The Feal Pig 100 miler is one of the hardest over the distance in Australia, in my humble opinion. It’s a combination of the midnight start, which translates to two nights without sleep as you near the finish, the terrain and the heat ; a trifecta of pain. I have DNF’d this bad boy of a race once and finished it three times albeit the last two times I stumbled to the finish rather than running.  I have attached the four races reports for your pleasure to set the scene on why I’m back for another go in 2025 . (Please note in 2023 it was cancelled due to extreme heat , although luckily I was injured so had volunteered.)

https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/11/06/feral-pig-100-miler-surely-my-last-time-surely/

https://www.runbkrun.com/2022/11/17/beating-a-pig-feral-2022/

https://www.runbkrun.com/2021/12/13/feral-pig-100-miler-in-case-you-missed-it/

https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/11/13/another-lesson-learned-ultras-teach-you-stuff/

Strava reminded me of my Feral Pig adventure in 2022 when I finished it for the second time.  (see below) I think I summed up me feelings pretty well and yes I did enter the following year , although I was saved by the cancellation due to extreme heat. I went again in 2024 and pretty much had the same result but still I entered again this year. Always reminds me of the definition of insanity by Einstein

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”

 

As you can read from the posts I’ve never really beaten the pig although in 2021 I’d call it a draw. The last two years I’ve really suffered on the final ‘death loop’  and ended up walking more of it than running.  (The death loop is a 30+km loop you need to finish after first passing through the start/finish line at around 128km into the event. It is very tempting to pull the pin , get in your nice warm car and drive home! To add to the fun factor I consider the death loop the hardest terrain of the event, a double whammy. )

As I type this post it is with mixed emotions about the event this Friday, three days away, part of me is excited about spending quality times on the trails with good mates while another part of me is dreading taking on the death loop again.  I suppose I know what’s coming and just need to buckle down and accept my fate. I haven’t don’t half as much training as I should have this year and I really shouldn’t be entering a tough 100 miler but it’s the Feral Pig and it’s just special.  Although I have been missing my running I have been regularly hitting the gym and the Pilates reformer machines at Revo, Innaloo.  Is this enough to get me though Feral ? We’ll find out this weekend. Probably not for a good time but I’m running for a ‘good time’, not a good time; see what I did there ?  I just want another finish and am not bothered about finishing time, Feral is never an A race , more of a mental challenge to see if I can still dig myself out of some dark places. (Which is where I will find myself on the death loop.)

Most people who have read the posts on my previous attempts and now read this will think I’m crazy for continually putting myself in these situations but that’s the whole point. If it was easy,  and a finish was guaranteed,  what’s the point ? Finding your limits and then moving forward from that point is an opportunity you don’t get in normal day to day living, the Feral Pig gives you that opportunity. 

I think back to my three finishes where I swore, on the finish line,  that I would never enter again but each time I find myself in the position I am now, questioning my decisions but at the same time excited about what lays ahead, that’s the Feral Pig and that’s ultra running.

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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!

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.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

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/)

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