Glasshouse 100 Mile - 11th & 12th Sep 2010

Why 100 miles?
I still remember the day roughly 4 or so years ago when I was browsing through the book shop at the Adelaide airport whilst waiting for my flight, and I cam across the book "Ultramarathon Man". As I was currently running marathons at the time I grabbed the book with quite an interest to see what the heck it was all about. When reading through the book I couldn't get my head around the 50 mile races and more so the 100 mile races that Dean Karnazes was talking about. It just seemed unfathomable, but as my interested in ultras grew, there was one distance that I kept on being drawn to; and that was 100 miles.

Looking though my blog it's evident that I started out with the shorter ultras, but in the back of my mind I always had the desire to want to complete 100 miles. It wasn't until I finished The North Face 100 in 2009 that I really started to think, "...just maybe". And it wasn't until the start of this year that I seriously thought that I was ready to have a crack. Signing up for the Glasshouse 100 miler was actually a lot more difficult that it may seem; it was definitely venturing into the unknown for me.

Training Schedule
First thing was first, I had to figure out what my training schedule was going to be. After some searching on the net and some good solid advice from the Coolrunning forums I settled on a program. As we always do, I tweaked it along the way, but here is every single run that I did in the 28 weeks leading up to Glasshouse.

Although the training schedule looked  a bit intimidating for me compared to other programs that I've done in the past, in particular the back to back runs, it turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting experience.

Pre Race Tour

The race weekend for me started by flying to Brisbane on Thursday, taking things easy, and getting ready for UCB's pre-race tour on Friday. I definitely recommend this tour for any newcomers as it's a great opportunity to get familiar with the surrounding terrain and also 

check out what some of the checkpoint locations look like. It's also a great social outing where you get to meet some of the other runners and have a meal at the Woodford pub.

Night Before The Race
The night before the race I arrived back at my cabin early after having attended the race briefing, sorted out a few bits a pieces in my race kit, and then tried to get to sleep early. This would turn out to probably be my worst pre-race sleep that I've ever had. There is no question that I was exceptionally nervous and coupling that with the fact that I was getting up at 3:30am, it definitely made for quite a restless night indeed. I fell asleep at some stage but before I knew it my alarm was going off and it was time to get up.

The Race
I arrive at the Beerburrum school early, sorted out my drop bags, had my medical check in and then just took things easy having a chat to a few other runners. It wasn't too long and we were ready to run, albeit some 7 minutes late, meaning the race started at 5:37am.

The Beerburrum loop (CP2 - 3a - 1a -2) was understandably conducted at a rather quick pace. It doesn't seem to matter what the race is, but even in ultras everyone seems to get a bit carried away in the early stages. I think it has bit to do with nerves and simply having the feeling of not wanting to be left behind.

At the end of the first loop we had the tough climb up to the top of Mt Beerburrum. This was definitely a very tough climb which is steep enough that even the run down is not overly comfortable. Once at the bottom of the climb we were off to CP3a.

I only stopped briefly at CP3a to fill up my handheld bottle and then headed towards checkpoint 4. Along the way to CP4 we passed through a relatively overgrown piece of trail. There was another runner about 30 meters ahead of me who I saw run straight past a sign directing us to CP4, so I yelled out to him and back he came and took the correct route. The trail marker here was quite a distance off to the left and to add confusion for the people who didn't see this marker, there was ribbon on the trail straight ahead, making them think that they were on the correct trail. Later we would find out that someone had actually tampered with the trail markings here and quite a few people took the wrong turn, so it was good that I managed to see the marker off to the left. I had a quick stop at CP4 and then an uneventful run through to CP5 (34.5km).

A few km after leaving CP5 I arrive at a section of track referred to as "The Goat Track". As the name suggests, this piece of track is quite rough and rutted, with short ups and downs making for some reasonably tough running. Having said that though, I quite enjoyed The Goat Track and made good time getting to CP6 (41.1km).

As I left CP6 I started running with Scott (Bloodnut on Coolrunning); we were heading into the most notorious section of trail of the entire 100 mile course...the Power-lines. The Power-lines consists of a section of severely eroded 4WD tracks with short but sharp steep up and downhill sections. I really have no idea how any car actually drives through this section of trail. It's not only the terrain that makes this section difficult, but for most runners we do it in the warmest part of the day and there is very little wind down in the gullies. I seemed to be enjoying the rough terrain and Scott and I were making good time through this section. We passed Ray (Eagle on CR) and eventually Scott set me off on my own because I was running a touch better than he was at that stage. The terrain leveled out and I had quite a nice run into CP8 (51.6km).

No sooner had I checked in at CP8 and one of the volunteers said "Here's your drop bag". Talk about amazing service! I had to weigh in and was told that I was 2kg down on my starting weight so I needed to concentrate on getting some more fluid down.

At CP8 we did two loops; a western loop followed by an eastern loop. I had heard lots of people talk about how the 2nd part of the western loop was really tough and that the eastern loop was a lot easier. During the western loop another 100 mile runner, Paul E caught up to me. He had put in some hard yards to catch me so he could have some company to run the loop with. Paul and I chatted and soaked up the challenging terrain of the western loop. Strangely though, we both really enjoyed the terrain on the western loop and couldn't really see what all of the fuss was about regarding the difficulty of this part of the track.

It was during the western loop that I started to notice my stomach wasn't feeling great; it hadn't for the last couple of hours and I think it contributed to dropping 2kg since the start. After thinking about why it wasn't feeling so great, I came to the conclusion that it may have been the Endura that I was drinking at the checkpoints. It was interesting that a few other runners that I chatted to had said that quite a few people tend to have problems with Endura. So no more Endura for me.

I arrived back at CP8 (62.4km) for another quick transition thanks to the brilliant volunteers, and I was off to complete the eastern loop. Paul was going to take a bit longer at CP8 so he sent me off on my own. Other than the long climb back up to CP8 (70.4km), the eastern loop was straight forward.

With some 70km in the legs by now I was definitely feeling like I had done quite a bit of running, but I still had over 90km to go! Although I obviously knew I had a long way to go, mentally I was coping really well and was managing to "deal with the moment", and focus on just getting to the next checkpoint.

I ran briefly with Ann and Carol (both in the 100k) on the way to CP7. I arrived at CP7 (78.4km), stocked up with water and started running with Paul F (Gingerfox on CR). The 4.4km loop at CP7 was nice and flat and upon returning back to CP7 (82.8km), it marked the half way point for the run.

 By now the sun was starting to go down, my stomach was settling down and on the way to CP6 we got our headlamps out. It seemed that no sooner had the sun gone down that my body decided that it wanted to switch the lights out too. For about 30 minutes after we started running with the headlamps I felt like I wanted a nap; as it turned out this would be one of many of these moments throughout the night. After a while however, the body seemed to wake up and all was good.

The next checkpoint that Gingerfox and I arrived at was CP6 (90.3km), and what a reception we got here. Upon arriving at the CP Gingerfox asked, "Have we finished?" as it was such an enthusiastic reception. We replenished our supplies, had some food and headed off towards CP5.

Whilst on our way to CP5, as it was very still we could hear loud cheers in the distance and see some car headlights. Gingerfox and I just assumed that it was some spectators but to our surprise we actually came across a bunch of locals who had obviously had a few too many beverages, and one of the vehicles was off the side of the causeway sitting at about a 45 degree angle. The guys didn't really seem bothered that one of their vehicles was in a rather precarious position, and were more interested in giving us high fives and cheering  us along.

It was during this section that both Gingerfox and I started to feel the pinch. No one had mentioned this section being tough, all of the talk was about the Power-lines and western loop at CP8, but this section was tough. There were short and sharp ups and downs and it just seemed to take forever to get to CP5. On our way to CP5 we passed Robbie M who was having a tough time with his ITB. He was going to pull out once he got to CP5, but what a terrbile section to get through with an injury; Gingerfox and I really felt for him. I wasn't having any major problems but Gingerfox was getting a lot of grief from a bad blister on his heel.

Arriving at CP5 was another major milestone...99.9km; so basically 100km for the day. I was starting to get a bit tired of my gels by this stage so a rissole on bread with sauce went down just beautifully. Gingerfox had his blister patched up by the race medic and we set off towards the next major milestone; the Beerburrum school.

The running on this section was relatively easy, although we did question whether or not we were on the right track a couple of times. When we were about an hour or so from CP2 I asked Gingerfox how he was going, and to my surprise he said that he was thinking of pulling out at the school. He seemed to be running quite well to me but his biggest problem was just not "feeling right". We pressed on and eventually arrived at CP2 (112km) back at the school.

Gingerfox got checked out by some of the support staff at the school and I went off looking for my drop bag so I could change my socks. To my surprise my drop bag wasn't there. What was going on...did I actually have a drop bag here? The support crew searched for my drop bag but it definitely wasn't there. I didn't get upset because more than likely it was me that had screwed something up.

Someone offered to grab some soup for me so I took that offer up. However I didn't realise that they had to go all the way down to the tuck shop and heat it up. I stood around for a while, getting itchy feet, and upon realising that by the time they came back it would be too hot to eat anyway, I gave my apology to the checkpoint staff and thanked them for going to get the soup, but I had made up my mind I needed to be off running. I was so much in the zone that even though I knew Gingerfox was pulling out and after looking back at the race, I did hear him say something when I left, I had completely ignored his good luck wishes for the rest of the race. A few hundred meters down the road I felt like such a rude idiot; how could I ignore him like that? After talking to him the next morning at the finish I appologised, and thankfully he could see I was in the zone and completely understood how I managed to ignore him.

I was now on my own for the first time at night and I seemed to get a bit worked up about it, kind of like a mild panic. After a while I realised I was being an idiot and managed to calm myself down. I've done a lot of running on my own at night, in fact I really enjoy it, and so far the trail marking had been fantastic so I just needed to focus on what I was doing.

After leaving the school at CP2 there is approximately 3km of running on a path along the side of Steve Irwin Way. I was still managing a good mix of walking and running but my body was definitely starting to feel like it was progressively getting worn down. And my feet were starting to become quite sore. I arrived at Moffats road which meant I was now heading away from the highway and over towards CPs 9 & 10 on the eastern section of the course.

It was actually quite nice to finally be out on my own at night, and running through what seemed like a deserted forest; it was just me, my headlamp showing the way and a long tunnel of trees to negotiate. The night time stages of ultras are actually one of the things that I really enjoy about long races.

As I progressed towards the Bruce Highway I was really starting to feel the discomfort of having been on my feet for so long, but mentally I still had a very good outlook on the race, I didn't at all hate what I was doing and I didn't have any thoughts of not making it to the end.

I passed under the Bruce Highway and was then presented with a tricky muddy steep section of track heading into CP9 (125km). When I arrived at CP9, Paul E who I ran with back at the CP8 western loop was there with Rodney (Hermie on CR). They were both attending to some feet issues and were about to tackle the short climb up Wild Horse Mountain. I ate some sausage rolls, quiches and started the 750m climb up to the top with Paul and Rodney. At CP9 you get given a token with you race number on it; you have to place in the box at the top of the climb to prove that you actually did complete the climb. It was a quick stroll back down to CP9 and then the three of us headed towards CP10.

Paul and Rodney told me that they had pretty much resorted to a walk now and that I should press on if I felt like it. Walking sounded great to me by now, and to be honest the pace of the walk was quite a brisk. On the way to CP10 our progress was slowed due to numerous large puddles across the entire track, and sometimes it was difficult to figure out which way to go around them. Nonetheless, we eventually made our way to CP10 (131km).

Sitting on the stool at CP10 was a bit like sitting at a bar in the pub. You didn't even have to lift a finger; the support staff would fetch your drop bag, fill up your bottle and get what ever food you wanted. I must say it was absolutely appreciated to get such fantastic service late in the race.

The next section to be completed was the western loop from CP10. Even though my mind was still strong (feet were hurting like hell though!) it was even more encouraging to be running (well walking!) with Paul and Rodney as they were just so positive. There was no question in their minds that we weren't making it to the end. On top of that, it was just fun being with these guys; Paul could talk the legs off on an iron pot (there's an Aussie saying for you Paul!) and Rodney came up with some humorous topics at times. Our legs hurt, our feet hurt even more, but we were having a great time! This section provided a number of tricky water sections that slowed us down somewhat, but otherwise was a simple section of trail. Paul was our numbers man, whipping out his Garmin to figure out our pace and calculating our ETA back to CP10. It was in this section that I had another drowsy patch; I popped a NoDoze which seemed to help as the drowsy patch eventually passed. On the way back into CP10 we crossed paths with Andrew H (Whippet Man on CR) who had been out on the CP10 eastern loop by himself.

We had another quick rest and replenishment at CP10 (140.4km) and headed off on the CP10 eastern loop. It was on this loop that it struck me just how far I had actually travelled. All of a sudden the km to go were slowly but surely getting a lot smaller. We only had around 25km go...surely nothing could go wrong now could it? I didn't want to get ahead of myself, but I was really starting to get a feeling that I was going to get to the end. Sure the legs were sore, and the feet were worse, but moving wasn't getting any more difficult that's for sure.

As we approached the end of the loop the sun began to rise and it was fantastic to feel the dramatic change in light conditions. The other thing I thought to myself was that it was the second sunrise that I'd seen for the race...cool! We arrived back at CP10 (149.6km), stocked up with food and water, packed away the headlamp and set off on our power walk back to CP9.

We got to CP9 (154km) without a hitch, had a short stop and chat to the guys manning the checkpoint and we were off on the final leg of the race.

Based on my splits sheet I thought we only had 10km to go, but I forgot about the approximate 2km diversion between CPs 2 & 9, meaning that we had around 12km to go. Oh well, we were still travelling ok so it didn't matter too much. We actually found out at the end of the race that the course markers were supposed to take off some distance at another part of the course, so as a consequence this year turned out to be the longest Glasshouse ever (I think?).

By now I knew that something major would have to happen for any of us not to make it to the finish. Under the Bruce Highway we went, then some long forest sections, Moffats road and finally we were back at Steve Irwin Highway. As we ran on the path along side the highway I actually started to feel quite emotional on a few occasions. I've felt emotional in quite a few of my ultras and I think if you feel like this then you are doing it for all the right reasons; to me it tells you that it really does mean something special to you. It probably shows that you've given your all, because there is no doubt that the mental/ emotional part of running ultras is just a big as the physical part.

We had decided that we would all cross the line together and that no matter what, we were going to run across the line. I don't think we looked like Usain Bolt, but we did our best and eventually crossed the line together. My time was 27 hours 24 minutes and 44 seconds. What a journey! I must admit however, I feel a bit guilty when I see that the time keepers gave me a time one second faster than Paul and Rodney. I not really sure how that happened; if anything I though I was slightly behind them both.

Post Race
It's definitely no secret that the one thing that hurt the most was my feet, so I was quick to take off my shoes and see what the damage was. Even though I had planned to change socks during the race, because I mucked up my drop bag position I didn't end up changing them, and in fact didn't even take my shoes off for the entire race. I hate taking my shoes off and I guess I got to a stage where my feet just hurt, but they did't seem to get any worse. Looking back now, I do think it would have been wise to change my socks and clean out my shoes. Having said that though, surprisingly the only damage to my feet was a small blister on my little toe on my right foot, and an even smaller blister on the toe adjacent to my big toe. All up, I was pretty happy with how my feet held up.

Nutrition
My primary fuel source was my home made energy gels, of which I went through around 1.2 litres of mix. Surprisingly I could still stomach them towards the end of the race which was encouraging. I also carried dates and my favourite Redrock chips. Other than that, foods that I remember eating were: a chicken sandwich, various fruits, meatball on bread with sauce, sausage rolls and quiches. I basically avoided as much as possible having anything with high quantities of simple sugars in them; this is something I've really focussed on since The Cradle Mountain run and it has made a big difference in my performance. All in all, other than my slightly upset stomach for a few hours, I was pretty happy with my nutrition.

Wrap Up
Overall I had a fantastic time at Glasshouse, it was very well run,  the volunteers were absolutely fantastic at the checkpoints, and above all, I achieved my goal of completing 100 miles.

Do I want to have a crack at 100 miles again...I don't know. At no stage during the race did I hate what I was doing and when I crossed the finish line I didn't even remotely get the dreaded "I'm never doing that again" thoughts. So I guess that doesn't mean no and only time will tell to see if the urge to complete 100 miles again starts tapping me on my shoulder. Until then...I hope to see you out on the trails somewhere!

Adelaide 12 Hour - 5 June 2010

Well after the success of the Adelaide 6 hour last year, Ben stepped it up a bit this year and included a 12 hour event. I had a great time at the 6 hour and there was no way I was missing out on having a crack at the 12 hour. Ben really has done a brilliant job in going to the effort of getting the race officially certified by AURA, with the distance being certified too.

As the 12 hour was not my main focus this year I didn't do any specific training or any special taper period prior to the event. My goal race is the Glasshouse 100 miler so I had a super quick taper, which involved a weekend off from training, followed by a light week of running and I was as ready for the 12 hour. I didn't really have that much of a race plan other than aiming for around 55km at 6 hours, and then just holding on and hopefully getting to 100km.

The weather for the start of the race was perfect. There was barely any wind  and the temperature was nice and cool. We were briefed by Ben, and in a similar fashion to last year, a seemingly uneventful call by the race director set us off on our way.

The first few hours passed by with relative ease, however I noticed that because the track was slightly damp from overnight rain, dirt was flicking up into my shoe and also inside my poorly fitting Injinji socks. I love Injini's for ultras but the pair I was wearing had passed their used by date. They were a bit loose around the ankles and hence were taking in grit. I was wearing my Asics 2150 GTs which haven't worked well for me at all compared to my usual Kayano road shoes. After about the 4 hour mark I had to stop and empty the grit out of my socks and change into my trusty Asics Gel Trabucos. I brought these along because I know I can run forever in them and not get any blisters.

As we approached the 6 hour mark it definitely started to get tough, and from a mental perspective it was really hard knowing that the 6 hour guys were going to be finishing soon. After having run for close to 6 hours the desire to want to stop running and sit down had well and truly kicked in. Anyway, I was bang on target and manged to clock up 55.53km for the 6 hours.

The next couple of laps were really tough. The 6 hour guys were resting their legs at the finish line and we still had 6 hours to go. Damn it looked so nice to be not running, but I had signed up for the 12 hours so I had to keep on moving. Over the next couple laps most of the 6 hour runners had left and it was nice to have to track to ourselves and be able to concentrate on the task at hand.

Hours 6 to 8 were horrible for me. I had a desire to sit down that was so intense I couldn't stop looking for places to sit down on the lap. I would see a park bench but it was too far off the track, I would see a post to sit on but it wasn't big enough for my butt, I was see a steel gate to the council depot but it looked too high. This went on for lap after lap but I managed to keep moving and only sit down for a few seconds on an electrical box right on the edge of the track.

I had been taking on gels and some potato chips later on, but I soon turned to what was on offer on the food table provided for the runners. I reckon I stood there for about 15 seconds trying to figure out what I wanted. Some coke went down and I reluctantly broke off a small piece of pizza which actually tasted fantastic. Down went the rest of the slice of pizza with another cup of coke to wash it down.

It was about now that I started to come good again. Don't get me wrong, things still hurt like hell but I was running a lot more consistently, but still not consistent enough to be able to see me getting to 100 km.

Over the day I mostly ran on my own, but one of the runners I spent a fair bit of time with was Kym. Kym was running a beautiful pace and had actually got two complete laps up on me since the 6 hour mark. He was on track for his first ever 100km run and was really on a mission. Nothing was holding him back at all. Over the next couple of hours I ran probably about 3 key laps with Kym that  put me back on track for 100km.

Even when I got into the 90s, I still didn't believe that I could get to 100km. I even said to Kym that I simply didn't want it enough at that stage. However, I continued to make reasonable progress and with about 35 min to go the numbers seemed to be looking good. 100km was definitely possible. All of a sudden I became super focused, the pain completely disappeared and I was running fast. It really is impossible to describe this sensation to those who haven't experienced it. It is a truly bizarre sensation to go from being absolutely wrecked to being able to effortlessly run along. Thanks to Chillimans photo's below, it shows that I ran an 11:11 lap (2.2km), which would most definitely be my fastest lap of the whole day. And this was at the 98km mark...how does that happen?

Thanks to my now effortless pace, I could see that I would get to 100km, albeit with about 6 minutes to spare but I would make it. All of a sudden the whole day just seemed so much more worthwhile. I was so much more satisfied. I ran right up to the sound of the siren and managed to complete 101.093km in 12 hours making it my longest ever run.

There were some amazing achievements amongst the 12 hour runners. Mal clocked up a phenomenal 133.7km, which was truly amazing to watch, Ron knocked off another age group record with a run of 116.972km, Zac completed a PB of 109.110km and Kym surprised everyone including himself in totaling 101.2km. At one stage I asked him if he was going to have a crack at a 100km race sometime this year. He said he was thinking about it but didn't have any idea that 6 hours later he would achieve that goal today. I must thank Kym for the few key laps that he dragged me along on in the latter stages of the race, because without those few laps I wouldn't have got to 100km. Click on the image below for the splits.

I must mention the 6 hour guys too. Check out their awesome performances below!

6 hour:
Male:
Brett Worley 65.183km
Stan Trzepacz 63.5
Adrian Mills 62.943
Doug Reid 62.390
Colin Brooks 61.637
Graham Tottey 57.411
Cliff Pannell 54.800
Karl Riedl 54.268
Stuart Drayton 46.645
Female:
Emma Vaughan 52.878
Susan Worley 41.082

Congratulations to Ben for putting on a fantastic event and thank you to all of the support guys that helped out lap counting, course marking, preparing food and just generally providing moral support out on the track. It was an immensely satisfying day for me, and hopefully for all involved too. Sometimes I wonder why I run ultras, and I sure did ask that question many times this day, but the sense of achievement and high that you get from running something like this makes it all overwhelmingly worthwhile.

Glen

My Bad Experience with Hammer Perpetuem

Perpetuem "The world's finest endurance fuel"- or is it?
In my search for optimal ultramarathon nutrition strategies I came across a product made by Hammer Nutrition called Perpetuem. On face value it seemed like the perfect supplement for ultra endurance events and could even be used as the primary fuel source. Here is some info from the website about the different ways it can be mixed up.

• The One-Hour Bottle - Mix the suggested amount of Perpetuem for your bodyweight in a 21-24 ounce (approx 520-710 ml) water bottle. Consume one bottle hourly.

• The Multi-Hour Bottle - Let's say you've determined through testing that 2 scoops of Perpetuem per hour is your ideal caloric intake. For a 4-hour workout, you'll need 8 scoops in a bottle, then filled with water and shaken well. You then nurse this bottle, taking small sips every 15-20 minutes. At this concentration, the water in the mixed bottle does not contribute much at all to your hourly fluid intake needs. To meet your fluid requirements, you carry a second and possibly even a third bottle of plain water, or use a hydration system, or know where you can refill along your route.

• Gel or Paste - Perpetuem can be made into a super-concentrated, near paste-like consistency and dispensed from a Hammer Gel flask. Using a blender or bowl and spoon, mix scoops of powder with a small amount of water, gradually adding water as necessary to create the consistency desired. Depending on how many scoops per hour you require, and how concentrated the mix is, each flask of Perpetuem can supply you with 2-4 hours of fuel. As with the multi-hour bottle, you must carry additional bottles of plain water or use a hydration system to meet your fluid requirements.

Suggested Doses by Body Weight (135 calories per scoop):

• 0 – 120 lbs (approx 54.5 kg) – up to 3/4 scoop/hr. This provides approximately 101 calories.
• 120–155 lbs (approx 54.5–70 kg) – 1 scoop/hr. This provides 135 calories.
• 155–190 lbs (approx 70–86 kg) – 1.25 to 1.5 scoops/hr. This provides approx 169 to 202.5 calories.
• 190+ lbs (86+ kg) – up to 2 scoops/hr. This provides 270 calories.

My thoughts on the different methods
I don't like any hydration strategy that stipulates we need to drink a certain volume of fluid per hour, as given what is known about hyponotremia these days it is simply bad advice. Besides that, I don't like a nutrition plan that is dependent on drinking a certain amount per hour because this would mean my energy intake would vary considerably depending on the weather conditions. If I had a race/ training run on a cold day where I don't need to drink much, then I'm going to miss out on calories unless I over drink. Out of the 3 methods I liked the idea of either the multi bottle or the gel/ paste option.

The Road Test
The night before my training run I mixed up one gel/ paste mix in a gel flask and also one multi hour bottle and refrigerated both of them over night. By following the suggested dosages I should have had enough energy requirements for over 4 hours.

To try the two different methods I was going to first consume the paste mix which would last for the first half of my run, and then the multi hour bottle which would last for the second half of the run.

I thought that the paste mix actually tasted quite good, although it did somewhat remind me of eating cake mix. It was thick but went down very easily with a splash of water. My general nutrition strategy is to take on calories every 30 min so that I have a nice steady stream of energy entering my system. At a bit over the half way mark of my run I had finished the paste mix and all seemed to be going well.

Next it was time to start using the mutli hour bottle. The mix pretty much tasted like a milk shake which is not really what I'd consider to be ideal during a run. After my first drink I realised that I had probably taken on about a third of the bottle instead of a quarter. I didn't think would be a big deal as long as I waited a bit long until I had my next drink of the mix.

It was about now when the wheels started to fall off. I was starting to feel bloated and even after 45 min I still didn't feel like taking on any more Perpetuem. I was starting to feel a bit nauseas but was still running well. 

After about 60 minutes I finally took on some more perpetuem but it wasn't sitting well in the stomach. By the time I got to the final descent of my run after 4 hours I was starting to feel quite bad. Not only did I feel like I was hitting the wall but the nauseas feeling in my stomach was getting to the point where I felt like vomiting.  I actually think this was the closest I have ever come in a training run or race to vomiting. The Perpetuem was obviously sitting in my stomach and as I hadn't absorbed many calories in the last couple of hours due to the issues I was having I was really struggling to run.

I finally got to the end of my run (4.5 hours) and had to sit down for about 20 minutes until stomach started to settle down.

Summary
The only thing that I consumed in this training run was water and Perpetuem so my problems seems to be linked to the Perpertuem. I've never felt this bad before during a run so perhaps there is something in Perpetuem that doesn't agree with me. There are lots of folks out there using Perpetuem in long ultras so I thought that I'd be onto a winner. I guess this is why we experiment during training. Maybe I might try it again on another run, but at the moment I simply can't stomach the though of drinking the stuff again.

Home Made Energy Gels

I came across the idea of making my own energy gels after looking at the Home Made Gels, Gu's and Bars thread on Coolrunning. It seems that the primary ingredient in energy gels is Maltodextrin, which is readily available from most chemists and also home brew shops.

The maltodextrin that I bought is comes in a 900 gram tin and is called Polyjoule. It costs around $14. Some guys get their maltodextrin from home brew shops in the form of powdered corn starch, but I'm not 100% certain about the validity of this comment saying that it's not wise to use the home brew stuff. $14 for a tin of Polyjoule still makes a lot of gels at minimal cost so I'll stick with it for the time being.

As for the recipe, well there's not really much to it all all. Throw some maltodextrin into a mixing jug and add some hot water to make plain gels. In my opinion the unflavoured stuff actually tastes surprisingly quite good. It will initially look quite milky but overnight it will turn into a clear gel so just be a bit patient. Some guys nuke their mix in the microwave but I don't really like doing that.

As for flavours, well try anything that you think might sound like a good idea. I've personally used quite a few cooking essences, with my favourite so far being chocolate and coconut. Go easy on the flavourings as they are quite concentrated and you won't need much at all. I've also used citric acid to give a tangy lemon flavour, but citric acid is very potent and I've found it hard to get a consistent flavour. You could also try adding in some Gatorade powder or any drink flavourings that you like.

The benefits of caffeine for endurance sports are well know and I briefly touched on some advice from a leading sports nutritionists in one of my other posts. Here it was recommended that 3-5mg per kg of body weight every 5 hours is all that is needed. I personally use Nodoz tablets and simply crush them up a bit, dissolve in some hot water and mix it into the gel mix.

I have also experimented with trying to add some healthy fats into the mix as this is something that we supposedly need during long endurance events. So far I have just added a dash of flaxseed oil. It does separate over time but a quick shake of the gel flask mixes it up fine.

My longest training runs to date where I have solely used energy gels has been 4.5 hours and I must say that they worked fantastic. I took some gel every 30 min with water and I didn't have any energy crashes at all. I actually think that my performance during my training runs using gels only has probably been better than anything else I've used so far.

How long it would take me before I get tired of my home made gels I'm not sure but the results are definitely encouraging.  They will most certainly be a part of my overall ultramarathon nutrition strategy.

Making your own gels is a fun, cheap and effective way of supplying your gel requirements. Give it a go!

Ultramarathon Nutrition - Part 2

Optimal Carbohydrate, Protein, & Caffeine intake during endurance events

A few days ago I posted a blog on my nutrition issues, and today when I listened to this pod cast with Asker Juekendrup on competitorradio.com, I was surprised to find out that it was all about nutrition.

So who is Asker Juekendrup? Well he is is one of the leading sports nutritionists of the Human Performance lab at the University of Birmingham. He has previously worked with the Rabobank professional cycling team, and is currently working with high profiled athletes such as Chrissie Wellington (Ironman winner) and Haile Gebrselassie (marathon world record holder). He has also personally completed 17 Ironman Triathlons.

The pod cast runs for 50mins but I think that it's well worth a listen. Here is a quick summary of the findings of his recent studies:

1. The optimal carbohydrate fuel source is made up of 2:1 ratio of glucose & fructose. Glucose alone can only provide around 60 grams/hour, but because glucose and fructose are absorbed differently in the intestines, it allows for a higher amount of carbohydrate to be absorbed. The approximate ratio of 2:1 allows us to consume approximately an extra 30 grams of carbohydrate per hour. An interesting comment that Asker made, was that because the digestive limitations are due to the nature of our intestines, and because both large and small people have similar sized intestines, then the amount of carbohydrate that is able to be absorbed is very similar for both large and small people. Also, whilst the absorption of the 2:1 mix is slightly impaired, it closely matches that of water alone.
2. According to his studies he doesn't believe that protein is necessary during endurance events such as the Ironman. Firstly, protein will impair the rate at which carbohydrate can be absorbed, and for events of Ironman distances he doesn't believe that the mechanisms claimed by many studies can work in that time period. From what he said in the pod cast, it's not clear if protein would be useful for events lasting over 24 hours or so.
3. Caffeine clearly has a performance enhancing effect. The recommended dosage is 3-5mg per kg of body weight. As caffeine has a half life of around 5 hours we only need to top up every 5 hours or so. Studies also show that more is not better, and it's a good idea to stick to the recommendation of 3-5mg per kg of body weight.

So there you have it. The findings of Askers studies are different to Hammers philosophy, but who is correct? As with a lot of this stuff, I think we need to test it out during training and figure out what works best for us. We are all different!

Ultramarathon Nutrition

My Nutrition Problem
During the 2010 Cradle Mountain Run I really struggled with my nutrition, and although I wasn't that much slower compared to the previous year, I'm almost certain that my eating issues affected my performance. I can't ever recall struggling so much to eat; almost everything tasted terrible, and I seemed to have a lot of low periods where I really struggled to get the body moving.

After a bit of researching I came across The 10 Biggest Mistakes Endurance Athletes Make on the Badwater website. Whilst Steve Born is obviously heavily marketing Hammer products, if you read between the lines there is a lot of great information that can be taken out of his article. I'll briefly summarise some of my biggest mistakes below.

Simple Carbohydrates Intake
Probably my biggest mistake was a high dependence on simple carbohydrates. The problem with relying on simple carbohydrates as an energy source is that they have to be at a very dilute 6-8% solution, and at this concentration we are only able to absorb around 100 calories an hour. This simply isn't enough for an ultramarathon. Most ultra runners will know that we can digest around 250-300 calories an hour, but unfortunately we can't if we are taking in too many simple sugars. Trying to consume 300 calories an hour of simple sugars will leave us feeling bloated and nauseas.  Another problem with consuming simple sugars is that they result in blood sugar spikes and crashes.

What we really want to focus on is getting our energy requirements from complex carbohydrates. With complex carbohydrates we are able to easily absorbs solutions of up to 15-18%, allowing us to have a much greater calorie intake.

I'm currently experimenting with making my own energy gels and I have had some very encouraging results using them during my training. After I've had some more time to tinker with my recipes I'll post what I've come up with.

No Protein
I have always made sure that I have plenty of protein after my hard training session or races, but I had never thought much about protein intake during an ultra. When we exercise beyond a couple of hours our bodies actually need protein to assist in supplying us with energy. If we don't consume protein then our bodies start to consume some of our muscles, which can't be a good thing!

I'm currently working on a home made version of Hammers Perpetuem, which includes protein and also good fats. I'll post the results when I come up with a recipe that works.

Too Much Solid Food
Well I seemed to get to a stage where almost all of my energy requirements were coming from solid foods. I don't plan to eliminate solid food because I can't imagine going for over 24 hours on liquid foods, but I need to more carefully include them in my training and racing. There is no question that solid foods taste good, and sometimes in an ultra simply eating something that you like can mentally make a big difference.

Glasshouse 100 (Sep 11th & 12th 2010) to be my first 100 mile attempt

Ever since I read Dean Karnazes' Ultramarathon Man book I have always been intrigued about 100 mile events. Of course the main question that someone thinks about when they first hear about 100 mile events is how on earth does someone actually complete 100 miles on foot? I suppose the second question that most people would ask is why would someone want to do it? Although I've never understood how someone actually gets through 100 miles, I have never questioned why someone would want to do it and I suppose that's why I've decided that I have to give it a go.

Whilst I've never questioned why someone would want to run 100 miles, I must admit that it does seem like a ridiculous thing to do, and I still can't get my mind around the concept of doing it. My longest ultra to date is 100km but it was a slow progression getting to that milestone. I went from the marathon to a 56km ultra, then to an 80km ultra and then onto the 100km ultra. All somewhat small baby steps. The thought of suddenly stepping up from 100km to 100 miles (160km) is just insane!

There is no question that the step up seems intimidating and overwhelming, but I've wanted to complete a 100 miler ever since I started running ultras. It's hard to know if 100 milers are something that I'll do a lot of, but I have to give it a shot and complete at least one. Hopefully it can be on my first attempt! As intimidating as 100 milers are, I am very excited about the challenges that lie ahead.

Part of the challenge was coming up with a suitable and well thought out training program. I was initially a bit lost regarding what my program would entail. I came across this web page that had quite a bit of information and a program that seemed to suit me was this one. It was for a newbie and for someone who's ultimate goal is simply to get to the finish. I started to rearrange that program, and also asked for some advice on the Stepping up to 100 Milers thread on the Coolrunning forum. After taking on board some advice from the experienced experienced folks in that thread, I came up with a program that suited my lifestyle and also hopefully my goals. Here is my 100 Mile Training Program (in kilometres). 

I might write another post on my training program once I'm a bit further into it, but just briefly; the 8.3km & 12km runs during the week are lunch time road runs, the Friday session will be made up of running to and from work and occasionally a trail run. I'm fortunate in that I finish work early on Friday's and can devote a good chunk of time to running. Finally, all Saturday sessions will be out on the trails.

So there it is, I've decided to have a crack at 100 miles and I've already started the training! Hopefully it will all turn out well! By the way, if you want an inspirational 100 miler first attempt blog to read then check this one out, and here is the Glasshouse website link.

Happy running.


Glen

Races Completed

I've managed to clock up a few races since I started running so I thought that it would be a good idea to actually write down what they all are. Here we go:

2011 The North Face 100km - 16:49:38
2010 Glasshouse 100 Mile - 27:24:44
2010 Adelaide 12 Hour - 101.093 km 
2010 Cradle Mountain Run - 14:09:26
2009 Yurrebilla 56km Ultra Marathon - 7:33:39
2009 Adelaide Marathon - 3:49:24
2009 Adelaide 6 Hour - 59.8km
2009 The North Face 100km - 19:01:28
2009 Cradle Mountain Run - 13:58:13
2008 Adelaide Trailblazer (50km) - 6:51:00
2008 Yurrebilla 56km Ultra Marathon - 7:59:00
2008 Adelaide Marathon - 3:19:02
2008 Adelaide Half Marathon - 1:30:31
2007 Adelaide Marathon - 3:24:25
2007 Pichi Richi Marathon - 3:26:35
2006 Adelaide Marathon - 3:22:39
2006 Pichi Richi Marathon - 3:39:01
2005 Melbourne Marathon - 3:36:33
2005 Adelaide Marathon - 3:41:54

2010 Cradle Mountain Run - Feb 6th

I had such a great time at last years Cradle Mountain Run that I had already decided soon after the finish that I'd have another crack this year. Having completed the run last year there is no question that The Overland Track wasn't a complete mystery but how well did I manage to take in what I learnt last year? One thing for sure was that the weather conditions were going to be completely different. According to some of the locals last year was one of the wettest Cradle Runs but this year was to be very dry. I was little concerned during the rangers briefing on the Friday night when he said that there wasn't much water out on the track, but I was reasonably confident that given the cool conditions I should be able to get by using the water tanks at the huts. At least this year I knew exactly what to expect at the huts.

I had a reasonable sleep Friday night and woke up at my standard 2 hours before run start on Saturday morning, thus I was up at 4am. I went through my usual ritual of having a strong coffee, breakfast, putting on the running attire and loading up my pack with food. Next I had to wake up my wife and mate Cliff as they were my ride to the start. With 20 marathons and a couple of ultras under his belt, Cliff has dodgy ankles that wouldn't quite be up for a full Cradle Run (they squeak...seriously they do!). So this year he wanted to check out a part of The Overland Track by catching the ferry from Cynthia Bay to Narcissus, walking out towards the Windy Ridge Hut until he met me and then running with me to the finish.

I arrived at Waldheim a bit before 5:30am but there really didn't seem to be much activity considering the first roll call was supposed to happen at 5:30am. As it turned out we didn't end up having the early roll call, rather we simply did it at the start of the track only a few minutes before the run start. It was cool to cold for the start and with only a few clouds in the sky it was shaping up to be a brilliant day weather wise.

Like last year, on announcement of the start the fast guys took off lightening fast. I reckon that the lead runner was at least 300 - 400m ahead of me before I even started running on the duck boarding.

This year my goal was to run 13 hours so I definitely ran harder in the earlier stages. I knew what the climb up Marions Lookout was like and I wanted to get up to the top in good time. The climb to the top starts out steady but eventually turns into clambering up over boulders whilst hanging onto a chain. There was a light breeze and it was a touch cold but the view was sensational. Light cloud covered the peak of Cradle Mountain and the sun was just sneaking up over the horizon. Thanks to the fantastic conditions there were views as far as the eye could see.

There really is some tough running up the top and it seemed every bit as difficult as last year. I feel that there may have been some more board walk this year but overall the rock hopping that was required made for some very slow going.

Kitchen Hut was passed and I then started running with Liz who is an accomplished marathoner and was struggling a bit on the rough terrain. Whenever we got to the good sections she would leave me for dead but I would catch up in the rough stuff.


I had some relatively uneventful running through Waterfall Valley (10km), past Lake Holmes and through to Windemere Hut (17.4km). I absolutely love the highlands of the Cradle Mountain area which in my opinion are easily the most spectacular sections of the Overland Track. I love the openness, the sense of seclusion and the uninterrupted views.




A few kilometres further down the track I arrived at the River Fourth Lookout (19.7km). This is an area where you go from running in open country to a short section of dense bushland. For me this part of the track feels very eery as all of a sudden you are all closed in and the track is very indistinct and difficult to see. You need to keep an eye out for the next trail marker before you move on. No other part of the track gives me that sensation. I caught up to Liz during this section and continued on through to Froggs Flats (27km).

About 500 metres before arriving at Pelion Hut (31.5km) when I was casually eating a Mars Bar I managed to roll my ankle, feeling a bit of a pop as it rolled. I couldn't believe that I did it here as I rolled my ankle (same one) only a couple of kilometres earlier last year. It was quite sore but I could manage to run without too much of a limp. Just like last year I started to analyse how I'd make it another 46km or so to the end. I made it to Pelion 47 minutes before the cut off, which was faster than last year so I at least knew I had some time up my sleeve.

As I left Pelion I met Paul, a runner who I hadn't seen at all on the run so far. This was Paul's first run of this type and he was finding it much more difficult than he originally expected (as all first timers do I think). We ran together for a while but eventually I told him to venture off ahead as my ankle was slowing me down through the rough stuff. Another runner who I seemed to be running with quite a bit was Steve, but even he was running much faster than me at that stage. One thought that was in the back of my mind was that Cliff was going to meet me in between Windy Ridge and Narcisuss so that motivated me to move along a bit quicker.

The kilometres kept on accumulating and my ankle seemed to be getting better the further I went, although it still slowed me down through the steep and rough terrain. I was soon taken by surprise when I came across a hut that seemed to be in the wrong place, but I realised that it was the Kia Ora Hut (40km). I had become so focussed on getting to Windy Ridge that I had completely forgotten about the Kia Ora Hut. How is that possible? Steve was here filling up his water bottles. I filled up mine and off we headed towards Windy Ridge.

The next 10km would turn out to be my most demoralising section of the whole run. I ran briefly with Paul, Steve and also a couple of girls (Karen & Karen I think were there names). Eventually they all out paced me and I was alone. I knew I only had to cover 10km to get to Windy Ridge but the kilometres seemed to be taking forever to pass. I could not remember this section from last year and I just didn't seem to be getting anywhere. At one stage I even had silly thoughts going through my head that I had taken a side track and had gone around the hut, even though I knew there weren't any side tracks. Eventually I arrived at Windy Ridge Hut (50km), but it sure did seem like 20km as opposed to the 10km that it was. Steve and the girls had already gone but Paul was at the hut filling up his Camelbak.

I left Windy Ridge before Paul and was now getting a bit excited because I was really looking forward to meeting Cliff somewhere between Windy Ridge and Narcissus. I wasn't sure when I would run into Cliff but it did give me some extra motivation to keep pushing on. This section of the track actually has some pretty good running and although it did seem to take a while, eventually I met up with Cliff. We said a quick g'day and he then filed in behind me on our way to Narcissus. For the next few k's we made some reasonably good time and I must say that it made a difference to be running with a mate who you talk to on runs about anything and everything. Other than the fact I had run 55km it felt just like any other run that we do together.

I didn't feel like running a whole lot as we got closer to Narcisuss. I knew I was going to be well inside the cut off time of 5pm, and I was content just to get to Narcisuss where I could finally relax and not have to worry about missing the cut off. Not long before the suspension bridge over Narcissus River Paul had again caught up with us and we all ran into Narcissus Hut (59km) together. We were greeted by the support crew and a bunch of tired and broken down runners. Narcissus is a welcomed stop as there is Coke, tea/ coffee, ANZAC biscuits and fruit available. I sat down for a couple of minutes to rest, have some Coke, an ANZAC biscuit, Cliff filled my water bottles and then we were off.

As we left Narcisuss there were around 5 runners still there and 5 still out on the track who hadn't reached the hut yet. Cliff had been talking to the support guys at Narcissus and they were telling him how difficult the last 17km section is. I knew it was tough but the memories of last year had somewhat faded so my recollection wasn't great. I remember lots of roots, small undulations, dark conditions and log hopping. Cliff did ask me if I thought I could better last years time for the run but my mind was pretty much only content to just let me do only what I needed to get to the finish, so I replied with "I don't care what time I finish in, I just want to get to the end".

I was really starting to have trouble eating. Anything I thought about eating seemed unappealing and anything I ate tasted like absolute rubbish. I would take a small bite of a bar and roll it around in my mouth like a little kid trying to get down a Brussel Sprout! A dash of water helped but I still found it really hard to eat. Bite by bite I managed to eat some food and get some calories in. Nutrition is something I definitely need to work more on.

I was now at the point of just maintaining forward motion. I did provide Cliff with some amusement as I would break into a run, and he would keep walking. Well I felt like I was moving fast! He also chuckled when I picked seemingly stupid places to run but I ran when I felt like it rather than when it was appropriate. My mind was so one track that I didn't blink an eyelid when he rolled his ankle or got taken out by a tree branch and almost busted his sunnies. Sorry Cliff but I think you would have had to loose a limb for me to show sympathy at that stage! I also knew I was going silly when I had to ask him if Paul was behind or in front of us.

Echo Point Hut was the next milestone and it took forever to come up. Cliff didn't believe me when I told him "It's just up the trail a few k's". Other than the toughness of the terrain in this section, because the forest is so dense and the light is low it has a touch of a depressing feeling about it. You feel all closed in and at the time we were running through it, with the sun going down you feel even more depressed; kind of like you a losing the battle with the track. Occasionally we'd get some rays of sunshine in the few open parts and it was like a breath of fresh air.

Eventually we got to Echo Point Hut and I rewarded myself by sitting down for 60 seconds. The next milestone was 13 hours and I again rewarded myself with a 60 second sit down. Around about now the girls passed us as we left before they departed Narcisuss. I saw a few horrendous splits on my GPS, with 15min k's and even one 18min k showing up. Yep, things were getting tough! Although strangely my ankle had completely stopped hurting so that was one positive. I got to a stage where I thought to myself "This is ridiculous, I'm never going to get to the finish." This spurred me on a bit and the pace lifted a fraction. We soon arrived at the end of the dense forest and entered the more open bushland. It made a massive difference to lose the claustrophobic depressing feeling and actually see some light again. I definitely remembered this section a knew that the end was near.


Even though we had made it to the road section of the track I couldn't be bothered running much, rather a power walk was mostly what we were doing, with the occasion 100m or so or running thrown in. We could now now hear the cheers and I could soon see the finish line. It was such a relief to see the finish line and my wife waiting there for me to finish. My official time was 14:09:26, putting me 5th from last in 52nd position. It doesn't bother me finishing at the back of the pack but I was a touch disappointed that I didn't better last years time.

I must thank Cliff for heading over to Tassie to run the last part with me. It definitely made a difference and did spur me on. It was great to have a good mate encouraging me to get through to the end.

So what did I learn about the Overland Track this year? Well here it goes:

1. It's NOT easier running it the second time.
2. Having run it before does NOT guarantee you'll run it faster.
3. Good weather does NOT mean that you'll easily take off time compared to running the track in the wet.
   
4. A dry track is a LOT tougher on the body. I was much sorer post race this year.
   
5. If you have dodgy ankles then TAPE THEM!!!
6. The Cradle Mountain Run is a brilliant, challenging and very rewarding run.
7. The run was just as well organised this year.
   
8. The Overland Track is even more spectacular in good weather; and
   
9. It reaffirms to me that the point to point secluded nature of this run really makes it what it is.

To sum up this years run, I do feel like the Overland Track got the better of me this year and that I have some unfinished business left out on the track. I guess that means I'll be back!

cheers
Glen (aka Wida on CR)

Yurrebilla 56km Ultra - 27 Sep 2009

Well this year for Yurrebilla it was really a new beginning; it was the first time that the event was being run as a race. Back in 2007 a few runners from SARRC ran the trail as a social event and last year it was more organised, but still was only a bunch of runners getting together in 3 differently paced groups to complete the trail from start to finish. In 2009, 112 runners lined up at the Belair National Park trail head with Australian Ultra Running Association (AURA) points up for grabs. Also, there were many runners from interstate and even a couple of international visitors. There was no question that it was well and truly now a race!

With some very fast goal times being thrown around prior to the start of the race I decided to change from the fast group and move into the middle group. The slow group was to leave at 7am, the middle group at 7:45am, and the fast group at 8:30am. The idea of having the different groups is so that the volunteers don't need to be out on the course for as long and it also means that a large number of runners finish at around the same time.

The slow group left in a somewhat disorganise manner, leaving one or two runners missing the actual start by about 30 seconds. The middle group was much more organised, with a group photo and countdown to the 7:45am start. Nonetheless, as most ultras are, the start was still quite relaxed compared to your typical marathon start.

My goal for Yurrebilla this year was to better my 8 hour 2008 time, but at the same time approach the race in the same manner as I do for all other ultras; and that is to pretty much run as I feel and take things easy on the climbs.

Even though I was in the middle group and I was not running any slower than last year, the pace seemed quite quick for the middle group. I thought to myself that there are either going to be a bunch of runners that blow up big time or they are clearly in the wrong group. Either way there were going to be some quick times.

The Belair section of the trail was as nice as always, and by the time we had made it to the descent down into Brown Hill Creek the runners seemed to have settled into their own pace. The various sections of the trail passed by with relative ease; McElligott’s Quarry, The Waite Institute, Kavel’s Lookout, Waterfall Gully and soon Cleland. With all of the rain we've had this year the hills are beautifully green.


As I approached the Cleland checkpoint I was starting to get quite cold and my hands in particular were absolutely freezing. There was plenty of food on offer but all I really stopped for was a quick drink, a bite to eat and to get my gloves out of my bag. I don't mind being cold, but I can't stand having freezing hands. As I headed further into Clealand my hands soon warmed up and it's amazing how much difference warm hands make.

I had now been passed by the lead runners in the fast group and they were literally flying. You could see by the look on these runners faces that they meant business; they were racing! In contrast I had slowed to a walk so I could munch on my sandwich and have a coke. The next half a dozen or so kilometers are just brilliant; running very runnable trails under the canopy of tall Eucalyptus trees. The trails were quite wet but it only added to the atmosphere of the run.

It wasn't too long before I was at the next major part of the trail, and that is the run down into Horsnels Gully. This is a section of the race that quite a lot of runners fear, and that's because it's a long and rough descent followed by one of the longest climbs on the trail. I always enjoy the Hornsnel Gully section and although I do dread the long slow climb out of the gully, it's definitely a very rewarding section that's for sure.

After exiting Horsnel Gully/ Giles Conservation Park section there is probably one of my least liked section, and that is the kilometre or so of bitumen where we have to mix it with the cars on our way into Norton Summit. Here we were greeted with sandwiches, pizza, bars, lollies and drinks. I grabbed a sandwich, piece of pizza, a drink and was off. Some people like to hang out a checkpoints, but I prefer to grab what I need and keep moving.

I was now almost at the best part of the trail, and that is Morialta. The gentle fire trails lead into the narrow gorge where you then run along the creek towards the Morialta Gorge. Having had so much rain the creek was flowing fast and I could here the first waterfall quite loudly. It was definitely the most water I've seen cascading over that particular fall. I knew that the big fall was going to be good. I could hear the roar of the large fall get louder as I got closer and I could soon see the torrent of water flowing over the falls combined with a spectacular view of the Gorge itself.

As I was running through Morialta I thought to myself that I had been running on my own for a while and it almost felt like I was just on a training run. I've run this part of the trail so many times and I almost forgot that I was in a race.

Those of us who ran Yurrebilla last year know all about the waiters at the Deep View Lookout so it wasn't a surprise to me this year, but nonetheless it was still a welcomed sight. The lady who served me the Coke said that I looked much better than most other runners that had passed through. I was taking it steady, but I definitely wasn't feeling fresh. For some reason I don't seem to show on my face how I'm feeling. During the Adelaide 6 hour one of the lap counters told me that I looked the same at the end as I did at the start. Once again it couldn't be further from the truth! I quite like reaching the Deep View Lookout as there is only a little more climbing and then I know there's a long downhill section that I quite like and after that there is only one last big climb. The Quarry track.


The cowbell signalled the start of the final big climb of the race. I never run this climb, even in training, so I definitely wasn't going to change that after having run around 50km. I know this climb like the back of my hand so I know all too well that the dreaded "reo" section lies ahead. No matter how I feel when I get to the reo section, when I get to it I always take a pause, have a deep breath and push ahead. It's not long but it does hurt. Probably a couple of minutes after I had cleared the reo and concrete block paved section I loud a clearly heard some expletives, "F@#$^%G Hell". I had a big chuckle to myself as I realised that some runners behind me just got to the reo section! That put a smile on face for quite a while.


I must admit that I was really starting to feel pretty ordinary going over the top of Black Hill but knowing that Ambers Gully was only just around the corner kept me moving along at a modest pace.

The Ambers Gully single track is a great section and I thought I was travelling well until I heard the thunder of footsteps behind me. It was Chilliman and he was moving so fast that I just stepped aside and let him go on his way. There are few trail runners out there that run downhill sections like Chilliman!

I was only a matter of 500 meters or so and I would be finishing. It really is a great finish as you seem to pop out of nowhere to see the finishing gates and cross the finish line with lots of cheers from supporters and other runners. I crossed the line in 7hrs 33min which is about 30 minutes quicker than last year so I was more than happy with my effort.


It really was a great event this year and I think the organisers did a great effort in running it run as a race for the first time. It was fantastic to see the interstate and international runners come over for the race, and at the same time have a fantastic day out. It was brilliant to see the determination of the guys who were actually racing, as apposed to most of us who just run the race. It was also fantastic to see the battlers who were out there for 10+ hours. It was also great to see so many head back to the Athelstone Football Club for dinner and the presentation.

I have no doubt that this event will only get better, especially knowing that the people involved with running this race have already started the planning for Yurrebilla 2010!

cheers

Glen (aka Wida on CR)