Sometimes You Trip – Sometimes You Fall – Sometimes You Get Knocked Down: My TNF50 Story

Sometimes You Trip – Sometimes You Fall – Sometimes You Get Knocked Down

Athlete Forum

TNF50 2015 was an event I had been looking forward to since November in 2014 as it was part of my plan to run off a good block of prep from Buffalo and to try and run deep into the podium come race day. I had been very careful with my approach to training after Buffalo, mindful of the need to recover but allowing enough key sessions to keep the form I had built in training for the 75km event.

Needless to say I felt very good, both physically and mentally, in the weeks leading into TNF with everything pointing towards a good showing. I had ran all but the 7km on the road of the course 3 weeks out covering the distance in 4:35 and adding to this a decent but not brilliant half two weeks out. My confidence was high after a good run on my usual hilly 10 mile taper hit out 10 days out. This all made me feel that I could run the 50km course to plan and come out with a positive ultra experience.

Thursday and 9 days until race day and I felt sick, not super sick but I knew I was being affected by a bug so I took an extra rest day and hoped to get by it asap. I had some fitness testing at the Uni over the weekend and managed a Vo2 test and an hour on the road but the weekend finished with me feeling quite sick. On Monday Tuesday I felt much better and was feeling as though I was on the mend, I only had a lingering cough and otherwise my legs were feeling great and energy high.

Athlete Forum

This was brought undone by the middle of the week and my battle to be well at the start was becoming more unlikely each day, I was coughing more, feeling tired and unable to control my heart rate. It is hard because I had brought the bug into the house and passed it onto Kel and Beau (who loves to sneak into our bed of a night) and we were just lengthening the duration we had it for unfortunately. I wanted to avoid medication I was sure that would be disastrous for my race but in hindsight I should went to doctors at first sight.

I travelled to Katoomba as planned and was lucky enough to be involved in the official activities as part of the athlete forum. I enjoyed the opportunity to discuss training and racing and the buzz about was definitely one of the reasons why I race. I turned in an early dinner and retired to get an early night when the first of my several issues arose, my brand new bladder was leaking and I only had one. I called around and located a replacement from Sean Greenhill and while I was out picking up the spare it was also being found out that Blair had forgotten the hose for his bladder. Kel rang to see if I had one and that was the part of my bladder was ok so we had one bladder functioning between two us but the spare saved me come race day!

Off and racing!!!

I went to bed and rose at 5am for breakfast, and as I feared my symptoms hadn’t improved and I was still sick, although I wasn’t feeling too bad but it was going to be hard to say what was going to eventuate come 7:07am. With food down and gear sorted we drove to the busy, crowded and crazy start line that is TNF100AU where I was due to run the UP Coaching warm-up at 6:30am. I managed to get through this without a hiccup, all the UP’ers were ready to go and I hadn’t really noticed any problems at that point. I did the usual before hand and made my way to the start shute after a kiss good bye to Kel.

At the start line my heart rate was high, around 120, which is much higher than normal for me but I just put that aside and waited for the gun. I made my way over Andrius as I knew he was the man to beat and we took off at a quick but not crazy pace towards Cliff Drive. As we hit the incline the pace surged and a lead group formed of around 8 or so and I was quickly aware I was not up to it, my heart rate was 156 and I was wanting to walk so I pulled back and dropped into the next group 25m back. I checked my watch and nothing had changed, my effort to output was too high and my heart rate was still maxing out as though I was on the edge as I would be in a shorter race.

Just past the 3 Sisters and struggle street.

So within the first km my race was regulated to a long run and I had decided to hold back hoping to feel better along the trail somewhat. I again joined the front but only after getting them back on course after the lead bike missed the Narrowneck turn. I reassessed again and by the turn around point I was feeling ok but still overdoing it and I was again dropped easily on the steady incline back to Cliff Drive. Even the flat wasn’t allowing me to make up ground so I just ran to feel and pushed on towards the first lot of single track somewhat surprisingly ok with the idea my race was done.

I ran back past the start and I’m sure I look like death warmed up, I was really tired for 30min in and not running comfortably at all. I hit the single track and began my run over the cliff tops towards CP1 knowing it was going to be hard going but the slower pace may help my effort get under control. It didn’t and I can sum this section until Lillian’s Bridge as a steady decline with my running down ok but going up and the flats were a battle. I had some good folk around me and I swear I coughed them away but I was still moving in the top 20 and on track for a 5hr or so time if I came good.

Wenty Falls - literally moments before it all unfolded

After the 14km water point it was now becoming evident I was screwed, big time screwed. I couldn’t run well and was again working way too hard for my output plus I felt very tired, to the point I would expect at the end of a 10hr run. I hit Wenty Falls positive but by the time I made it to Conservation Hut I was not regulating my temperature and barely moving which was not helping with me getting warm again. I tried to run but got dizzy around the car park so I decided to walk onwards with the hope it would pass, the dizziness did but I was cold and weak. After climbing out of the falls onto the Kings Tableland section I tried to run again but didn’t really go anywhere, I even felt like laying down for a rest but was sure that wouldn’t end well so I decided against that option.

Wenty Falls - legs were hollow and sore.

The stretch to CP1 was a mix of shuffle/walk and I took for ever to get there, adding to this a stream of runners were going past me and I knew my day was done. I finally arrived at Queen Vic and Kel was concerned and I was bloody cold ready to make my way into the tent to have a think and warm-up. I felt faint, weak, cold and asked the doctor to assess me as I put on my thermal and rain jacket in an effort to warm-up. I was around 34 degrees and although this came up to 35 my race was done, the doctor said I could go back out if I warmed some more but I wasn’t too keen on getting hypothermia after the Kedumba descent so I stopped my watch and had a cup of tea.

My race was done but my weekend wasn’t, not by a long shot.

Finally warm-up and out of the race...

I went back to the house to have shower, warm-up and get changed. I really wanted to avoid the finish for a bit so we headed over to Olympian Rock and were lucky enough to see the top 11 come through from the 100. They were smoking at the front and although both Bren and Tucks weren’t in the hunt it was a good 45min of away time for me. I was again ready to enjoy the race, the sun had warmed my spirit and the little outing had done its trick. I must say seeing how hard they were running at that point also reinforced the work I need to do to finish the 100 in the future.

I made my way to the finish to watch the runners I had coached come in and catch up with the atmosphere at the end. I was amazed but not surprised with the winning time and to see the record go down was awesome, but the 2013 finish still is the best and will be hard to beat in my eyes. I enjoyed a beer and a catch up at the end while waiting for Blair to come home in 12:50, a massive PB! He smashed it and I was so happy for him!

I saw half of my clients finish and to see their faces afterwards was just reward. They had all trained for months and to have them all finish and meet their goal was a major satisfaction and relief for me. I took inspiration from all of them and could not have been prouder of each runner, I must also thank Brendan for having me on board at UP Coaching;

Steven Paterson 50km – 6:56:18 first ultra 

Mark Skinner 50km - 7:25:26 first ultra

Amy Daniel 50km - 05:53:44 12th Overall

Simon Collins 50km - 07:57:25 first ultra

Robyn Bruins 100km - 12:27:43 7th Overall

So do I regret anything from the weekend? the answer is simply no. I had to start the race but probably could had stopped a bit earlier and in future will be more aware of the warning signs. I struggled and my race was a disaster but the TNF100 weekend wasn’t’, it was a great experience! I just wish I had have been better to enjoy it that little bit more. I offer no excuses nor do I expect any sympathy, I stand by my choices, especially when it comes to running. I will be back to fight another day and with the right preparation will meet my long-term ambitions.

So did I trip, did I fall or did I get knocked down? I just think I it was bad timing in the end.

Thanks to both Hammer Nutrition and Inov-8 Australia/Barefootinc. for their support. Also a big plus to Sean at Mountain Sports for working outside the box on the Friday night with my bladder issues too.

Also to be part of the The North Face 100km & 50km Australia 2015: Race Report Competition my favourite bit of gear were the WOMEN’S APEX ETIP™ GLOVE as they kept Kel's hand warm and my Inov8 gloves in my pack!

Finding "Me" Again! by Kellie Gibson

This blog is a series of stories about my journey, part of my journey is the journey of those around me, whether it be in running or in life. Kel has always been a part of what I do and over the past 3 years has had her share of ups and downs with the last 6-12months being particularly challenging. Through this time she has grown, been knocked down and gotten back up again shaping the person who she is. This blog is about her starting a new chapter and wiping the slate!

Finding "Me" Again by Kellie Gibson

A question people often ask me is “how is your running going?” This is an inevitable question for me to be asked because everyone who knows me knows that I love to run! This has been a particularly difficult question for me to answer in these last 6 months.

You see my love of running began when my husband Wes talked me into running our local 7.5km Fun Run the Edgell Jog back in September 2012. Back then I participated in other sports, and kept myself fit but I was very reluctant to enter.  Confidence is not something that comes to me naturally, in fact I have never been a super confident person and I remember saying things like “No way, I can’t run in public!” and “people will stare at me, how embarrassing I will probably come last!” I remember Wes laughing at me telling me not to be so silly and looking back now I realise just how silly it was! The race was to be held on a Sunday and I remember on the Friday 2 days before the race I mapped out an 8km course and ran just to make sure I could even run that far and of course I could! So I got home and said to Wes “Ok I can run that far, lets register me!”

Off I headed to the start line, I didn’t know what to expect, as I had never done anything like this.  I ran and completed the 7.5km in 36.32 which everyone kept telling me was a great time considering I had never done anything like that before.  I will never forget how I felt after that run, I was on a real high and was very thankful to Wes for pushing me to enter, if I had of continued to protest and not have run, who knows where I would be now…

That run definitely fuelled my love of running and it all started form there.  I started to head out for a run most days, only short distances and I never had a gps watch back then so I never kept track of performances.  3 months after the Edgell Jog once again Wes talked me into my next event, which was to be my first Trail Running event, the Running Wild Wentworth Falls Race.  I entered the 13km Short course and remember being very excited to run on the trails.  This was a lot different to the type of running I had experienced so far and I LOVED it!  I really had begun to love running in general but Trail Running - this was something else!

Quite quickly running became a huge part of my life, Wes and I were attending a lot of races, meeting a lot of new people and it was great, I had developed a new confidence and I was genuinely loving life! I got my Garmin in January 2013 and I found that this was even further motivation for me, I had been running purely for enjoyment until this point but found that having stats and seeing major improvements in time and performance just in the space of a month fuelled my passion for running even more, my motivation was through the roof.

I started to set some goals for the year and ticked them off one by one completing my first road 10km in 46:53 in Orange, my first Half in 97:23 in Bathurst and then my first Marathon in 3:46.30 in Mudgee, with many other runs in between. All was on track to complete my first Ultra at Kanangra (50km) which was my major goal for the year, everything so far was a build up to this and had gone to plan and I felt on top of the world!  Unfortunately Kanangra was called off due to bush fires.  Keen to complete my goals for the year I shifted my focus to the only other viable Ultra option on the calendar for 2013 - The Carcoar Cup 60km Ultra, it was an extra 10km than Kanangra but I had a few extra weeks to prepare so I wasn’t overly concerned.

The Lead up to Carcoar didn’t go quite to plan, a puncture wound to my foot, not being able to run for two weeks before the race, still turning up to the start line and a disappointing DNF at 42km, my Ultra in 2013 was not be! I was so disappointed but it couldn’t be changed.  

A week after Carcoar I started to feel some throbbing on the top of my 2nd Metatarsal, it was a scarily similar feeling to when I had a stress fracture in the same bone but on my other foot years earlier before I became a runner.  I went off to the Physio and it was confirmed that I had what he called a Stress Reaction, which he said was where the bone had become very broken down and brittle but it hadn’t actually cracked yet.  So even though I had dodged a major bullet and didn’t end up with a stress fracture I was devastated that I needed to have 6 weeks off running!

Cross Training it was for 6 weeks! I hit the gym everyday, cycling, elliptical training, rowing, I was keen to keep my fitness up for a smooth transition back to running. 6 weeks of cross training but the pain was still there! To be honest I didn’t enjoy hitting the gym at all, I just wanted to be outside and running, I just didn’t get the same feeling from it that I did from running and I lost a fair bit of motivation and my visits became less frequent.  It ended up being almost 8 weeks before I could start running again.

Being able to finally run again felt great but it was short lived, I ended up with an ITB injury and then Shin Splints, all the issues were happening in the same leg which made it obvious that after my initial injury I had ended up with some biomechanical issues! I kept trying to do too much too soon, I wanted to get back out there and do what I loved so badly!

After finally rehabbing the injuries properly and some great advice and a program from my running buddy Shan who happens to be an excellent Exercise Physiologist, I was getting back into running properly again in June.  My results started to improve again and I felt like I was getting back to my normal self again – woo hoo, finally!

In July I started my Saturday long runs with Shan again and started training with Peta once a week as well.  Having two people who were faster than me as training partners was so beneficial, I started to get my 10km time down, training was going well and I was building back up again!

In November I had decided to head back to Carcoar to compete in the Half Marathon this time.  I had a great run, far from my best time but a real sign that I was on my way back.  I remember crossing the finish line and I kept running over to Wes who said “um you can stop running now, its over” but I had something exciting to tell him, I had just done my first ever sub 4 minute km in the second last km! I was over the moon, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Such a bitter sweet day for me, one year on from where it all fell apart exactly one year earlier it was just coming together again!

In the week following Carcoar I had a terrible outbreak of pimples, this had happened to me a year earlier but my Dr had prescribed antibiotics for 6 months and changed my Contraceptive Pill and it went away.  But now it was back, I had a lot of issues dealing with the acne because I had never had it in my life, not even as a teenager. I became really self conscious about it and I just wanted to hide, it really got me down. Back to the Dr I went and I was prescribed a different antibiotic this time.

Within 3 days of taking my antibiotic if felt so sick and dizzy all the time, I contemplated stopping taking it but I wanted to see if my body got used to it and I was really keen to clear up my acne.  I persisted for a month with it until I had had enough I just couldn’t do it anymore.  While I was taking the antibiotic my performance dropped significantly, my heart rate became really erratic. I was sure once I stopped the medication I would be fine.  A month later, my performance was still terrible, most of my runs were averaging a minute to a minute and a half longer per km than they were in the month before I had started the medication.  It was really getting me down, running became a major frustration for me as opposed to something I enjoyed.  Running didn’t feel like it used to, it became such a struggle.  I persisted in the constant hope that I would find that feeling again of why I loved to run so much!

Many months passed and I kept running but there was no change, I had been back and forward to the Dr, I was still having issues with an erratic heart rate while I was running, feeling more and more fatigued as time went on and eventually finding it hard to even get out of bed.  This made me start to get really depressed and I was finding it hard to function particularly as a mum and with running my own business. It was really starting to impact my whole family.  I had been sent for countless blood tests and each time they kept coming back all clear! It was getting frustrating, each time I had a test done I was hoping they would find something, I got to the point where I didn’t even care what that something might be, I knew that things weren’t right and that if I could just get a answer then I could start the process of getting better. I was sent to the Cardiologist for an Echocardiograph, then an Exercise Stress Test and then I had to wear a Holter Monitor for 24 hours and do a 2 hour run while wearing it.  Thankfully all of these tests on my heart came back clear and it was determined that I had a very strong and healthy heart.  While this was such a relief, I was still dealing with all of these issues that were getting progressively worse and left thinking what could it be?!

Finally at the end of March a test was done on my hormone levels and it was determined that my Testosterone levels were at an extreme low. Interestingly they had a result on file from a previous test from a few years ago and my levels had decreased by over 75%, which my Dr described as very alarming.  So from there I was diagnosed with an Endocrine Disorder.  After doing my research I realised just how important a role hormones play in our bodies, they basically act as chemical messengers to various parts of our bodies and if the messages aren’t getting sent correctly the whole body suffers and does not function as it should.  Testosterone is primarily a male hormone, women produce this hormone in much smaller amounts but it is still vital for the female body to function efficiently.  The main side effects of having low testosterone are muscle loss and weakness, lack of recovery and adaptations from training, bone weakness, fatigue which is unrivalled by sleep, mood swings and depression. Yep, that sounds like me!  After a bit more research I found that the contraceptive pill I had been prescribed is designed to block testosterone and that it was probably not a great option for me so I stopped taking it.

Within 2 weeks of not taking it I would say I went from feeling about 40% to feeling about 70%, which is still not ideal but it made such a massive difference to how I felt in such a short space of time! Getting out of bed was getting easier, the fatigue and brain fog was starting to clear! What a relief! The plan was to have my levels tested again one month after to see if it had made a difference. What good timing, it was now April and time for me to run in the Sky 26er at the Buffalo Stampede. Was I nervous? Yes! Even though I had still been able to train, the intensity and duration to get through an event like this in the manner I would have liked were impossible given my situation!  So I refocused my goals and realised it didn’t matter about what time I did, all that mattered was getting through it, crossing that finish line and getting a bit of confidence back.

A few days before the race it was announced that the course was going to be longer due to the need to change the route due to fire damage.  It went from 26km with 1555m elevation gain and loss to 32km with over 2000m elevation gain and loss! This made me more nervous but I was ever so keen to rise to the challenge to prove to myself that I could do this! I entered the race with the Mantra “This is going to make you strong again” I had to repeat this to myself so many times throughout the 5 hours and 12 minutes that it took me to complete the course, whenever I felt the slightest bit of pain or doubt I said to myself “This is going to make you strong again” and it shifted my focus. I have never entered a race with a mantra before, I had heard a lot of talk amongst other runners about race mantras and knowing this was going to be the toughest thing I had ever pursued in running I decided to give it a try. Did it work? Yes, it did! I think having such an emotional ride to the start line of this race allowed me to come up with a mantra that meant so much to me and I truly believe that the mental focus this gave me is what allowed me to finish so strong. Its amazing how you can be hurting so much but also be enjoying it so much at the same time, I was just really happy being out there doing what I love.  Being mentally strong during racing is one thing I have always struggled with and I think I really turned a corner that day!

To be honest my recovery has been very slow since the Stampede, I fell into a bit of a heap the week after which shows that even though I am feeling better it is going to take a while for me to get back to where I need to be and I really need to be wary of doing too much too soon. But I would not change a thing, running in the Stampede was such a valuable experience for me, I learnt a lot about myself on that run. After months of believing that I couldn’t do things like that anymore, I gained the confidence that it really is possible that I can challenge myself to whatever I set my mind to and that being mentally strong can make such a difference in a tough situation.  I am sure I will be able to draw on this experience in future races.

Last week I came across a book which was on pre-order and was actually released only yesterday (26^th April) “Healing The Grumpy Athlete”.  The book is written by Triathlon Coach Katee Pedicini who has been through a very similar situation to me.  Only a few pages into the book it had me in tears.  Katee wrote “In an attempt to fill the gaps of my life I found triathlon. I found identi­ty, I found confidence, I found joy, I found me.   So off I went filling the gaps of my life with hard arse training ses­sions and equally brutal races. I now had identity, confidence, joy and a sense of self - BUT, eventually I was robbed.  I was robbed of energy, vitality and motivation. My oestrogen was pulled one way and testosterone the other. My body responded with a hormonal mess of pimple break­outs, weight gain and endless tears.” As I read this tears rolled down my face, I was a sobbing mess! If you changed all of the triathlon references to running it was like Katee had found the perfect words to sum up my experience.

It has been a very emotional journey for me, one that I have largely kept to myself except for a few people that I knew I could trust.  I didn’t want to put it out there and use it as an excuse for bad performances. I think these days particularly on social media people put a lot of pressure on themselves and make excuses for bad performances, some are more legitimate than others but many use health as an excuse for missing the podium or for a goal not achieved, I didn’t want to look like another one of those but as a result I felt quite isolated in my experience.  My main reason for writing this is as a part of the healing process, I feel that my experience has taken so much out of me physically and emotionally and I am now ready to take it head on. Sometimes getting it all out is great therapy! I have only scratched the surface of Katee’s book but believe that it will greatly assist me and further motivate me to overcome my issues.  A quote taken from the book will be my main motivation and I will remember this every time things get tough “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but building the new.” – Socrates. And that is exactly what I will be doing for the rest of the year, recovering and building the new. No time goals, no pressure just finding that balance and enjoying running again! I know that this experience will make me a much stronger person in the long run.

2013, This is my motivational pic!

At Buffalo, smiling through the pain!

Lastly I would like to say what a caring and patient man I married, he has been there through every step of the mess that has been this last 6 months. He has been there through all the tears, the mood swings, the melt downs, the absent mindedness, and brain fog, he has picked me up every time I became unmotivated and helped me stay on track, he took over so many responsibilities with the kids that I became unable to cope with at times. He could have walked away so many times but he stuck by me every step of the way and I am forever grateful for this. I would also like to thank Shan for being an amazing friend, you were always there to listen and I thank you so much for all your support, its always the tough times that reveal true friends!

Reflections of a Broken Stampeder

Kel had just finished - super proud of her!!!

Buffalo Stampede 2015

Where to start…

When so much has been invested in something we all believe that the fairytale will happen and the ending will be perfect. Unfortunately the script that was written over the weekend down at Bright for the Buffalo Stampede Skyrunning Oceania Championships was different to the one I had been envisaging in my mind. With time past over the last few days to reflect it’s quite ironic that even though it most certainly didn’t provide me with my performance based goals I would not change a thing. And that everything happens for reason.

I was in great shape for this event and had undertaken a calculated preparation that was entirely focused upon the specific aspects of the brutal and challenging 75.5km Skyrunning course that Sean Greenhill has created. I had began building in November and this training evolved to the point where my numbers all indicated I was ready to race come April 11, and that is what I intended to do. I knew the course having done it before and after attending and coaching at Skycamp, furthering this knowledge with another trip to Bright in January to get some more course time under the belt.

Buckland Aid with Mark Lee

At this point I was well aware of the new Skyrunning Series for ANZ and was really hoping for a good performance in the April race. I also knew it was going to be tough going as both the course and the competitive field would ultimately lead to fast times and more risk being taken.

As I approached April I was carefully planning my preparation in training, setting goals and mentally readying myself for the event. I was also coaching Kel towards her Sky 26er event and we were starting to get knowledge of what medicial issue was causing her so much trouble and it looked as though things were on the improve. March had been a positive month with only a small mishap in training so all was on path for both Kel and I and we were looking forward to the Stampede.

Summing the ultra course up isn't easy, it is a beast from start to end. There are seven climbs, some utterly daunting and the others are brutal offering steep climbs and quad thrashing descents. The trail surface is mixed from hard packed firetrail, smooth flowing fire trail, downhill MTB single track and super technical rocky single track, with the variance in my opinion providing the great challenge for runners to prepare for. The climbs/descents all appear easier on paper and need to be respected or they will bite and the last 15km is close to the toughest of any race anywhere.

Descending of Clearspot at 67km is the hardest 2km I
have ever done - both times!

There was also great progress for both the Buffalo Stampede and Skyrunning in Australia in the lead up to April. The event had three races across Friday, Saturday and Sunday with entries being higher than last year, there were even some lunatics that thought it appropriate to attempt the Grand Slam – 26er, Ultra and Marathon! Skyrunning ANZ had attracted some quality runners from both home and abroad to compete in all events as well as establishing an Oceania Series across Australia and New Zealand. Runners from NZ, Europe, South Africa, the UK and Nepal all coming credentialed with many successful races across the globe. But for me it was Martin Dent that stood out. He is an Olympic and Commonwealth Marathon runner with a brilliant career highlighted with many victories and a superfast marathon pb! He now seems to be embracing new challenges and like the rest of us is learning his way towards the finishline at a Skyrace.

Wheels fallen off - time to reset.

We arrived in Bright on Thurday and by the time Friday had arrived, so had the realisation for Kel that she was about to undertake her longest run to date in sense of time on feet. The 26er was now 32.7km with 2050m +d and km for km rivaled the Ultra in terms of difficulty. She set off and I went up to the first road junction to cheer her along, Mark Lee was there as well and we offered encouragement to all the runners who had just completed their first major climb and descent of the day. Kel went through in great spirits and on track and this left me feeling content she would nail this little beast good and proper. I decided to go back to the junction to watch her come off Apex and head toward the final climb and descent to Bright. She came through looking so strong and smiled as she left the dusty flowing single track and hit the fire trail up the short but shockingly steep final hill that greeted runners at 29km. I then rushed back to the park to watch her finish and complete the 26er course and her first skyrace, I was so proud of her!

Running with a purpose all was going well...
and then I went across the bridge at Eurobin.

The atmosphere was surreal at Bright, there was a new energy injected into the event with the 26er. Bright is a special place, the Buffalo Stampede a special event and the Australian trail community is benefiting from events like this. The weekend provided memories, experiences and challenges for all and I'm hard pressed to think of any other sport that allows this to occur at every level for everyone involved.

Reflecting on my race has been difficult and this has been rewritten a few times. I am disappointed with my time as it's way outside my goal of sub 10 but I am also proud to have finished results aside. I have no real answers other than I missed the mark by a long way, no excuses either, what happened simply happened and I must learn from it if I expect to improve. I will be back for this race and while I know it's a bloody tough gig I'll be expecting if I prepare well to get that sub 10.

The last stretch into the finish

From Eurobin onwards I had to battle and was never comfortable in any way. My quads were cramping, thoughts were negative and I had over done my nutrition. I knew I needed to reset at the Chalet, I was desperate for that climb to be over but it was going on forever. At that point I just needed to suck it up and get to the top, there was no other option.

Mentally I feel this run has been vital. I probably was a bit soft and in the past melted when the heat got turned up. It was easier to stop, 8hrs + of pain could have ended at 4.5hrs in but quitting wasn't an option. I have put way too much into the race, my family had given up too much and I had to finish what I had started even though my race was not turning out the way I had wanted.

Finish line 11:11:5X not the result I wanted
but I finished.

I will spend time looking over my race but for me in the end it was a win. I was certainly chewed up and spat out by the course and my race made for a long day out, the second longest time I have run for in fact. But I won’t dwell and think of what if or what could have been, there is no point and whom would I be kidding anyway. I was at points where I wanted to be and I definitely nailed sections the way I set out to but there was the other side of the coin and this shows work is still required. I didn’t pull out and I was flexible with my plan, these along side a massive mental test are the positives I’ll be taking from the race into the future. Will I have another problem? Maybe, probably, who knows? But I think I am more equipped to manage it having run the race I did.

Off and racing!!!

One thing I know is that without Kel in my corner crewing for me it would have been very different. No matter what thoughts I had before each checkpoint from the Chalet to Bright I was assured of having someone who knew what I wanted and had done in training. She was tough but made choices that were beneficial and needed at the time and I'm indebted to her for this. They say sometimes tough love is needed and that is true, but having a crew who know what your limits are and will not let you give up easy is just as essential as training, especially when things hit the fan.

It was amazing outside of my own selfish feelings to see people I care about succeed too. Brendan's 2nd in the 26er, Kel finishing in such a positive manner and my training buddy Blair Hurst taking 4hr 50min off his ultra time from last year running 10:30 and finishing in the top 20, all being great highlights. Sometimes I get too caught up in my own running and need to look around a bit more as it's just a running race and everyone is doing the same thing ultimately.

Clarkey had some quotes from the weekend that stood out for him and he had the quote that stood out for me, “Numbers mean nothing in training, it is what happens in the race that counts”. So true, and by the way he ran awesome and was rewarded with a massive pb. Now it is time to move forwards and onto the TNF50 in May. I have 5 weeks to rest, recover and prepare for this event and I’ll be doing all I can to ensure I make the start line healthy, fresh and ready to go.

Blair "Hursty" Hurst - 10:30 and a massive PB 

Photo Credits

Kel Gibson

Ben Van Steel

Brendan Davies

Gear/Nutrition

Hammer Nutrition

Inov 8 Waist Down

Hammer Clothing Waist Up

Ultraspire Packs

Time Piece Suunto Amibt Sport 3 (lasted 10:47 just over expected full mode battery life)

Big thanks must go to my supporters;

Hammer Nutrition
Barefootinc/Inov-8 Australia

Mountain Sports

Sydney Trail Series