The best Deli in Serpentine. Back in the day , racing trains not a bus.
The Choo Choo run is one of my favourite events as it’s such a unique concept. The concept is simple, you start at North Dandalup train station any time you want but you need to be at Serpentine train station by 9:44am to catch the only train back to the start. This year, the same as last year, the train service was cancelled due to track upgrades so we were actually racing a bus but the principal is the same of course, just a different mode of transport back to the start.
Over the years I’ve left with less than three hours to make the thirty three kilometres, mainly trail running on the Mundi Biddi track ( https://mundabiddi.org.au/ ) , to Serpentine and usually make it with ten or so minutes to spare, give or take a few minutes. This year I was nowhere near the fitness levels for a sub three hour attempt as my legs hadn’t recovered from the Cape to Cape miler five weeks previous ( https://www.cape2capeultra.com.au/ ) and I’d done little or no running since. An added bonus was the chance of a storm front coming through while we were running and the BOM confirmed we would be getting pretty wet. Because of this weather warning, and also the train being cancelled again , there was a total of two of us racing the train (bus) this year.
A far cry from the forty or so who would normally run this event when the train was running. No worries I channeled my inner Goggins sank a ‘can of hard’ and dropped a ‘few suck it up pills’.
I see trouble ahead.
The bus was leaving Serpentine at 9:44am, which is earlier than the train which use to leave at 10:21am. Add in my earlier departure time due to my total lack of running fitness and I would be running up the scarp and onto the trails in the dark, and alone, as Dave Martin, the other bus racer for 2025, had started at 5:20am. With the BOM forecast I knew I would be getting pretty wet along the way so put on a thermal top under my running top with a Gore-Tex jacket as my final protection for the elements.
The traditional photo of the start train station, North Dandalup. There’s normally more than me at this stage and it’s a lot lighter.
One more photo below with my beanie , headtorch and fully ‘weather ready’ before setting off. Looking at Strava ( you do have Strava right ? If you want so see the run in all its glory the link is here : https://www.strava.com/activities/15247879970 ) I left at 6:03am, giving myself three hours and forty minutes to get to Serpentine, more than enough time I thought ?
Ready ?
Off into the night I stumbled and I mean stumbled, after the first few kilometres I was reassessing my finishing time and doing mental arithmetic working out how slow I could run to make it , I reckon I had about an extra minute a kilometre up my sleeve, compared to my usual running average , so as long as I stayed in the six minutes per kilometre average I would be ok. The first ten kilometres is virtually all up hill as you rise up to the scarp , it’s then thirteen undulating kilometes across the top of the scarp before a good ten kilometres of downhill and flat coming off the scarp to the train station, simple right.
I was treated to a beautiful sunrise and conditions were perfect as I struggled up the road to get to the trail, five kilometres ahead of me. The road section is steep and you second guess yourself as you haven’t got your second wind, actually you haven’t got any wind, you just keep moving forward. There was the usual flurry of cars coming up and down the road and they would have been confused seeing this runner with a headtorch that makes night into day , the Silva Exceed 4XT headtorch ( apparently you can see it from the Moon) , moving towards them. I made a consensus effort to bow my head and cover my head torch as I didn’t want to cause an accident and waste time saving lives, I had a schedule to keep.
The Sunrise was spectacular.
The first five kilometres was testing and I was getting slower and slower as I started to fully realise how little running I had done in the last month and how it had affected my fitness. I had also battled a nasty cold that was doing the rounds in sunny Perth and this had kept me restricted to basically a run a week, just enough to keep my Strava streak of some sort of exercise activity weekly. I finally made the trail section where the gradient flattened out and started to sneak back into the high five minute a kilometre pace. I caught up with Dave around the eight kilometre mark which was a worry as he had started forty or so minutes ahead of me. It turned out he had done the original longer course which has an extra four kilometres, so he was already ran twelve kilometres when I caught him.
The weather took a turn for the worst , as expected, and I was thankful for my Gore-Tex jacket and beanie, without these it would have made for a rather unpleasant experience. I did make the rookie error of bringing gloves but leaving them in the car, silly boy. The temperature never really improved and with the added bonus of torrential rain we were in for a beating , but that’s the point right? Dave started to drop off the pace after a fall so I motored on to the 23k road crossing point for the traditional photo, see below. If Dave had ran faster he could have been in it.
Traditional 23k road crossing photo.
Doing the maths at the road crossing, with around ten kilometres left and a hour to beat the bus, I reckoned we were in a pretty good place. I knew the hardest part was behind us and with a few kilomteres until we dropped off the scarp and some serious downhill running was confident we’d have ten minutes or more for deli time Unfortunately I had not factored in the fatigue which was building quickly and when it came to the downhill section I was still running in the five kilometre pace , moving towards the higher end as we reached the final three kilometers to Serpentine on the highway.
I decided to step on as much as I could so I would be able to stop the bus from leaving Serpentine if Dave couldn’t keep up. No looking back now it was on, we were racing the bus ! As it was I made the Deli with about four minutes to spare, got a random to take a photo of me outside and then saw Dave charging towards me, he was going to make it. We snapped a selfie at the deli and then stumbled to the train station as the bus arrived just as we did, albeit it was two minutes early. Mission accomplished, just.
Another traditional photo of the Serpentine Deli, just no time to go inside for a pie and brownes Mocha
Only thing to do now would be a selfie outside the bus , all smiles.
That was cutting it fine. 9:42am for a 9:44am departure.
One final selfie on the bus and racing the train (bus) for 2025 is done and dusted. Talking to the bus driver he assured us next year we’d be back racing trains so maybe me and Dave will get some company.
So we made the bus but it was close but that’s the point of this run, it’s race the bus not run to the bus and there is a world of difference. We could have easily missed the bus if we had dropped off the pace earlier and save a marginally quicker burst at the end we would have had to beg the bus to stop as it left Serpentine on it’s way back to North Dandalup. Quite a few runners decided against racing the bus this year so the bus company were expecting more passengers but given the conditions , and with no train, I can understand why so many pulled the pin. As it was I thoroughly enjoyed the time on the trails and the conditions were bearable as I was dressed for them, similar to the Cape to Cape miler weeks earlier.
Mission accomplished , see you all in 2026, back on the train.
Right that’s bus racing for 2025 albeit Irwin is talking about maybe going again later in the year when weather conditions improve. I’ll certainly be keen. All aboard.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
Its been nearly four weeks since I finished the inaugural Cape to Cape 100 miler in sunny ( well actually very wet and windy!) Augusta. ( https://www.cape2capeultra.com.au/ ) My legs took a hammering mainly due to my complete lack of trail running in the eight months pre-event, not the most intelligent thing to do. I got through the event on experience and stubbornness , which has been my go to approach lately, forget this training stuff. My legs haven’t really recovered and weekly totals of 10k, 44k, 10k and nothing this week show my complete lack of motivation.
I understand that I need recovery post a 100 miler race but it’s more than just a physical thing, it’s a mental hurdle as well. The runners low is real and is takes away all your drive and you need to battle with your inner demons to lace up and get out the door. Even when you eventually start running again the mind is continually playing tricks on you with his good friend fatigue , this can make running unenjoyable. We run because we enjoy running right so when it becomes unenjoyable its amazing how many other things you can do to avoid running. With me lately its my dogs who are now losing weight as they are being taken for three to four walks a day. On the brightside I am getting my steps in, and my dogs look amazing, but not enough to justify this as an alternative to running of course.
Earlier in my running career I loved the training aspect of the sport and would regularly run ten times or more a week, I loved my double days and it was effortless running one hundred and fifty kilometers or more a week. This of course translated into improved racing times, a win win situation. As I aged my racing times blew out of course, you can hide from Father Time it seems, and training became more of a chore with days of large mileage a distant memory. What I do have of course is experience and mental toughness ( or stubbornness as I call it ) and this lends itself to ultra running when finishing time is not such a big deal, it’s about smelling the roses and finishing with good mates. (albeit a few metres ahead if possible)
So what’s the best way out of a runners low as you age, easy, spend hundreds of dollars on a race entry. It focuses the mind and you will start to exercise again, eventually. In 2022 I ran twelve ultra marathons, winning three of them , and raced for over two thousand kilometres with a bib on my chest , 40% of my annual total. Basically I was training while racing, I have used this for the last few years successfully although its not for everyone (and please don’t let Karen , my Wife, find out the cost of this training method !)
I am about ready to ramp up training again which is a good thing a I have four races in the next five weeks (with the possibility of five in five ), looks like its back to the racing is training plan, someone hand me my credit card.
After 22 hours at Birdy’s backyard ultra I was spent… nothing left to give. (Excuse the tu-tu, it was lap 22 ) image Astrid Volzke
From AI :
“Runners low” refers to a period of low mood or decreased motivation that some runners experience after a race or a period of intense training. This dip in mood can manifest as fatigue, sadness, a loss of motivation, and even symptoms similar to depression. It’s a common experience and is often linked to the letdown after achieving a goal, the end of a training cycle, or hormonal fluctuations.
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
What causes “runners low”?
Endorphin Drop:
Runners often experience a “runner’s high” during or after a run, a feeling of euphoria caused by endorphins. When this wears off, a drop in endorphins can contribute to a low mood.
Loss of Purpose: Setting and achieving a goal, like completing a race, can give a runner a sense of purpose. After the goal is achieved, that sense of purpose can diminish, leading to a feeling of emptiness.
Hormonal Shifts: Intense exercise can cause hormonal fluctuations, including a decrease in cortisol and an increase in testosterone. These shifts can affect mood and energy levels.
Overexertion: Pushing too hard during training can lead to physical and mental fatigue, which can contribute to a low mood.
Nutritional Deficiencies: Inadequate nutrition, especially in endurance athletes, can also play a role in the “runners low”.
How to cope with “runners low”:
Acknowledge it: Recognize that a low mood is a normal response to a big event and that it will pass.
Rest and Recovery: Allow your body time to recover physically and mentally.
Adjust your expectations: Don’t expect to maintain the same level of intensity or motivation immediately after a race.
Find alternative activities: Explore other activities that you enjoy, whether it’s a different type of exercise or a hobby.
Socialize: Connect with friends, family, or other runners.
Seek professional help: If the low mood is severe or persistent, consider talking to a doctor or therapist.
This post was from 2016 after the World Masters games in Perth where I ran 7th overall and second in my age group with a 2:44 marathon in humid conditions , a big goal for the year and post event I sunk low, real low….
After an outstanding four days of completing at the Australian Masters in Perth I have been spending the week contemplating the next goal in my never ending journey of ‘running’. I have mentioned on numerous occasions all runners need goals otherwise they morph into joggers or even worse get taken by the dark side that is triathlons. All joking aside I respect all forms and types of exercise, really anything that gets the heart pumping faster and burns a few calories is fine with me. (Note: keep it clean people, my mum reads all my posts religiously. Hi Mum ..) I admit to trying and enjoying triathlons in my younger days but found I was a back of the pack swimmer (at best, I have British roots remember) , a middle of the pack cyclist but a reasonable runner. This , in my view, is the perfect way to run a triathlon as you spend the whole time overtaking people. Not to say maybe the odd swimming lesson wound’t have gone a miss as I swim like a brick attached to another brick; and thats probably being kind to me not bricks.
As always I’ve digressed, the point of this post is to highlight that after the runners high you need to experience the runners low. Yin and Yan, chalk and cheese, night and day, Trump and common sense; you get the picture. After training for an event, and completing it, the high you experience has to finish and you ‘come down‘ to quote drug addicts everywhere. (I’m assuming this is the case, we run a clean ship here.) The runner’s low starts probably the next day proper, or maybe a few days after, the main event. Suddenly the memories of the finish are fading and all you have is muscle soreness and some shiny bling. You normally take training easy the week after (unless you follow the Tony T-train’ Smith method of recovery , which normally entails threshold pace the day after a marathon, more to wind me up that serving any purpose I’m thinking?) and struggle to find the motivation to make those early morning wake-up alarms. The main issue here is normally we haven’t set a goal and so we are like a rudderless ship floating about on the ocean without a destination, becalmed even. We need to get some wind in the sails and to do this we need to search the internet and enter another race, preferably longer and harder than the last one. This gives you your next challenge and a reason to make that 5AM wake up when it’s dark, freezing and uninviting outside. With your new goal you will be oblivious to the elements , focused on the task ahead, and the end race, where yet again you will experience that runners high we all crave.
Like a heroin junkie working towards that next big hit of quality ‘smack‘ us runners crave that feeling that only finishing a marathon , or better, gives us. On the bright side the harder the race the better the runners high, I feel sometimes maybe I should try a marathon with little or no training, maybe add a few kilos, how good would that runners high be then ? Unfortunately not so much, as with all drugs the quality is important, (apparently? , I watched Trainspotting recently thus all the drug related references are from this film ) just finishing with no real challenge would be nice but not satisfying and here lies the crux of the issue. You have to earn it to really experience the full monty of the runner’s high, you have to have trained to breaking point, put your life on hold, upset you family on a number of occasions and generally ostracised yourself from the world in general. Then add a goal time to aim for, and make is very, very difficult to achieve this, then and only then will you experience the runners high.
So the runners low will hang around until to have that new goal, allowing you to start to move towards it, one step at a time. You don’t need pace or even distance to start, just slowly start moving in the right direction. Momentum will come as move closer to your goal and a good training plan will help you plan the structure of the assault on your next race because it is an assault and you need to be prepared for more of the same, just the way we like it. If it was easy everybody would be doing it , right ?
You can sometimes experience a runners low early in a 200 miler, but a good cup of tea , with three sugars, can fix that. image Astrid Volzke
Another post on the runners low written earlier this year, I’m an expert on this it seems.
Everybody talks about the runners high, this sense of euphoria one experiences when they cross the line at a major goal event. I’ve discussed what I feel it is, a sudden overwhelming sense of relief, or release, after you achieve something after putting yourself either under pressure or into the ‘pain box’. Anyway, after this ‘runners high’ you can sometimes come a cropper and experience what I term the ‘runners low’.
This feeling is the same in all sports and happens after achieving something you have worked so hard to do. There’s a classic scene (there are so many classic scenes in this movie of course.) in ‘Chariots of Fire’ when Harold Abrahams has just won the 100m gold and everybody else is celebrating while Harold himself is reserved and alone in the changing rooms. What Abrahams is struggling to come to terms with is success after so many years working towards that one 10 second race. All of a sudden he has no purpose, no target, no reason to do what he has been doing for so long. It must be daunting ?
The same can be true for us recreational marathon runners, albeit probably not as severe. Once we have completed the marathon and achieved the ‘runners high’ the next day all of sudden we have no goal. No reason to put in that early morning 5am start, no reason to double up or run a threshold until your lungs feel they are about to explode. There is no purpose after so many months of having something to achieve, a target to overcome. This feeling , coupled with the emotions of the previous few days of finishing a marathon, makes the runners high seem so long ago.
There is hope though and it as easy as getting on the internet and searching for the next goal, the next target, the next reason to structure a long term plan. Before you know it you’ve signed up for another race and it’s back on. Another phase begins towards another goal race which will probably have a target finish time just that little bit quicker than the previous race. Let’s face it we don’t do all this to slow down !
So my advice is to get back on the horse (so to speak, if you actually get on a horse you’ll probably get disqualified, remember this is a running blog!) and set yourself your next goal. It works for me, no off season, the next race is normally a few months away at worst but I know it’s there for me, waiting. Admittedly after a marathon I do feel low for a few days because I love to run marathons and the feeling you get when you finish one is why we do what we do. It has never let me down in 40 runs so far . (and the 16 ultra-marathons have also delivered of course)
Remember we are runners, we need a goal, something to make those 5am alarm calls worthwhile. What else is there to do at 5am in the morning anyway?
A runners high after 100 milers of fun, fun fun with these guys.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
Here we go again, time to put it all on the line, excuse the pun. North Dandalup train station.
It’s that time of year again when runners takes on the train. (or this year we take on a bus!) North Dandalup train station, Sunday, 27th July, to leave at whatever time it takes to get to Serpentine train station before 9.44am when the only returning bus departs. (the train line is being upgraded so for the second year we’re racing a bus!)
The premise is simple we leave North Dandalup as late as possible to make the 33k route on the Munda Biddi ( https://mundabiddi.org.au/ ) to Serpentine before the 9.44am Australind bus leaves heading to Bunbury. ( There is a longer version we use to run before part of the track was closed but the 33k route seems to be the route of choice at the moment ? I assume the GPX on the facebook page is the 33km route?
There’s no second chance as there is only one service per day so if you miss the bus it’s either a long run back on the trail or a shorter run , as the crow flies, on the main road. Over the years we have had a few runners miss the train but they have always managed to grab a lift back to the start, a runner on the side of the road crying does attract attention apparently.Note: The Munda Biddi runs to Perth, if you get to Jarrahdale you’ve gone too far !
The last group to leave, I think we gave ourselves three hours.
Last year it was a small turnout mainly because we were racing a bus but it doesn’t take away from the point of this exercise, to test yourself against the clock. You need to leave and give the bus a chance so last year we left at 6:54am, with the bus departing at 9:44am, giving ourselves just shy of three hours. I finished in a few seconds off two hours and forty five minutes, so had ten minutes in the bag for a ice coffee and the photo at the deli.
This meant no hanging about and finished with a sub five minute kilometre average pace, on trails this is moving, at no time did I feel comfortable during the run with the opportunity to miss the train always in the back of my mind, and that’s the point of this exercise.
The compulsory finishing photo outside the deli at Serpentine.
It was nice of TransWA to put on a bus just for us as it seems this route is now very unpopular, I suppose it’s just as easy to drive if you are forced on a bus ? No worries, we enjoyed the ride back just as much although I did miss my cup of tea.
All aboard, our own bus. !
Ticket purchased and so excited, I’ve attached a few posts from the previous years to get you all in the mood. Also please bring some tukka as the best bit about racing a train is talking about how you beat it afterwards , with good friends while eating cake, simple.
One final word of advice , it’s called ‘Race the Train (bus) ‘ , not ‘Run to the Train’, please make an effort to actually race the train by not giving yourself too much time. Over the years I had a few close calls and that’s the point of the event, we need to give the train a chance. Note: in the eight or so years I’ve been racing, and beating, the train it’s always be late so you could probably factor that in, albeit not TransWA have read this they’ll probably be early ! But joking aside it is actually more fun to have that touch of danger hanging over you. There was talk of a fine for people arriving too early and we’ll discuss this at the feast afterwards, it could involve press ups equal to the number of minutes you arrived too early , multiplied by a factor of X !! Myself and Irwin will discuss this week.
From previous years posts…
It’s the annual runner vs train trail ultra. This is without doubt the most fun you can have racing trains, albeit probably the only race that actually pits runner versus machine, a sort of Terminator type event for runners. The concept is simple, you park your car at North Dandalup train station and then run a 32k (or 34k) trail , on the Munda Biddi trail, ( https://mundabiddi.org.au/ ) to Serpentine train station and arrive before 10:21am where the only returning train departs and takes you back to then start. Simple right, you’d be surprised at the number of people who have miscalculated and missed the train. They are then faced with the drive of shame back to the start or a long walk if no one takes pity on them.
Over the years the event has grown to such an extent the train company reserves a whole carriage for the ten minute trip from Serpentine to North Dandalup. I must admit the returning journey always seem to be shorter than it should be after nearly three hours running, which translates to ten minutes on a train, albeit the train takes a shorter route back of course; as the crow flies so to speak.
Check out the previous years posts for an idea of the event.
Last year we left at the latest we have ever left and cut it very short due to the train being on time for a change. I reckon we made it by less than five minutes. Didn’t even have time for my Brownes Mocha, very disappointed. Cedric cut it even shorter and missed the train completely and Jon missed it by a county mile. ! Luckily they both managed to get a lift back to the start. I’m not sure we’ll leave as late this year albeit we could roll the dice and hope the train is late ? This is the whole point of the event, you need to be second guessing yourself the whole time and keep the pressure on, the last few kilometres you really should be under the pump.
Ticket details for the big day. Best $9.10 you’ll ever spend.
For all runners popping along make sure you all bring some tukka for post run, as you know the only thing better than running is eating great food and talking about running.
Proof of starting time albeit it’s on Strava of course.
Over the years there have been some classic stories including Barts running out of puff on the first hill and getting left like a bad rash. Then as we waited for the train he miraculously appeared , albeit coming from the wrong direction. To this day he has never revealed how he achieved this but the word Uber comes to mind, albeit I’m not sure they even have Uber in Serpentine, actually I’m not sure they have invented cars yet in Serpentine. ? There was also the first runner to miss the train completely by following the Mundi Bindi blindly forgetting to take a left turn to get to Serpentine, ending up in Jarrahdale before he realised his mistake. Adam had left his group which contained a runner with a GPX route on their watch and just kept on running, albeit he was joined by a few other runners. Needless to say he suffered at the post race tukka-fest, being forced to stand alone in the naughty corner, while being ridiculed from afar. Last year Cedric was running with us when he made the fatal mistake of running ahead with a couple of fitter runners who decided to run the longer version of the course, unbeknown to Cedric. The other two runners caught us and made the train, Cedric unfortunately didn’t. Jon ‘Trailblazer’ Philips also missed the train last year despite starting very early, luckily for him I took pity on the poor soul and sent a car for him before he stumbled off the scarp.
I wonder who’ll join this illustrious group of train no-shows this year , to find out you need to book yourself a train ticket, get yourself to North Dandalap train station early Sunday morning and get running, what could possibly go wrong ? All aboard…
Lauren and Katt leaving a few minutes before the 7:25am group.
Choo-Choo 2020 , this time the train managed to beat a few runners !
Recently we had the 6th running of the ‘runner versus train‘ Choo-Choo race. The concept is simple, you leave North Dandalup station then run 33k (35k?) over mostly trails to Serpentine station to catch the 10:21am train back to the start. The game is deciding how late you leave North Dandelup. Over the years the record for the latest departure time was around 7am but this year, due to part of the course being shut and thus 2k shorter, we decided to try and break the sub 3 hours and leave at 7:22am. It was Mark’s idea and although I was onboard Jeff was none the wiser to our plan having never ran the Choo-Choo before. So we let the last few runners start their journey and held firm, waiting for 7:22am to come around.
One of the last groups standing, holding firm just before first light. This group left just after 7am.
Jeff was a tad confused when the last group left just after 7am and myself and Mark continued to pontificate and make no effort to move away from the station. Eventually we let him in on our plan but he was less than excited, expecting a relaxed amble from one station to the next , stopping for selfies and rose smelling. He knew if we left at 7:22am it would be on for young and old and if you stopped there would be a good chance the train would be well gone when you eventually arrived at Serpentine Station. Of course he was in a catch 22 situation as the last group had left and he had no idea where he was going , so would need us for directions. There was much head shaking and grumbling but all this served to do was to gee up myself and Mark , who then took great pleasure in talking up the challenge ahead. We can be a cruel lot us runners !
The first sub3 group, with one very unhappy China man !!
So at 7:22am precisely we set off for Serpentine Station, giving ourselves 2 hours and 59 minutes, assuming the train was on time. From past experience I knew we could make the 35k version of the course in 3 hours, including a 5 minute drink stop. Having a nasty 2k loop taken out due to storm damage would probably give us 10 minutes , so we should have 10-20 minutes to play with. As I said earlier Jeff had not ran the Choo-Choo before , where as myself and Mark were old hands and knew what to expect. As you can see from the graphic below the run starts with about 8k of serious hill, as you rise onto the scarp. It then undulates, mostly uphill , until the 25k mark at which time it’s all guns blazing to the best finish ever !! Knowing this is coming it allows you to do the numbers in your head factoring in the fast finish. Jeff did not have this prior knowledge and at every kilometre got more and more discouraged as our pace dropped due to the terrain ahead of us. Again Mark and I did nothing to alleviate his angst and just kept on, knowing we were on track but not divulging this to Jeffrey.
Choo-Choo elevation.
The run itself was pretty uneventful as we had the GPX of the route on Mark’s Garmin (what did we do before GPS watches ?) so the couple of time we wondered of course we were made aware by the watch and we turned around and continued on the right track. Not having this would prove to be the undoing of a few runners because although the course is predominately on the Mundi Bindi bike trail ( https://www.mundabiddi.org.au/ ) eventually you have to leave the trail and return to the road and ultimately the train station. Some runners missed that turn and ended up in Jarrahdale , luckily the two runners in question where able to blag a lift to Serpentine and still made the train in time, after running over 40 kilometres, outstanding job ladies. Some runners thought were less fortunate and my mate Adam was unable to make the train in time, missing it by nearly 10 minutes. He was given a left back to the start and had to endure a slow clap as he arrived , rightly so of course. He was eventually allowed to take food from the tukka table but there was grumblings of discontent from the runners who had completed the course, these was talk of banishing him to a separate part of the park, as I said earlier we are a cruel lot us runners .
The best Deli in Serpentine.
You’ll notice in the image above no sign of Jeff, we had left him to his own devices about 5k from the finish as it was every man for himself at that stage and me and Mark fancied a Mocha before the train. Jeff did make the Serpentine Train station show below (far right) but was still smarting over the whole affair and will probably leave a lot earlier next year, a lesson learned.
All the runners bar the 5 DNF and TB who cut it very, very late (as usual!)
The Australind Train on it’s way to Bunbury via Serpentine Station, 10:29am; 8 minutes late I seem to remember.
The train ride itself is a bit of an anti-climax due to a number of factors. One, it takes an ‘as the crow flies ‘ approach to travel between the two stations, funnily enough, and two, it is a lot quicker than us runners ! The journey itself takes about 12 minutes for the 18km or so distance. Thus you just about sit down , get comfy, before it time to get up again and leave the train, not even time for a cup of tea from the buffet (which was actually shut this year anyhow?) No worries, we had organised for everyone to bring tukka for a post run debriefing because we all know that runners love talking about running as much as running.
Irwin and I enjoying the moment just before the train arrives.
I need to give a big shout out to Irwin Swinny who kick started the Choo-Choo this year after a leave of absence in 2019. He set up the Facebook page and, with his influence, we had a record turn out. With Irwin’s help I feel this event can go from strength to strength with more and more people experiencing the stress of racing a train. He has an excellent podcast, Stimulate Run, that is well worth a visit ( https://anchor.fm/irwin-swinny ) ,you’ll be surprised who you can listen to.
Best thing about running , is talking about running after you finish running , over cake ! Look’s like I’m doing all the talking for a change ?
So at the moment the record for the last to leave will stand at 7:22am, albeit with an asterix for the short course option. We later found the 2k loop we missed was runable it’s just not part of the Munda Biddi anymore as this is built mainly for bikes. Sam Hoffman ran the fastest time for the day albeit stopping his watch when waiting for his running partners. Still outside the course record set in 2018, 2hrs 27mins by Allister Caird, an average of 4:11min/k. At that pace you could chance your arm and leave at 8am and pry the train is a few minutes late, not that would be a story worth telling !!!!
Footnote: After this adventure my good friend Amy (wearing purple in the picture above) decided she would do the Choo-Choo in reverse. This meant catching the train from Perth to Serpentine, running to North Dandalup and then hanging around at the local servo’ station before catching the train from North Dandalup back to Perth, in the afternoon. Of course you could kill time by running longer , the possibilities are endless. Amy did report that there is a lot more elevation running it backwards and the hill up the scarp is a killer. Of course this then lends itself to a double Choo-Choo but the logistics would be quite complicated. It it to be noted one runner ran from Serpentine to North Dandalup , starting before 2am , and then ran the Choo-Choo. (well done Chemie Banger) I’m calling this a Choo-choo-choo; ultra runners always find a way to push the envelope, I suppose that’s the point ?
Man versus Train, again !
Right a quick post on the 2018 man versus train race where we leave North Dandalup train station and run the 35k to Serpentine train station and catch the only return train back to the start. Miss the train and you have a 18k run on a busy road or a 35k trail run back to North Dandalup. !!
The Serpentine train leaves North Dandalap at 10:20am so we decided this year to leave a tad earlier than previous years due to the various running injuries we were all embracing. Calf strains, Achilles issues, carrying too much weight (I’m not sure this is an injury Barts!) and good old Plantar Fasciitis to name a few. Thus at 6:40am we set off up the scarp, mainly due to Bart’s insisting we get a move on as he really wasn’t ready for a 35k sprint to the finish. He had got lost last year when he was dropped halfway up the scarp and had to run a lonely thirty or so kilometres to the finish. This year he was determined to stay the course and refused to leave a key hidden on the car so if he got lost he knew I’d have to find him and my lift home. Little did he know I had arranged alternative transport if we ‘lost’ him. In the end he made it and ran a large proportion of the run with us, complaining most of the way of course. I don’t think Bart’s like any hill in any direction, up or down, as both seem to set him off on a tirade of abuse. This from a man who loves trail running ?
The photo below shows the starting line up for 2018 taken at North Dandalup train station, funnily enough we were the only people about early on a Sunday morning in the country. I managed to persuade five ‘newbies’ to join us and supplied all of these with a GPX file of the course as I didn’t want them to suffer the same fate as Bart’s from last year, bless him.
So off we went up the scarp, which is a road section and probably one of the hardest sections of the run as you’re in danger of getting collected by mad country drivers cutting corners. Thankfully this year it was very quiet and I don’t remember seeing any cars, which is unusual, they were probably all still in bed after the West Coast Eagles, a local footy team, managed to sneak into the Grand Final the day before. As you can see from the elevation below the start is a challenge but the finish is ‘to die for’. It was a this point last year we lost Bart’s (the start not the finish.) and history repeated itself with Mark, a new runner from Brisbane, dropping off the pace early and, in Choo-Choo tradition, left to fend for himself. I felt a small amount of guilt but this was quickly forgotten when I realised the task ahead and I had supplied Mark with a GPX file of the course , so he had no excuse to get lost.
Choo-Choo run elevation. It’s all about the finish….
The conditions this year was perfect and we had given ourselves more than enough time to finish by leaving probably half an hour earlier than the year before. This certainly made the journey less stressful than previous years and we settled into a good rhythm with enough pace to complete the task at hand but not enough we couldn’t natter away discussing a plethora of topics and generally putting the world to rights. We as a group splintered early which seemed silly truth be told as it wasn’t a race and there seemed no point running a few hundred metres infront of each other. I ran with Jon, because he had the GPX route loaded into his Garmin 310, and Liam for conversation. (with Bart’s always a few hundred metres behind us complaining about something?) The three of us eventually caught up with the two Mark’s at the ‘drinks stop‘. I say drinks stop in italics because there was no drinks. Simon had hidden a carton of water and a box of Gu’s behind a tree but it seems these country people are resourceful with good eyesight because there was no supplies to be seen. Not a problem though but it did the make the last 5k or so a challenge as we were into the ‘dead zone’ (over 32k) with little water and no nutrition, a good test of your bodies capabilities to survive on it’s won internal fat resources I suppose. Luckily the last 10k is predominantly downhill so you can sort of ‘fall‘ to the finish line. ( It is to be noted this year Trish refused to bake for us which made the return trip to Dandalap a bit of an anti-climax as the reward of Trish’s baking (which is awesome by the way) would not be there to greet us, in the end we made do with McDonalds pancakes but thrust me they ain’t the same!, anyhow I digress.)
After regrouping with the two Mark’s the group of five set off to the finish and the conversation continued to improve with numbers. The highlight of the last part of the run was most of us falling prey to the only puddle on the whole course, how does that happen ? Mark C,. attached it with gusto (he’s Scottish you know and use to large expanses of water !) and nearly went in, this made me more cautious but it was to no avail and I ended up in the same situation, soggy socks and shoes for the last 10k or so.! Once we started to descend of course it was ever man for himself and Mark C. probably set the record for the fastest kilometre with a 3:10 down the steepest part of the hill. He was very excited and reported feeling a runners high as he snowballed down the hill at speed, more probably he was just totally knackered as we had all just ran just about 35k on a few sips of water.
It’s hard to put into words the run itself as it really was just about the perfect day. A good distance, beautiful trails and great company rounded off with Brownes Mocha and a danish at the Deli. Chuck in a train ride where the guard announced to the whole train of our adventures as we boarded and departed and the day really couldn’t of got any better. Talk at the Deli (see below) centred on next years departure time as we had plenty of time to relax at the deli before the train, well most of us that is. If you remember at the start I mentioned Mark from Brisbane getting dropped at the 3k mark, you’ll see he’s not in the photo below. We all thought he was gone and I had even arranged at the Deli to let him know we’d drive back and pick him up, save him the 18k walk back to the train station. Well he made it with 3 minutes to spare, albeit the train was late as usual so he could have probably stopped at the Deli for a danish.
At the Deli after a Brownes Mocha and a Danish, life really is that simple sometimes! (Notice no Mark from Brisbane)
As you can see from the photo below taken at Serpentine train station Mark is back into the fold and happy to be there, he currently holds the record for cutting it closest to missing the train, probably beating Trailblazers record set a few years ago. I’m sure Jon can get closer with a bit of effort ? Honourable mentions must go to Allister Caird who set a course record running the route in 2hrs 27 minutes, thats a 4:11k average, sub 3 pace for a hilly trail run, Boom! He could have left nearly as hour after us and still made it. Nigel also went well considering he twisted his ankle at 15k and ‘hobbled‘ to the finish in good time, a big call as if the ankle had given way completely it would have been a long night on the trails. Of course Mark gets a mention for running the whole route by himself under the stress of a potential long walk back to the car. He looked relaxed when he finish and puts his time down to this was his first trail run back in Perth, he’s from Brisbane you know. Bart’s also went well after we dropped him just after halfway, we actually dropped him earlier but always made sure he could see us, sort off. At least this year he ran the whole course after his miracle run last year.
At the hub of Serpentine, the ‘bustling’ train station. That’s a lot of smile , while I’m putting on my best ‘just finished 35k grimace’ face…
Right that’s the Choo-Choo for another year. I’ll try and drum up some more enthusiasm next year as if you live in Perth you really need to do this run. We all agreed we’d leave later next year but the departure time is personal to your ability and general fitness and also if you want that added bonus of really ‘racing a train’ and trying to cut it closer tham Mark, from Brisbane’s, valiant effort of three minutes to go. Up for the challenge ? All aboard…..
Choo-Choo run 2017, man against train.
The Choo-Choo run was an idea of Simon Coates a few years back. Basically we all drive to North Dandelup Station (and I use the word ‘station’ in the broadest sense of the word, it is actually a small raised platform and a car park.) and run to Serpentine train station to catch the only train back to the start. Miss the train and you are faced with either a 10k walk back via the road (and in the country running on the road is suicide due to the drivers all believing they are Michael Schumacher, before the skiing accident !) or worse, repeating the 35k trail run in reverse. (Now there’s a thought ? )
It’s not a race as such, more of a man versus train type run with friends. Everyone leaves at different times with the idea being you’ll all arrive together at the finish, a handicap run I suppose. There was talk of a prize for the last person to leave North Dandelup and make the train but this, for this year at least, was shelved. As it was I have attached a photo of the runners who left last @ 7am, this was 30 minutes after last years leaving time so we’d given ourselves little margin for error . Its a 35k testing trail run which should take around 3hours and the return train leaves Serpentine @ 10:20am.
All aboard the Choo-Choo run 2017, the last to leave @ 7am.
So off we went full of the joys of spring bounding up the first 6k which is all uphill and on road. As I mentioned earlier this is testing for two reasons, one, the hill is large , unforgiving and long (as all good hills should be) but there is also the threat of getting cleaned up by the ‘country drivers’. In the country life may be slower but the driving is anything but. There’s a reason that even Kangaroos get wiped out on a regular basis. Faced with slowing down country drivers decided to speed up and fit ‘bull bars’ to their cars, so rather than avoid Kangaroos(or runners!) they accelerate into them . Bless ’em.
We managed to get to the top of the road section intact after one close call when three cars cut a corner and we happen to be on it, you certainly feel alive when that happens trust me. Once we regrouped a quick headcount indicated we were one short (literally!) . Bart’s , who had driven me down to the start, was missing so I volunteered to run down the ‘hill of death’ and find him. After a longer run that I had wanted to take on at such an early stage of the adventure I found Bart’s ‘huffing and puffing’ up the road in a world of pain. This after 6km’s into 35k challenging trail run , racing a train. Not a good start and I indicated the best thing he could do was return to the car and wait for us or at least give me his car keys (as my bag was in his car, it wasn’t about the bag though , honest ?) Bart’s insisted on carrying on and asked me to come back and check on him during the run. Due to the time constraint we had set ourselves I told him in no uncertain terms this was not going to happen and once I left him he was on his own. Surprisingly he was ok with this and, with no prior knowledge of the route and less than 3 hours to run the remaining 29k, was happy to take on this adventure , alone. So Barts was dropped quicker than Hilary Clinton endorsements after the American Election, never to be seen again, or so we thought ?
Drinks stop @ 21k.. notice no sign of Barts ?
After dropping Barts like a bad habit I caught up with the back markers and eventually the main group. We continued on our merry way commenting how enjoyable trail running was and how we should do it more often. Please note this is the same conversation we have at the beginning of every trail run, unfortunately our views on trails can sometimes be a tad different by the time we finish; and that’s be nice about it ! Anyhow we made it to the 21k mark where our ‘race director’ Simon Coakes had dropped water and gu’s, it was the least he could do after DNS’s the previous evening due to umpiring his son’s footy game and pulling a hammy. (He’s getting old Si, bless him.)
What goes up must come down.
The last 14k after the drinks stop is the best part of the Choo-Choo run as you run off the scarp which means some wicked descents into Serpentine. Last year I was able to take advantage of the terrain and put in some seriously fast splits but this year, due to it being 2 weeks after the Perth City-to-Surf marathon, my hammy’s had tightened up so every step was painful as I hobbled (and that’s being nice) down the hill. No worries. reached the Deli and tucked into my first Brownes Mocha for probably 6 months, man did that taste good !!
Choc milk time at the Deli, job done.
We had 20 minutes until the train arrived so just enjoyed telling tales of the day when all of a sudden who comes into sight, walking the wrong way to the Deli, but Barts. ! Unbelievably he had somehow managed to get to the finish in time for the train, albeit running 3k less , somehow ? At the time of writing this post it has to be noted we have not seen any Strava evidence ( http://www.strava.com) of Barts and whatever trail he did run but assuming he said he did what he did I am in awe of the man.
A Lazarus comeback from Barts, almost made me believe in religion
Funnily enough the train was graffitied at the main depot so was cleaned before it set out on its journey, resulting in a 45 minute delay. We could have started at 8am, not 7am, and still made it easily. When the train did arrive at the station there was no sign of any graffiti and maybe next year this could be a cunning plan for a lie-in, just got to persuade someone with a spray can to get the train before it leaves ? That’s wrong, right?
Graffiti, a likely story, more like the train driver fancied a sleep in !
The photo below is all the crew who made the finish including a few runners who left before the 7am sweepers. There has already been lots of talk of leaving even later next year but we’ll see; no one has actually missed the train yet so there will be a first. One thing for sure it won’t be Barts, if he can recover from near exhaustion at 6k and then still finish less than 3 hours later after running 32k I reckon the man could fly if he wanted to. Running gives you so much and on that Sunday it allowed me to witness a miracle, how does one go about nominating someone for a sainthood ? Saint Barts of lost causes, it has a nice ring to it, if only he was taller…..
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
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Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
With the Cape to Cape miler last week this week was all about recovery. I was unable to run for four days post the ultra and had penciled in my first run Thursday morning at Yelo, my weekly 5:30am 14k progressive ( or a 10k easy?) . The alarm was set for 4:40 unfortunately due to a power nap earlier in the week I had set it to PM not AM. , rookie error so no Yelo run Thursday. Albeit I probably could have found time but wasn’t ‘in the mood‘ and had house chores and work to attend to.
Friday and Saturday were more of the same, finding excused not to run albeiut in my defence my Wife and No3 Daughter were away and I had a funeral to attend Saturday , so running took a back seat. This left Sunday where I was determined to run to keep my Strava streak going , 99 weeks of some sort of exercise, (you have Strava right ? http://www.strava.com ) It’s a pretty weak streak of course but at 99 weeks you aren’t going to break it are you ? So an easy 10k Sunday afternoon and that was it for week four of my sub3 mission.
That’s probably not enough to justify a post so I’d thought I’d reflect on my favourite marathon and go through some memorable moments. The Perth City to Surf marathon started in 2009 and it was also my first sub3 marathon. I finished in 2:58:14, 36th position overall from a field of 811. My first sub3 at 42 years old, in my tenth marathon. I was met at the finish line by one of my running hero’s , the mighty Mick Francis, who had pipped me by about a minute or so, also running over the top of my good mate Bartsy with the finish line in sight was special, albeit not for Bartsy, his second last sub three funnily enough. (He managed a third place at Rottnest the following year, his last)
My first sub3 with ne of my running hero’s , the Mighty Mick Francis.
In 2010 I had the runners nightmare when my Garmin discharged itself in the evening and I had no juice when I turned it on at the start line. This was back in the day when Garmin’s were for running only and not your everyday watch. Mentally this finished my race early and I tried to hang on to my mate Jon Pendse and a sub3 group but was ejected out the back around fifteen kilometres into the race. I then ran alone , with no idea of pace, and finished in 3:03:20 , good for 31 place overall, from a field of 976. I still reckon if I had my watch I would have ran sub3 but such is life. After this race I would wear two watches for many years.
Love this photo of Jon laying down the law just before I was dropped, with no watch I was doomed to failure.
2011 and my first sub two hours and fifty minutes finish. I finished in 18th place, in a field of 989, recording 2:49:13 with my mate Rhys ten seconds behind me and Jon three seconds behind him. Rhys was dropped early for a toilet stop, he’s well known for this, and we never saw him but unbeknown to us he was stalking us the whole way and ran Jon down in the finishing few metres.
Deeks Costella was the MC and managed to grab a great photo with Rhys, Jon and I.
2012 and I improved my time again finishing 7th overall out of a field of 1047, in a time of 2:45:05, just pipping Rhys again . This was important as I was the first Australian to finish and there was a $6,000 prize, unbeknown to me at the time, for this. The race was sponsored by Chevron who had brought in five male and one female African runners, the six ahead of me. At the time it was the most lucrative marathon in Australia and funnily enough I was working for Chevron at the time so was adorned in a Chevron singlet, I should have got a bonus , albeit the Chevron finishing tent was pretty special. Rhys got second Australian good for $3,000, incredible prize money for us ‘hack’ runners.
One of my favourite photos of the City to Surf, we’d managed to score bib’s 1,2 and 3..
I ran my marathon PB in 2013 and ran with the lead African woman the whole way, letting her break the tape a few seconds ahead of me. Finished 9th, from a field of 1196, in a time of 2:41:14 which I thought would be good for some prize money but it seems there were two Australians ahead of me after the six African runners. No worries, it was a great PB and I was stoked. The only time I ran with a named bib, given to the faster runners of an event, albeit in my case I knew the RD.
My PB time. 2:41:14
2014 I ran 2:49:02, good for 13th overall from a field of 1,141. I had been abroad the week before and picked up a calf knot so my streak of improving finishing times was done, still happy enough with another sub two fifty finish and got to wear the number one bib.
Should have sprinted faster for a 2:48 finish.
I got my best City to Surf finishing position in 2015 running fourth in a time of 2:48:30, from a field of 987 runners. By this time Chevron had dropped the prize prize money significantly and no African runners meant we all bumped four or five places up the finishing order, explaining fourth place ? I was hoping for $2,000 prizemoney for fourth but there was a caveat that prize money for fourth and fifth would only be paid out if they were in 10% of the winning time ? What, seriously.? Unfortunately for me Yuki Kawauchi, the Japanese super runner , had come across and ran a 2:16, with second place being 2:35. Yuki cost me $2,000. No worries, as I said earlier I run for the love of running, not prize money, albeit it would have been nice.
All smiles before Yuki does me out of $2k prize money.
In 2016 I ran one of the races of my life to finish in 2:41:44, my second quicker marathon time and good for fifth place from a field of 828 runners. By this time the prize money had all but disappeared and I think I got a $25 gift voucher I never used. A far cry from $6,000 for first Australian four years previous. I remember I was running with second and third at halfway and decided the pace was too quick , backing off. Both these runners ran sub two hours forty and I often wonder if I had just rolled the dice and went with them what would have happened. Bar a 2:44 at the World Masters later in the year I would never get close to this time, what could have been. I put this time down to Raf Baugh , he of the Running Centre in Perth, who trained me in 2015. Lessons I learnt from Raf got me this close again, three years after my PB on the same course, I should have went with them. ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ )
2016 and at my most ‘show pony‘, even had the number 1 bib. Funnily enough you can see Raf in the crowd, wearing the baseball cap.
2017 14th from a field of 698 runners in a time of 2:49:23. I was recovering from my first major injury , a 5cm calf tear sustained in May which sidelined me for 12 weeks, only resuming full training in late June. After this result I continued to improve culminating in another second place at the Rottnest marathon in October. This is another what could have been but injuries happen and I was injury free before this one so I suppose it was my turn ? Highlight of this run was finding my good friend Mark Conway, who had just finished ahead of me, skulking in the medical tent at the finish, he was berated loudly. This was also the first time I wore carbo plated shoes, the Nike Vapoflys 4%. I hadn’t had time to wear them before the race and I still remember warming up running down St. Georges Terrace with the biggest smile on my face, I couldn’t believe how good the shoes were. Even only I had them a year earlier when I ran 2:41, what could have been ?
Pretty stoked to finish this one.
I missed 2018 due to another injury , a nasty case of plantar fascittis, which hurt as I had ran all nine of the previous City to Surf marathon. Truth be told I probably could have ran it was was protecting my sub3 streak which was over thirty marathons at the time. With hindsight I should have ran.
2019 was my last sub 3 at 52 years old, (at the moment?) , and also the last time the City to Surf marathon actually happened. COVID killed it in 2020 and then , due to the ever increasing costs and dwindling numbers, it was canned. I ran a 2:55:23 , good for 13th overall from a field of 598. It seems fitting my last sub3, number 32, should be ten years after my first at the same event and also the last time the event was run. It was an incredible event and holds so many good memories, if one race encapsulates my running journey it was this one. Ten finishes with nine sub 3’s in there (and eight sub 2:50’s) and two of may fastest times as well as a sprinkling of top five finishes, perfect just perfect.
The end of the City to Surf, 2019, surrounded by good friends. A fitting end to a magical journey. Jon, Nate, Jacques, Tony and Johannes.
Looking at the finishing photos for sub3 number 1 in 2009 and sub3 number 32 in 2019 I don’t think I’ve aged a bit, hell I look younger. Can I go sub3 one more time in October 2025, of course I can.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
From previous years posts… 
