm car as long as possible and only hop out into the bitterly cold rainy weather just as I was about to arrive. Oh did I mention there was hail earlier in the day too!? I could eventually hear the ocean again and knew there would be some tough bits as there was some more sand running coming up. This leg went up and down a few more hills; my knee had almost stopped hurting by now but I was taking it easy on the downhills still. With our hiking holiday to Tassie planned for 2 weeks time, I couldn't risk any injuries that were worse than just general muscle aches and pains. The course now joined back up with the lovely meandering surf coast walk, past the lighthouse and along the cliff line.
 |
| "Take a moment to enjoy the view".... um, maybe next time! |
I wished I could see this bit in the light, I bet it was pretty. I was running again at an easy pace, enjoying the fact that it had flattened off after all the hills. I felt strong and power hiked in parts, managing a pain on the top of my foot that had appeared suddenly, probably just from constantly thumping my feet into the ground for hours. My Achilles was making itself known too so I was careful, taking my time, knowing pushing too hard now could mean weeks or months of recovery if I injured a tendon.
It was around here I reached the final checkpoint at 86km and my crew handed me Anzac slice, more coke and I also are some random lollies I found on the picnic bench!! I also grabbed my special notes that the kids had written for me and read them not long afterwards. Ty's note brought me to tears, and Holly's picture of a unicorn in funky tights made me smile.
I tried to calculate the time I might finish in, wondering if I'd make my rough estimate of 18 hours. That would also mean qualifying for Mt Solitary Ultra which has been just out of reach for so long now! Regardless, I refused to push too hard just to make that time, it was more important to be healthy for Tasmania and not have Richie cranky at me for hurting myself!
Then came the bridge we had to go under, well, this seemed to take me a while, there was literally nowhere to really hold on to and I was worried about slipping into the water. I grabbed onto handfuls of weeds and the chunky rough concrete and slowly edged underneath, thankful to be back upright on the other side. I was overtaking quite a few people along this bit, lots of guys who had blown out or hurt themselves, one guy had done his groin, another who was sitting down just having a breather. I stopped to chat and check everyone was OK.
Also along this stretch somewhere was a race official ticking off names as we came through. What's your number he called out as I passed. 'Agent 99' I called back. 'Oh where's 86?' he shot back. 'Missed it by that much!' I replied - he laughed and said I was doing really well if I was still smiling and cracking jokes at this point! I saw a 90km marker; the finish was so tantalizingly close.
The trail bent away from the water and towards the great ocean road which was a bit disorientating at first - the car noise sounded like the breaking waves and I couldn't work out why that wave sound was on my left and not my right. I'd heard later that some runners had become disoriented not far from the finish and I can imagine this patch could easily mess with your head. Finally I headed back towards the actual waves, and down on to the beach for the final bit of sand, maybe 3 or 4km of it.
I caught up with some girls for a chat but had to eventually power on ahead as I had slowed to talk to them and started getting cold quickly. The wind coming off the water was really cold now, it was probably 12.30 or 1am and I needed to hurry to warm myself up. The merino buff I had pulled up over my ears and face like a balaclava wasn't keeping the wind out, even with my waterproof jacket over the top of a long sleeve top AND a long sleeve merino, I was getting the shivers.
I could nearly smell the finish line but had to remind myself to keep eating and drinking, I wasn't quite done yet. I was only power hiking now, but felt like I was flying along. I had a brief sniffle and some tears, knowing I was so close to the finish line, I could see the lights at Anglesea but still had a few kilometres to go.
Finally some bits started to look familiar, parts I had seen earlier in the day around the inlet at Anglesea. Yet still, it took forever! I knew I'd just gone a little over the 18 hour mark but didn't care. I was so happy to be so close and still felt positive and strong; I felt I could have hiked on strongly for much further. Finally I rounded the corner towards the floodlights and trotted gently into the finish chute to wonderful cheers from my crew, and Sam, and a few other wonderful people who were still waiting for their runners. It was so nice to just stop! I was happy, relieved and pleased that mum, Jimmy and Rita could finally go home and get out of the cold. I had been worrying about them all day. I had planned to stay at the finish line and cheer others on but it was so cold, and the 3 of them dragged me to the car to go back and get warm. I had done it. WOOOHOOOO!!
Mum and Jimmy dropped us back at the cabin and I was so happy they could head to bed themselves after an exhausting day! Rita had thoughtfully set the heater on 30 degrees and it was just amazing to sit under that warm air for a bit, ugg boots on and legs up the wall, having a quiet celebratory drink with Rita. There was no epic runners high, just quiet satisfaction that I had done what I set out to do, and I couldn't have done it without the support of my family and friends.
❤️ Just quickly... some gratitude is in order! ❤️
Thank you firstly to my long suffering husband Richard who puts up with me participating in a sport that takes a million years!! I know life would be easier if I played an hour of netball a week but unfortunately you drew the short straw there. Yes, this weekend has been big, but it's the hours and hours of training and early alarms and looking after the kids every weekend that goes on in the year leading up to such a weekend that is the toughest part on you. Thanks babe for your support and love and encouragement when I need it the most.
Thank you to mum and Jimmy for jumping into the unknown with both feet and being there to support me even if it's hard to understand why I do it! You were both legends this weekend and I hope now that you are warm and caught up on sleep you can look back on it and tell good stories! I'm sure you saw lots of examples of why the trail running community is so great and I'm sure you guys made some other people's day in ways that you'll never know about. You certainly made mine... thank you, and I totally owe you dinner!
Finally to Rita, the bestest second mum ever. Thanks for everything, your selfless dedication to getting me through and being a ray of sunshine whenever I saw you. From thinking for me when I couldn't think for myself to changing my pants in the dark in the middle of the forest, nothing was too much trouble. Thankyou is just not a big enough word!!
Quick shout out too to race director Sam Maffett for putting on a beautiful, challenging event and for guiding me through over the past 6 months or so. Also thanks to Michael at Complete Body Dynamics for putting up with me kicking you when you're getting your elbows into my muscles, and to David and Ashley at Connect Physiotherapy for getting me to the start line 99% uninjured even after a serious increase in training volume this year.
And all my Running Mums Australia gal pals, for the cheers and love throughout the day and night!
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