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After watching the lads at the Bunbury marathon last weekend I have decided to have another go at running sub 3. This time at the Perth Marathon (for the 13th time) in October. I have a PB time of 2:41:58 at Perth albeit that was over ten years ago. My goal will be the event age group record for 55-60 which is 2:59 and change. So 2:58 is the target. Training wise I will adjust my plan from ultra training to marathon training after the Karratha BYU in June, this will give me three months which should be enough ?
It’s been nearly five years since my last sub 3 at Rottnest in 2019, can I go again ? I think with a bit of help from the shoe technology I have a shout, that and lots of time in the pain cave. Of course the main issue will be not snapping any hamstrings or tearing any calves, the curse of the aging runner. !
As I start my journey to the Perth Marathon in October this year I have been reading some of my old posts on racing marathons and sneaking under the holy grail of running, a finishing time of less than three hours.
This one from September 2022 training (very bad training!!) for the Melbourne marathon. It didn’t end well, blew up at 10k and staggered home in 3:17.
I have been on my marathon training for about three weeks now and this has mainly been adding in some faster runs three or four times a week , with a more aggressive progressive run on Thursday morning and then a tempo Saturday. All my runs have become faster and I am trying to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. I love that quote , it sums up marathon training where as ultra training is a lot more relaxed. You get comfortable with being comfortable I suppose with ultra running, and eat a lot more. I am certainly back into marathon mode as I have started to worry about weight again, not something an ultra runner is normally concerned with. It’s all coming back to me, my love of the scales , the joy of reaching a racing weight and then the devastation of adding a few pounds, not something I have missed truth be told.
There is also the pressure of meeting targets , be that weekly distance or pace. It is always difficult when you start but you see improvements weekly if you put in the effort and these improvements give you the energy to keep putting in the hard yards needed to reach your goal. A good example of this is the Mona Fartlek, a 20 minute run that as you improve you run longer. Run this once a week and you should see an improvement. Another example would be a 5km park run, again every week you run the same course and you should see your time come down. These small wins give you the impetus you need to keep on the straight and narrow, remember marathon training is a grind. To quote Brendan Foster ‘ You wake up tired and go to be really tired‘
It’ll be good to get back to Melbourne as I’ve ran it four times and represented Western Australia each time at the State Marathon Championships. This was so cool as we got to get changed in the MCG Stadium, hung out with the Kenyans, got free accommodation, massages and help with your travel as well as starting at the front of the field. I’ll miss that part but have entered this year with the VIR option, Very Important Runner. This way I get changed in comfort, get access to toilets and breakfast and also a massage and food afterwards, maybe not in the MCG but close by, at my age I’ll get the benefits but have to pay extra for them.
I love the image below taken in 2010, notice the Garmin 305 which I still have and use it once a year at the 6 inch ultra, for tradition. Also notice I’m wearing a normal digital watch as I was paranoid at this time with my GPS watch failing as this had happened at the City to Surf earlier in that year , costing me a sub 3 finish. For a few years I would wear two watches, so funny. No Nike Alphaflys carbon fibre racing shoes, in 2010 it was all about racing flats, I think I have Nike racing flats on gifted me by my mate Dan Macey. Skins compression tights were all the rage back then, sadly another great company gone too soon. I PB’d every time I ran Melbourne, culminating in a 2:43 the last time, this year I just want a sub 3, just ?
It you want to follow my progress follow me on Strava , Facebook or Instagram (links at the bottom of this post) and subscribe to this blog, it’ll all be here, the good , the bad and the ugly.
Mona Fartlek, one of my favourite sessions for some serious ‘pain box’ time.
Fartlek is a Swedish term to describe ‘speed play’, training method that blends continuous training with interval training. Fartlek runs are a very simple form of a long distance run. Fartlek training “is simply defined as periods of fast running intermixed with periods of slower running.”
Today was my Mona Fartlek day, a 20 minute workout that I adore. Though lesson to self, eating banana bread 2 hours before is not such a good idea ! I can normally get to around 5.6k for the session. Steve Monaghetti stills hits over 6km I hear and in his prime was nearer 8km. !! He is a running legend though.. enjoy the article on a true sporting great below.
I was lucky enough to meet Steve at a photo shoot for the Perth City to Surf in 2014 and again this year as he was Ambassador for the Perth marathon. Both times I was taken aback by his down to earth attitude and his willingness to embrace all our questions and comments.
This session is good as it is fairly short but you know it’s doing you good. Golden rule no2 , add pace after the distance phase. This bad boy workout is all about pace.
Steve Moneghetti is set to leave a lasting legacy that goes beyond his set of marathon medals. As a young man from Ballarat he and coach Chris Wardlaw devised a session that fitted in with his usual stomping ground of Lake Wendouree helped him become a four-time Olympian.
The Session: Mona Fartlek: (2x90sec, 4x60sec, 4x30sec, 4x15sec with a slower tempo recovery of the same time between each repetition. The session takes 20mins in total.
Distance Mona covered: The session was most often used on Tuesday night at Ballarat’s Lake Wendouree. The first time Mona did it as a 20-year-old he did not complete the Lap of the Lake (6km) in the 20minutes but in his prime he completed the Lake in 17.19 and then continued on to finish his 20min session. He still does it most Tuesdays and even at 52, covers 6km.
History
Mona devised the session with his coach Chris Wardlaw over the phone back in 1983 when he was just 20. He wanted a solid fartlek session, one that would help improve his speed as well as endurance and stimulate an ability to change pace mid-run, something that helped later on his career when tackling the Africans, who had a habit of surging mid-race.
The session became a Tuesday-night ritual for Mona and while it was set up for Lake Wendouree, he’d use it whether training at altitude at Falls Creek or overseas preparing for a championship marathon.
It is still widely used today with Ben Moreau and a host of Sydney athletes doing the session. A recent feature in the UK has led to a number of British runners adopting the session along with a number of runners in the US, although some are calling it the “Mono” session.
A good idea is to set your watch to beep every 30 seconds, so that you don’t have to look down at it all the time.
Mona says
“I was always a stickler for routine and I feel that this session, coupled with my usual Thursday night session of 8x400m with 200m float set me up and gave me continuity with my training.
The 15-second reps came at the end and really forced me to concentrate on accelerating hard when I was fatigued. One night when I was in top shape I covered nearly 7km with Troopy (Lee Troop).”
Tip for other distance runners
For many runners, the session will be too demanding initially and you will need to build into it.
Mona recommends just walking or jogging the recovery as you adjust to it.
Middle distance runners may wish to reduce the length of the session, halving everything (ie: 1x90sec, 2x60sec, 2x30sec, 2x15sec) to make it a 10minute session.
Golden rules, guaranteed to improve performance.
I wrote this post four years ago in 2016 so thought it would be a good opportunity to recycle as I’m on another training block heading towards another sub 3 at the Running Works Marathon at Bibra Lake, Perth August 30th. My Golden Rules are unchanged over this period and still ring true, follow them and I guarantee success.
The extract from Strava (you are on Strava right ? http://www.strava.com shows the last 5 weeks training I have put myself through as I prepare for the Running Works marathon in 6 weeks time. I will have given myself a good 12 week training block by the time I start my taper a week before race. This should be enough to sneak under three hours. (Rule 8 : Consistency) (The grey circles indicate when I commute on my Bionic (stand up bike) to work as well as run. )
Funnily enough my ramp up started as soon as I started working from home , middle of March. The extra time allowed me to start to look at my training regime and slowly add distance , consistently. (Rule 1 : Run Further) I started at 40k a week and moved up through the gears to 162k last week which also included a trial half marathon on Saturday and a trial full marathon Sunday. When you can look at these graphics it gives you the confidence to lock in your marathon pace. (Rule 9: It’s all in the mind)
Build week on week …
As I mentioned earlier I commute to work on a stand up bike. My stand up bike of choice is the Bionic B-Runner but unfortunately the company went broke due to substandard Chinese manufacturing (funny that?), so if you need a stand up bike go to the Elliptical website and get yourself the next best thing. I have had an Elliptigo and they are ace, they are truly running without the impact, and they are also so much fun. ( http://www.elliptigo.com ) I sold mine to my good friend Mark Conway and regret it daily, just got to find a way to buy another one and sneak it into the garage without No1 Wife finding out ? These stand up bikes are perfect for extra training without the risk of injury (Rule 3 : Don’t get injured) I have used one when I had a calf tear a few years ago and was able to come straight back to racing with times duplicated before the injury, this would have been impossible without the training I was able to undergo on the Elliptigo.
Anyhow here is the post from 2016, worth a read..
This weekend I made a bold decision and stopped running at 29.5k when I got back to the City Beach car park after our long run into the Bold Park hills. It was a conscious effort to take control of my running from the evil that is Strava ( http://www.strava.com ) that has taken hold of many a good runner and turned them into a run recording web junkies. Truth be told I already had 121k banked for the week and knew I was over the 150k weekly total with another 10k planned in the evening to take me over the 161k (100 mile) threshold. So really who was I kidding stopping at 29.5k? It did impress the rest of my running group who ran in ever decreasing circles around the car park to get the extra 500m needed for 30k.
How did this happen ? Social media has a large part to play and these days every run is accompanied by a Strava upload as a minimum and a social media post if the run justifies it. Compare this to when I started running before the Internet and GPS watches (Yep such a time did exist and to tell you the truth it wasn’t that bad. ) when a runner who have to record all their information using a thing called a pen and paper. (To the young followers of my post these things are now defunct and serve no purpose bar to be used a weapons in disposing of zombies and other evil creatures in the mindless video games you spend hours playing. Note. That is the pen, the paper would be used as fuel to set fire to said zombies if the pen failed to do it’s job.) I’ll put my hand up with most of the running population as an avid Strava addict who has 4 Garmin watches and an iphone to make sure that every kilometre I run is documented and shared. I did try and run without a watch once, on the advice of a ‘friend’ (?) to try and recapture the feeling of that bygone age. I hated it and all the time kept thinking how I was going to record this and document my findings to the world. It is like if a tree falls in a forest does it make a sound, if you run without recording it on Strava did it happen ? Not sure about the tree and forest scenario but for the Stava question the answer is ‘no’, if it ain’t on Strava it didn’t happen.!
This brings me to the point of this post this morning. We do live in a digital world (this may or may not be a good thing?) but you still need , as backup, a non Strava recording of all your totals. I have attached mine below for the last 8 years and with the table as backup will use these totals to complement my golden rules of running.
8 years of recording running fun…
Run Further. Add distance, not speed. As you can see from the table my weekly average has steadily increased year on year with this year being the first I will break the 100k a week average for the year. In 2012 I was injured with a nasty calf knot, that I didn’t treat, which explains the delta compared to the previous year. 2014 my training had plateaued which is why I turned to Raf ( http://www.therunningcentre.com.au ) to train me in 2105 where my distance increased by 10%. I have taken this training forward and will probably increase another 10% this year. Distance first, everything else comes once the ‘foundation of distance’ has been achieved.
Run Faster. This is about adding pace after you have got your foundation after rule 1. 2011 was a break out year for me after 3-4 years of building a good running base. I had ran 3 Comrades campaigns in 2008-2010 ( http://www.comrades.com ) so my distance foundation was well and truly complete. In 2011 every time I put on a bib I was confident of a pb. It was a wonderful year. Unfortunately in 2012 I had a nasty injury which set me back but towards the end of the year I was able to train consistently again and in 2013 I was again rewarded with a magical year of running.
Don’t get injured. This is the hardest rule to obey as you always want to do more of rule 1 and 2 which can result in an injury. (I even hate typing the word!) In 2012 I succumbed to a calf knot which took me out for over a month. I struggled to recover from this and as you can see from the table I only ran 3 pb’s for the year compared to 13 the previous year and 10 the following year when I recovered. If this doesn’t back up this rule nothing does.! Don’t get injured, so easy to type but in reality one of the hardest thing for a runner to do, period.
Nutrition, nutrition and nutrition… Did I mention nutrition. It’s all about the proper fuel. So underestimated by so many runners. The number of times I hear the old ‘I run xxx kilometres a week so I can eat what I want’ . Not true, imagine putting low grade fuel in a Porsche, eventually the head gasket blows and you are faced with a serious bill, not to mention a misfiring engine. The human body is a finely tuned machine and should be treated as such, we all know what is good food and what is bad (normally the nice tasting stuff!), avoid the bad and put in the good, easy really. (bar the odd Yelo muffin of course, we are after all only human.) I’ll be exploring nutrition more next year when I have one more go at a sub 2hr 40minutes marathon.
Weight. So important, use to believe because I ran 100k+ a week I could eat what I wanted. Not true. This is another golden rule so often ignored. Runners can run so much faster is they hit their racing weight rather than a running weight. My go to man , Matt Fitzgerald, when it comes to everything running even has a website dedicated to this. ( http://www.racingweight.com/ ) If Matt has a website dedicated to this subject it must be important.
Baseline, document and evaluate everything. If it isn’t on www.strava.com it didn’t happen. Once you set a goal you have to be able to know how far you have come to achieving this, small steps but constant feedback. So buy a Garmin and start recording , everything !!! Contentious subject here. I’m a Strava addict and I know it but the purest will be horrified. You need a baseline to see improvement, set new goals and realize your goals. Buy a Garmin and to quote a small clothing company ‘just do it’.
Sleep. So underestimated but the bodies way of refuelling and preparing for the next day of running. Common sense but so often ignored. Sometimes the most obvious, common sense tips are the ones ignored. Sleep is when your body repairs itself, the more sleep the more repairs can be completed. It really is that easy, go to bed and dream about running.
Consistency. No point running 100k one week and then nothing. Marathon fitness is built up over time and this works hand in hand with rule number 1. I feel the figures from my running log back this up. I’ve steadily increased the duration consistently year in, year out (bar injury) and have reaped the rewards with 2016 being my fastest year yet as I move towards my sixth decade. (Thanks Dave Kennedy) Running is all about getting out there on a regular basis again and again and again. Time on feet initially and then add pace before targeting certain distance with different run types, most important thinkg to note though is always consistently putting on the trainers and just running. ‘If you build it they will come’ type approach, keep running, build the foundation and the personal records will come. (This also works for baseball pitches apparently.)
It’s all in the mind. After 32k a marathon is down to mental strength and the ability to persuade your body you can still perform at your desired pace without falling to fatigue, which is the minds way of protecting itself. Never underestimate the power of the mind in long distance racing. Finally another massive part of running, the Noakes ‘central governor’. I’ve talked about this at length in various posts on this site. With experience I believe I can mentally finish a marathon stronger now then when I first started. I know what to expect and to this end can persuade my old friend fatigue to stay away for longer allowing me to achieve better finishing times. The mind is such an important part of running and needs to be trained as much as the body. When you race a marathon you will spend time in the ‘pain box’, the runner who can spend the most time in this little box of joy, before opening the door and embracing the old enemy fatigue, will run the fastest. I spoke to Steve Moneghetti after the Perth Marathon this year after he ran the 3hr30min bus and asked him how the professional athletes are so much faster than us recreational runners. His answer surprised me as he replied that a professional runner can stand more pain and this gives them the advantage need to push through and achieve the faster times. Again turning off the ‘central governor’ and spending more time in the ‘pain box’ avoiding fatigue and thus not slowing down. Common sense really, thanks Steve.
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
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/)
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
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Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra 2024, another beast of an event coming probably a tad too soon after the Delirious West 200 miler a few weeks prior. ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) This was to be my fourth Herdy’s finishing assist to the great Phil Gore in 2021 with 47 yards (laps/hours) and then a 34 yard effort in 2022 and 28 yards in 2023. This was my tenth backyard ultra and I had harboured thoughts of a possible retirement from this format of racing. For readers who don’t know what a backyard ultra is check out this website https://backyardultra.com
The issue I have with the format is it allows you to push yourself way beyond what you would normally consider achievable. This is a double edged sword as the mental torture running these events is real and you tend to break yourself physically and mentally. Basically they take too much out of me and because its a race against the clock, on the hour, every hour, you never get time to rest, the clock is always ticking. Running 6.7km in an hour is easy, until it’s not and then how far do you push your mind and body. This format gives you the opportunity to test your limits.
Grabbing a decent spot these days is getting more and more difficult. I was one of many who turned up before the 8am time constraint to grab a spot. With nearly 400 runners space was a premium. It remined me of a old Western style gold rush with gazebos substituted for wagons and horses, it was one for young and old ! Luckily I managed to secure my preferred 3m * 3m spot of real estate, close to the start line. With these types of events where you are back at the start line on the hour, every hour, you need to be comfortable in your ‘downtime’. A BCF Wander reclining chair , gazebo and a table are the bare minimum. You then need to add change of clothes, massage gun, fisocrem, food (and lots of it), toiletries i.e. drugs, tape, sudocream, etc., basically a cut down Chemist Warehouse. Again this is the bare minimum. This year I spied a few weber barbeques, enough fairy lights to be visible from space and heaters and fans of all shapes and sizes. Every year people get more and more ingenious , I’m sure I’ll see a blow up pool one day.
My good friend Simon Bennet joined me in the the gazebo and we were both gunning for 48 hours, albeit this was quickly amended to 24 hours after a brutal early evening and night of heat and humidity that zapped all the energy from out already tired legs post Delirious. Funnily enough the last two years at Hardy’s have been humid and both times I’ve suffered on tired legs, luckily I have a very short memory albeit it comes back to me pretty quickly after a few hours running around the a lake. I’ll probably type the same thing for Herdy’s 2025 (Yep, after retiring on Saturday I entered on Thursday as soon as entries opened up for 2025!)
There was a capped field of 400 , which broke the world record field last year, and in the end I think there was 367 starters. Incredible to be a part of a world record field, the New York Marathon of back yard ultras. Shaun Kaesler and his team of Ultra Series WA ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) make incredible things happen. The village was a hive of activity and you could feel the excitement in the air before the start. If you’re reading this in WA you need to be a part of this event in 2025, either as a competitor , volunteer or spectator, just get involved.
The event starts at 4pm Friday afternoon so before you know it you are treated to a spectacular sunset, and if you get to the right point at the right time great photos. The trail section at the end of the loop is always amazing at sunset, it just comes alive bathed in the last remnants of the suns rays before giving way to night. Even at night it has that ‘sleepy hollow‘ feel about it and I can’t help thinking of Icabod Crane every time I run it.
So the event itself started well enough, I had friends from work at the first bridge, about 800m from the start, so would sprint off and reach it ahead of the field, do a bit of ‘show pony; shenanigans’ and then wait for the field to catch me up before jogging in with the lead runners. I was quite relieved when they got bored of waiting for me and decided the barbeque was a better place to be at the sun disappeared. Although the first few laps were without incident I wasn’t eating and when my Wife brought down a pasta dish I couldn’t face it, albeit it was pretty dry. I had a few mouthfuls and then decided I could survive on the electrolytes, rookie error. As the night went on the heat and humidity didn’t disappear and it was an uncomfortable night for all runners.
I started to return to the pack and I soon found myself surrounded by head torches and finishing mid pack at best. Walking breaks became a thing and my recovery time suffered accordingly. This is what Lazarus Lake , the architect of these events, meant when he said ‘ a backyard ultra is easy, until it isn’t’. The clock is always ticking unlike most Ultras when if you feel you need a break you just take one, time is not your enemy. In a BYU the distance is very do-able but you get worn down over time and your recovery time decreases, minute by minute until eventually you have none.
Looking at Strava ( you have Strava right ? http://www.strava.com ) I could see resting time disappearing before it faded completely as I started to finish and then walk straight to the starting coral, with my crew changing my water, feeding me and adding ice to neckerchief and arm sleeves as I walked through. No time for any ‘chair rest’, it was continual movement. This is the first time I had done this, normally I’m going ok and then I quit, even when I lapping in the high forties or low fifty minutes. This strategy of not spending any time in the reclining chair was used to good effect by Harvey Lewis when he took out the Bigs World BYU Championships in October last year. He’d come in around the late fifty minute mark and then sit on a log near the starting corral while his crew changed his nutrition and hydration and then off he’d go again. Other runners would come in earlier but eventually be worn down by the effort this would take deep into the competition, and I’m talking three or four days. Harvey had a sweet spot of getting in with just enough time but not expending too much effort on the course. By doing this he outlasted everybody.
Herdy’s starts a 4pm so you have two sunset twilight laps before you are cocooned in the little circle of light given off by your headtorch, albeit with nearly 400 headtorches on course for the first few night loops it was a pretty special spectacle. At this time you put on your audible book, music or podcasts to keep your mind active as you swan around the lake. Early evening is normally a relaxing time as you have a good period in your chair and you’re still excited about what lies ahead. This time though something was different, without any nutrition I was struggling and every lap was starting to take longer and longer. I always find the first 15 hours of a BYU testing at the best of times, this year I was in trouble early.
My lowest ever return from a BYU was 24 hours, my first one at Birdy’s back in 2020. I had promised my Wife I’d be back in Perth by a certain time so pulled the plug when I was feeling great. My last lap was in the high thirty minutes, what could have been. ? The following year I ran my furthest , 47 laps at Herdy’s 2021. Early in the game I knew I was never getting anywhere near 47 laps but was determined not to finish with less than 24 hours, 100 miles. I just need to get to the sunrise and then I was certain I’d be good for a 24 hour finish.
When the sun eventually poked up from over the horizon I was in deep strive, no nutrition for many hours I was banking on some weetbix and a sweet tea to save my race. This was dutifully delivered by Karen just before 8am. I wolfed down the weetbix and drank the tea and I was back in the game. I repeated the feat the next lap and things started to look up albeit I was still lapping slower than I liked. As the day warmed up I resorted to icy poles and would take four or five onboard as I staggered from the finish to the start line. My times were now in the middle fifty minutes, no time for any sitting down. This went on from lap seventeen to twenty when I came close to pulling the pin.
On lap 21 I was ready to quit. I walked virtually half the course to the drunk fountain and was ready to walk it in. I was dead last and gathered up my mate Graeme who was on the phone arranging to be picked up. As we contemplated the best way to DNF Aaron Young came running past and said we still had thirty minutes, we could still make it. That was all the encouragement I needed, it was on. I set off in hot pursuit of the two runners ahead of me and Graeme joined me. We both made lap twenty one but my time was now limited, I’m talking one or two minutes between laps, enough time to sit down in the start corral and ask my why I was doing this ?
I survived lap twenty two and set off on lap twenty three unsure of whether I’d make it or not. I was now walking to the first bridge, in stark contrast to the first laps when I was sprinting to get there first. Now I was last by a country mile and there was no running, this was one of my two walk breaks. I would walk to the fist bridge and then walk again to eh drink fountain. After a rest at the fountain I would try and stagger home. By doing this I survived probably five or six hours longer than I thought I could. This was an invaluable lesson and one I will take onboard at my next BYU.
At the end of lap twenty three I was done. Horizontal in the start corral now, no more sitting. I lay there waiting for the one minute warning. I knew this would tough but I had to complete lap twenty four, come hell or high water. For this lap I ran, I use the word ran in the broadest sense of the word, to the frst bridge so I could at least see my fellow runners. I used this as inspiration to keep moving forward and came in, lap twenty four, dead last but made it in fifty eight minutes. That was it, mission accomplished.
Karen handed me and coffee and I collapsed to the floor. My equal worst result in terms on distance (laps) but I had learned some valuable lessons. My nutrition and hydration needs to improve and you can run for many more laps if you avoid the chair and time your walk breaks according to the weather and also your general overall condition. These two lessons alone make Herdy;s 2024 a success, as well as an eleventh equal finish from the 376 starters which wasn’t a bad result either.
So Herdy’s 2024 was a B+ for effort. Had to work hard to get through the first night with very little nutrition and managed to at least keep my 24 hour minimum finish time for BYU number 10. Retirement was very short lived and I can’t wait for my next BYU in a few months time… until then I have the Lighthorse 24 hour ultra ( https://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) in five weeks. No rest for the wicked, why would you ?
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
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/)
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ
Finally I can see the end of this race report albeit in my defence it was a long race. Post #4 had me at Cosy Corner aid station at sunrise on Saturday morning, day four on this epic adventure. I grabbed a bacon and egg roll, the staple diet of 200 mile runners it seems, a coffee and changed my clothes and Mark pushed me out of the aid station and onto the beach toward Mutton Beach carpark. This was only a six kilomtere hop on compacted sand with a nice morning breeze to keep the temperature reasonable.
Post Cosy Corner you only have Mutton Beach and Sandpatch to go before the finish, the job is done if you’re feeling halfway decent. I was feeling great with sunrise recharging my batteries, I could smell the finish and my double boot trophy.
I still had a ‘niggle’ behind my left knee, a baker’s cyst not the hamstring I was worried about, but I could still jog along the beach and bumped into my old mate Tex Webster, or he caught me up. I would run with Tex to Sand Patch aid station and also join up with three 100 mile runners, James Brougham, Ben Nielson, James Sawyer and the lead 200 miler female, Kate Jenour. The seven of us ran together coming into Sand Patch , the final aid station.
Conditions were perfect Saturday morning with a cool breeze pushing us along the beach towards the next aid station. Saturday morning was a time to reflect on the journey and also to finally think about the finish less than a marathon away. Compared to the start on Wednesday morning it was chalk and cheese. No incessant sun beating down on you and climbs that made your quads scream, Saturday was cool winds and flat, hard sand with the finish in sight. You start to forget about the trials and tribulations of the previous three days and concentrate on the finish line, sleep and eventually a few beers at the Earl of Spencer.
The previous year I was five hours quicker so had ran the section into Sand Patch from Cosy Corner in the dark and it took an age. I was running with Sarah Dyer and we were chasing Simon Poli, a 100 mile runner. We eventually caught him at Sand Patch and had a beer together before the final ten kilometre stretch to the finish. (It’s tradition to have a beer at Sand Patch before the last ten or so kilometres to the finish, as you can imagine just what you need ! ) It still took a good time but so much easier in daylight, the climbs seem quicker and not as steep and you could enjoy the scenary. Tex was keeping the conversation flowing and I certainly learned a thing or two about polo, the kind you need horses to play.
Coming into Sand patch I had my first real blister of the event and had to let Tex go as I made some running repairs. A blister on my right foot complimented the niggle behind my left knee and made any sort of running awkward and painful. I was thankful I could smell the finish. Running into Sand Patch always seems to take forever and you can’t see the aid station until you are virtually on it, very frustrating as at this point you just want that beer before the final ten kilometre hop (in my case I was nearly hopping!) to the finish.
The final leg from Sand Patch to the finish is a weird section as you hug the coast for so long you think it’s impossible to get to Albany in the ten or so kilometres. Somewhere along the route you eventually take a sharp left turn and you at least head towards the finish. When you eventually do see Albany it looks such a long way off but you know you only have a few kilometres to go, and they take an age trust me !
The last two years I have staggered to the finish mainly due to sleep depravation and having my first sleep stop later at Mount Clare compared to previous years stopping at Mandalay. You make up time initially but over the length of the event I think you suffer, especially on the last day. There’s no ‘sprint finish‘ so to speak. The first couple of years I felt as fresh on day four as day one when I had a few more hours sleep, it’s a balancing act of course. Each runner needs to find their ideal split between time spent sleeping or relaxing at aid stations and time spent running.
I think the year Shane Johnstone set the course record we both had the same moving time, or very close but he beat me by over 24 hours. Basically Shane didn’t stop while I did, a lot it seems, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and on the last day sprinted to the finish. Would I have done anything different, no way. The last two years has been less time sleeping and at aid stations but the legs have suffered towards the end and it has become ‘harder’, funny that. I did say to myself this was the last year I’d race it and I still believe in 2025 I’m going to enjoy it and cruise in on Sunday.
Warwick Crapper was waiting for me , as is tradition, and we ran across the line, beer in hand, together. All that was left to do then was a Daniel Ricciardo ‘shoey‘ with Tex, Simon and Warwick, captured by Susan Ryan. I think I may have started a thing as Shaun then made every runner who finished after me perform a shoey , he then apologised post event as I think it all got a bit out of control. No worries, it’s a thing that me and my crew will keep performing as long as we keep finishing, it’s tradition.
Post shoey it was time to pull out the wanderer recliner from the car and just chill, with another cold beer. It was Saturday morning and the finish line was quiet. We’re cheered in the three 100 mile runners I had ran with earlier in the day and the lead female who was close behind me before it was time to clean ourselves up and what better place than the public showers in Albany. It seems we weren’t the only ones who use these public showers and there was a queue of foreign backpackers stretching down the street. Not sure what they made of me and Mark joining in but ‘when in Rome‘, so to speak. Actually typing this I’m assuming we couldn’t get into our accommodation until early afternoon as I can see no reason to use the public amenities bar it’s a tradition started last year ?
At the award ceremony on Sunday afternoon I grabbed my double boot trophy, a reward for four finishes. This will sit with my double plugger , the trophy for two finishes. The double plugger was special as Jeff Hansen was one of the race directors, Jeff has since left us after a short battle with leukemia. He was a very special individual and there is a plaque and a tree full of shoes in Albany opposite the finish chute, so he can always be part of this event.
After the award ceremony its off to Jeff’s tree where we say a few words for our lost friend and then throw a pair of trainers on the tree. It’s a moving moment and one that will continue moving forward, he was such a driving force of the event and such a genuine great guy, he helped so many people achieve their running dreams often sacrificing his own time for others. Below is an interview I had with Jeff and Heath when I completed Delirious in 2022, happy memories.
My favourite tradition, and us runners have a few as you’ve probably realised reading these posts, is my two pints of Guinness at the Earl of Spencer pub in Albany after the race. Normally over a mouth watering Guinness and beef pie albeit this year, thanks to Veronika, we missed out, arriving late. Lesson learnt for next year , either pre-order or arrive earlier ! The pub is awash with stories from the previous four days and so much laughter as adventures are recounted between competitors , crew and friends. It really is an incredible atmosphere but I never stay past nine o’clock fearing any more Guinness and Shaun Kaesler together , it could end up very, very messy.
Finally, done and dusted Delirious West 2024. Another epic adventure with so many highs and a few lows. Will I run it in 2025 ? Hell yeah, why wouldn’t you, after all it’s tradition, and what do runners love most….
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
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/)
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ
Post #3 left us eating a steak supper at Peaceful Bay caravan park and preparing for the next hop to Boat Harbour, a 18km leg. First thing was a jet ski ride over the inlet. Check out the video, pretty cool. The tide was rushing in when me and Simon got to the inlet and there would have been no way we’d make it across without help. Funnily enough later in the event ,when the tide was out, you could have walked across easily, and they crew were pulling runners across on SUP’s.
We left the Peaceful Bay on Thursday night with the plan to get to Parry Beach for a few hours sleep early Friday morning. We reckon we’d make it to Parry’s about 3am, unfortunately we were a tad optimistic. The trail to Boat Harbour was testing mainly due to sleep depravation and by the time we finally reached Boat Harbour both of us needed sleep. Luckily Heath and Simone, the two legends that had previously looked after us on Wednesday at Pingerup, let us use their reclining chairs and threw a couple of blankets over us and put us behind their car for some well needed shut-eye.
I remember hearing Jen Millum and Alexis Oosterhoff, a couple of the lead 100km runners, come in and was listening to their conversation as I drifted off. The next voice I head was Frank Chauveau’s , who would become the oldest runner to complete any USWA events at over 70, anyhow I assumed he was with Jen and Alexis , not realising I had slept for thirty minutes or longer. I remember telling Mark Frank was running in the top five with Jen and Alexis and Mark looking at me like I was mad. I really was very sleep deprived at this state in the game, thinking Frank was challenging for top spot in the 100km race.
Its incredible what a few minutes sleep can do for your mental and physical well being. Never underestimate a dirt nap or in this case the luxury of a recliner and a warm blanket. It felt like a few minutes but we must have slept for at least thirty minutes. Once we woke we were treated to a risotto and a sweet tea, life was good and we felt a million dollars. It doesn’t take much to boost the spirits this far into the event but you need to also be wary of the opposite happening and the downward spiral is always there waiting for an excuse to start unravelling your race. Experience teaches you when to stop , recharge and reset before continuing on, in these events its also about sleep depravation and fatigue management, as well as the issues with hydration and nutrition, a juggling act really.
Post Boat Harbour it was a 10km or so leg to Parry beach and swag time. The plan to get there before sunrise evaporated after our power nap but Si and I felt so much better for the sleep. We eventually made Parry’s and yet again I stumbled into my swag and into a deep sleep oblivious to the surroundings. Parry’s beach is a great little spot and I always enjoy this part of the course, it was still early morning so it wasn’t that warm. I set off with Simon and his pacer Tim and the three of us were in good spirits but the ‘niggle‘ behind my knee was still there and over time it started to become an issue.
Tim was setting a good pace and after an hour or so I had to let the lads go, I was ok uphill but couldn’t keep up downhill so decided to motor on alone. I kept the two of them in sight and over time caught them again and we eventually staggered into Monkey Rocks aid station together.
From Parry’s to Monkey Rocks you hug the coastline before venturing off into trails and then back to the coastline for some seriously good beach views, albeit I’ve never stopped to really enjoy them bar a quick photo or two. Next year I packing the budgies and I will be taking advantage of the opportunity to enjoy some of the best beaches in Western Australia.
Monkey Rocks aid station and Mark had yet again delivered, best spot available in the shade. Shade is a premium and Mark is an expert at waiting and watching, when a space becomes available he’s like a cobra and strikes in his Audi Q5 ! The BCF Wanderer recliner was ready and the foot bath prepared as well as my go to fuel energy drink Brownes Mocha Chill, 600ml of goodness.
Having too much food and drink at Monkey Rocks cost me my race partner for the event, Simon. I let him go early on in the climb as I was protecting my toes which were so sensitive and climbing on rocks was probably the last place I needed to be at the time. If I stubbed my foot on a rock I literally went through the roof, incredibly painful. I hobbled up and down Monkey Rocks and then staggered into the Denmark section feeling very sorry for myself. There is a shuttle that leaves Denmark aid station on the hour, every hour, for a twenty minute or so ride to the next part of the bib. I missed one by a matter of minutes but had decided that a better option was to take the full hour allotted me and have a shower, change of clothes and try and get some food inside me. I ended up on the shuttle alone which meant I would be alone at the other end to continue my journey to the finish, not ideal with night fast approaching.
The ‘niggle‘ which had been bothering me for most of the day was still an issue. Original I thought it might be a hamstring tear as the back of me knee was bruised but looking back I think it was a bakers cyst. The medic checked me out as I think they were worried it may have been a DVT injury which then can become a blood clot. I convinced the medic this was not the case and they went for heat stroke, either way I was allowed to carry on but was hindered by this for the rest of the event.
I wasn’t running that well post Denmark, it was getting late and I wasn’t that excited about another night alone , knowing what was ahead. There was lots of walk break but eventually I got into a rhythm and started to speed up. This section to Lowlands is quite non-descript. It’s trail but not that scenic, you really want to be back on the beach. It’s also a good distance, over 20km and company really helps. As the sunset I was really starting to up the pace and I harboured thoughts of catching Simon and Tim. This is came to a grinding half when I went to put on my head torch and found the freshly charged battery but no head torch. We have to carry two head torches as mandatory gear and this saved my bacon, sorry for the vegan readers, albeit my secondary headtorch is secondary for a reason. Something as small as this can quickly derail you and I must admit sitting on the trail , alone, with darkness fast approaching I was not in a good place. The only saving grace was I was over halfway to the next aid station and I knew there’d be a steak supper waiting for me.
Coming into Lowlands it was time for more hallucinations. I convinced myself I saw Mark waiting for me at the top of a hill that wasn’t there and also a caravan type structure with people inside also a figment of my imagination. The mind plays some funny games when you deprive it of sleep.
I was running well but worried about the bakers cyst (we’ll assume that’s what it was.), it did restrict me but positive thinking got me to Lowlands where I was able to vent my frustration at Mark for the headtorch cock-up. This was quickly forgotten once the steak turned up but I made a mistake, with hindsight, by sitting too long and enjoying my meal. I should have ran through , after first picking up some snacks, and caught Simon and Tim. As it was I left Lowlands with a full stomach and all the momentum coming into the aid station gone. I was alone and moving very slowly, checking my watch endlessly and seeing no movement.
At one point I just sat down on the side of the trail turned off my head torch and lay there, totally alone and mentally broken. The lead female runner was behind me and I decided to just wait for her albeit she would have got a shock seeing me laying on the side of the trail in the dark. Eventually I gave up waiting for her, got back to my feet and staggered onwards. I was eventually caught not by the lead female but Alexis , a 100 mile runner, who had suffered in the heat and decided to run the race in the dark and sleep in the day. (I call it the vampire strategy) He saved me big time and together we ran to Shelly’s beach, another aid station where my crew couldn’t get to.
Last year at Shelly’s there was no one there as the event had some issues with manning and I wasn’t expecting anything this year. I was totally surprised to see the best setup I think I’ve ever seen at any event, a massive gazebo with four of five runner already in their chairs. We all grabbed doona’s and blankets and before we knew it all five of us were asleep. It was so surreal, just magical. We were all dog tired and we could hear the waves and they were so close you felt they’d come through the tent at any moment. Once the volunteers turned down the lights the waves just swept us off into dreamland. Incredible and I had to be woken two hours later as I was in such a deep sleep. This was my last sleep for the event and it was a good one. One of those moments you never forget, so good.
Alexis hadn’t even stopped at Shelly’s , albeit he’d be sleeping all day, as vampires do I suppose? When I woke the other four runners had already gone and it was me, myself I again on the short hop to Cosy Corner. This section was extremely runnable and I passed the four 100 mile runners and kept ahead of Tex and his daughter albeit I couldn’t drop them as whenever I added pace my ‘niggle’ reminded me it was still there. I did manage to get to Cosy Corner before the rush and plonked myself next to the food table where Mark got to work. A few minutes later it was like Paddington Station at rush hour, runners everywhere.
One runner had left his phone at Shelly’s which was a big issue as he couldn’t carry on until he was reunited with his phone. It’s part of the mandatory gear so his Wife had to drive to Shelly’s aid station to pick up his phone and then drive to Cosy Corner to deliver it. Not sure if this was a deliberate act as he was forced to take a power nap after a few bacon and egg rolls, poor guy, while his mates soldiered on.
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
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/)
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ
At the end of Delirious West post #2 I had just arrived at Mount Clare at some ungodly hour and a lot later than first envisaged. I remember it was still dark so I’d say around three in the morning or just later. The Mandalay to Mount Clare section is , in my view, the hardest part of the whole event as you are attempting on very tired legs and the terrain and elevation just beat the crap out of you. I stumbled into my swag and was asleep before my head hit the pillow. Sleeping in a swag is so cool albeit I must admit I’ve always been so goosed I find falling asleep easy , I’d probably say the same thing about sleeping in a jet engine in my state most of Delirious. !
After what felt like five minutes, but Mark assures me was longer, I was back up and raring to go, well raring for some weetbix and a cup of sweet tea which Mark dutifully provided. A change of clothes and it was up for the next stage , a small 10km hop to Walpole with some nice running terrain and some down hill as you run off Mount Clare. The only benefit of running up Mount Clare is running off Mount Clare the following morning. You really feel a million dollars compared to the previous night where sometimes you question if you are actually moving forward ? Running into Walpole with the sunrise greeting you is a special time and you also know the next two sections after that, Tingle Tree and Tree Tops, although challenging are shaded and very pretty. I say pretty in the broadest sense of the word of course, at the time I’m not sure I’m that overly excited as its another climb of course but avoiding direct sunlight is a big bonus. The distance between Mount Clare , Walpole and then Tingle Tree is about 10km or less so you get to see your crew a couple of times before a big hop to Tree tops and the halfway point. I’ve always enjoyed this section of the course and getting to Tree Tops is a big mental boost, you know the next half of the event is a lot more scenic with some great beach sections mixed with some runnable sections.
Walpole is a sleep station and has great showers but I was keen to keep moving having only woke up an hour or two earlier. I was in and out in a matter of minutes and heading toward Tingle Tree, another small hop. There is some elevation after a flat start but it was good to be out of the sun and as I said earlier it’s a very beautiful place to be. I had Simon ahead of me as he had passed me while I slept at Mount Clare, if you remember he was behind me at Mandalay and Mark wouldn’t let me wait. I was still hanging onto a podium place with Aaron and Simon ahead of me.
I stumbled up towards Tingle Tree and I had my first hallucination as I neared the aid station. Ahead of me I saw Simon taking a photo of Tingle Tree and called out to him. As I neared the Tree I couldn’t see him, a quick walk around confirmed he wasn’t there. I’m always amazed what the mind can make you see. No worries, I laughed it off and continued on my merry way making the aid station minutes later.
Tingle Tree aid station is on the side of the road and unfortunately there was little or no shade. Dave and Bella Kennedy had set up the aid station but I had Mark there so was well looked after. The heat and flies started to become annoying so after another quick stop I was off in pursuit of Simon who had left minutes before I arrived. It would had been good to have some company as I had been alone since before Mandalay and there’s only so many Taylor Swift songs you can listen to ?
Funny thing was I actually ran past Simon as he was grabbing some sleep at one of the huts along the way to Tree Tops. I stopped for some water and a ‘trail shower’ under the tap and then continued on my way towards Tree tops, with Taylor Swift at full blast egging me on. I thought I saw someone but assumed it was a hiker taking refuge in the hut, infact it was Simon. He had heard me but not been quick enough to catch me. He did eventually catch me but that was a few hours later as we both reached Tree tops together. We were both very happy to see the Tree tops aid station and gorged ourselves on bacon and egg rolls, sweets and various drinks. The ladies at this aid station were brilliant and we were also lucky enough to have a coffee van so we had quality coffee on tap. It really does not get any better. Halfway eating bacon and eggs rolls with quality coffee, we were in ultra heaven.
As part of the Delirious West 200 miler ( and the 100 miler) you walk the Tree Tops walk. Its an incredible structure high above the ground, as the name suggest you are walking in the tree top’s and it is very high. Incredible views.
Simon left Tree Tops first and I caught up with him pretty quickly. I’d forgotten about some elevation coming out of Tree Tops and the route wasn’t as downhill as I remembered it but we kept moving forward with the thought of time with Charles and Mark at Conspicuous Cliffs and then some time on the beach. It was warm but nothing compared to the previous two days or I don’t remember being that hot. I suppose we’d avoided the hottest part of the day climbing from Walpole to Tree Tops.
The trail from Conspicuous Cliffs to Peaceful Bay are very good, great scenery and a smattering of sand making running enjoyable, without the constant stepping on some parts of the trail. This is then interspersed with beach time and you get to run some great little coves with spectacular colours as the sun disappears over the horizon.
Finally we made it to Peaceful Bay where Mark prepared his famous steak and onions supper. I’m not sure if his cooking is getting better or I’m just more hungry ever time I eat it but it tasted incredible. He even had one for Simon who also commented it was a great feed. It made running 134km to get there seem reasonable for the food. Luckily Mark had brought enough for another steak dinner the next night and yet again it tasted even better. The man is the Gordon Ramsey of the ultra crewing world.
Right that’s enough for post #3, over half way but a lot more to write about….
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
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/)
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ
We hit the first aid station as the lead group or close, I think Phil Fowler and the ‘Malaysian Missile‘ Andrew Farmers were ahead of us at this point. The first aid station is a good distance, about 25km , and no crew are allowed so I would not get to see Mark until Chesapeake East around the marathon mark. We didn’t stay long, a couple of biscuits, fill the water bottles and bladder, cup of sweet tea and we were away. Lots of smiles , it was early in the day.
Video coming into aid station one Chesapeake West.
I always find day one the hardest at Delirious and a lot of runners DNF late in the day, close to Mandalay or Mount Clare. I always feel they’d be better off taking a few hours rest and then restarting the assault at sunrise the next morning. It’s incredible the difference sunrise makes, it reinvigorates you. I know a lot of runners push through and basically run themselves into exhaustion. I will mention to Shaun , the RD, that maybe next year make Broke Inlet and Mandalay sleep stations, or at least provide a couple of camp beds to give the back markers the option for some well needed rest. The first sleep station is at Walpole around 140km and I’ve never made it that far and I’m normally in the top half of the field. When I hit Mount Clare I’m exhausted and always stumble into my swag and a deep sleep albeit only for a couple of hours before starting again at sunrise. It’s only a quick 10km to Walpole where I’ll either have a shower or go straight past and start toward the half way mark at Tree Tops.
The early part of day one is good trails mixed with some sand running , shade and open sections. A good mix and the heat is turned down as you’re still running in the early morning. From the start to the first aid station it was humid but not uncomfortable. Early on a bit of sand but no real elevation to talk about, a good start to the event. The event gets better day by day and the first day is just a head down and get to the end type activity in my view.
Day one has some good runnable sections which is more than can be said for later in the event. You can also find some good shade pre-Dog Road aid station which offers some protection. Unfortunately post Dog Road aid station to Pingerup aid station (around 16km in the heat of the day) is open and you basically cook. This year was hotter than normal with temperatures reaching 41c , unusual for this part of the world. I took as much ice as I could at Dog Road aid station and devoured about five slushies. (icy poles), helping to keep the core temperature down albeit briefly. It was then a case of running in Sahara Desert like conditions, albeit probably hotter, for the next two hours before the oasis that is the Pingerup aid station.
I did have a moment of clarity on the way to Pingerup, shown in this video below. I may have bee a tad Delirious but you get the point.. I think?
I fell three during Delirious, the first time before we’d even got to one kilometre and the second time post Dog Road, can’t remember exactly where the third tumble was but I remember it was another soft landing luckily. The post Dog Road fall was more a slide on soft sand but it had dirt beneath it so it looked like I had buried myself in dirt when I got into Broke Inlet aid station. Falling in this race is part of the experience, if you run for nearly four days on trails , fatigued, eventually the ground comes calling. A good trail runner knows how to fall, it’s all about going with gravity and rolling away. Saying that I have various wounds on my arms and legs from failing this over the years but for 2024 I consider three unscheduled trips a good outcome. My good friend Marty hurt his knee coming into Broke Inlet and basically walked the rest of the way to the finish. That my friends is pretty bloody hardcore. Supported by his partner Kat and crew, Dangerous Dave, he finished in just over 100 hours, incredible effort. Delirious lets to see who you really are and what you are made off, Marty is made of steel and grit !
After Pingerup there is a nice trail before you hit Broke Inlet aid station around 16km later, good for 90km total. You’re normally racing the sunset and the challenge is to get to the aid station and have dinner in daylight. This year I made it and enjoyed Mark’s spaghetti bolognaise while waiting for Simon to come in and run the next section, to Mandalay, with company.
As you can see from the image below the scenary is spectacular and it’s always really quiet with just the local birdlife breaking the silence of the day, quite magical. I always enjoy this part of the day and this part of the course, you have the cooler temperatures and there never seems to be any wind, totally still. You end up reflecting on the day and preparing for dinner and the cocoon of the headtorch.
Astrid Volzke was at Broke Inlet and captured some awesome images , so talented. As you can see I’m pretty ‘goosed‘ by the time I arrive at Broke Inlet. It had been a long hard day at the office in sweltering conditions. I was looking forward to dinner, a foot bath and some well earned ‘chair time’. Mark ushered me to our spot behind the aid station. With Mark’s experience we always score the best spots and today was no different, he is a crewing black belt.
Off came the shoes to admire the damage of the day. Coming into this event I had lost most of my toe nails so was only concerned with blisters, so far nothing to report albeit they didn’t look the prettiest pair of feet. I’d seen a few runners tape up the front of the Altra Olympus 5 trail shoes to stop the sand but I don’t have issues normally and just empty them if I feel a build up of foreign material . I wear gators but with the breathable fabric on the Altras they are pretty useless. On the bright side if you get them wet they dry very quickly.
Sitting down at Broke Inlet aid station I was knackered, the day had been brutal due to the extreme heat and I had probably ran too quick for the conditions. I think at this time I was top three which was unusual for me as I normally start slower and build into the event. I think in the image below I am contemplating the next two jumps between aid stations. A twenty kilometre hop to Mandalay and then another plus twenty kilometre stretch to Mount Clare. I know from experience this marathon distance would take 6-8 hours as I already had over 90km, over 12 hours, in the legs of hard running in extreme conditions. It was going to be a grind and I was right, even Mark’s spaghetti bolognaise couldn’t cheer me up.
What did cheer me up was a warm foot bath after dinner after the image below shows. That is me after a great cup of sweet tea and dinner, what a difference good crewing makes to a runner.
Post Broke Inlet Simon and I stumbled off into the night and headed towards Mandalay. I had brought a coupe of audible books for the night running as you tend to lose yourself in the cocoon headtorch light and a decent book can make the time, and distance, disappear faster. Unfortunately for me I’d made the rookie error of not downloading either book and with no internet access for many hours I was reduced to listening to past downloaded books. It was time to go back to an old favourite of mine, Green Light by Matthew McConaughey. I’d listened to the whole book while I’d ran the Unreasonable East in June 2022 but it was so good a second listen was no issue, albeit you know what’s coming of course.
Funnily enough I was a bit disoriented starting the Mandalay leg and felt myself leaning to my left and having to right myself before repeating the whole process. I suspected vertigo but as I’d never had this issue before I wasn’t sure. In the end I decided I was just fatigued, under hydrated and cooked from the days adventures and just tried to concentrate on staying upright. Simon seemed to be suffering the same problem and was wobbling all over the track in front of me. This continued until he announced he needed a dirt nap as he had experienced this in previous races, I was ok to continue so agreed to meet him in Mandalay.
Coming into Mandalay later than planned and still in a podium position. Simon was quite a way behind and Phil came in but wanted to sleep so I was pushed out of the aid station onto the beach alone. This was not ideal. Mandalay to Mount Clare is the worst leg of the whole event, in my view, due to the elevation, terrain and you’re attempting it at your lowest ebb. I wanted to wait for Simon but Mark insisted I go on, sometimes having a crew can be a curse. It didn’t let me down and this leg was as bad as I had remembered from previous years albeit I had never ran it alone before. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy the peace and solitude of night running alone but I also enjoy company, it does make time and distance disappear quicker.
There’s a small section of beach before you take a left and head back onto the trail and towards Mount Clare. Next year I’m determined to run this fresh rather than moving like an extra from the ‘walking dead’, I just need to persuade Mark to set up the swag and let me sleep?
Mandalay beach to Mount Clare tested me and distance dragged while time sped up, how does that happen ? I’d planned to reach Mount Clare by 2am but was looking like 3am would be more likely , or later. The terrain is brutal with many climbs and stairs that go on for ever, stairway to heaven on steroids. The legs were also starting to complain, funny that, and I was going through fisiocrem quickly. If you’ve never used fisiocrem in events you need to start, it just does what it says on the tube, reinvigorates tired muscles. I have started using fisiocrem after every run and it had made a big difference in my recovery, incredible product. ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ )
The suspension bridge is a sign the final climb is about to start and it is a serious assault. Incredibly steep but thankfully pretty short, all things being relative. You then have a kilometre or two of road before you stumble into the aid station and fall into your swag for a well earned two hours sleep. Trust me, that swag feels like a five star hotel and you’re asleep before your head touches the pillow, it’s an incredible feeling.
Right, that’s post#2 done and we’re only into day two, this blog may take longer than the race itself…
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
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/)
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ
So off we go again, Delirious West 2024. Absolutely stoked to be back running this beast of a 200 miler supported by the best crew in WA, maybe Australia, Mark Lommers.. As is tradition Mark drove the trusty Audi Q5 and early Monday afternoon off we drove , Pemberton here we come. This was Mark’s third time supporting me and he now knows what I need before I do. He is calm under pressure, never flustered and a pleasure to be around, the shining light when you are in a very dark place. He also cooks a mean spaghetti bolognaise and an incredible steak, with onions. The boy can run a bit too and continually pushes the boundaries of pace and beer competing, and dominating, the bogan run.
We drive down Monday and stay in the Pemberton area so we can climb the Gloucester tree. Unfortunately this year it was closed so we decided on a long breakfast instead. Shannon Dale organised the gathering and before we knew it it turned into a mass event full of nervous and excited runners. So much fun and so much laughter. That’s the point of Tuesday, just meeting your fellow runners, checking in, bogan run , pub meal and an early night. It is a great day and never disappoints. So many stories which are added to ever year, Delirious is the event that just keeps growing.
After a very long breakfast it was back to the hotel to pick up our gear and head to Northcliffe for the final check-in, bogan run and the race briefing over dinner. Again its so cool to get together, check in , see old friends and make new ones. Then watch the bogan run, the run that stops a small town before gorging on quality tukka while listening to the race briefing.
I did make silly error Tuesday afternoon post breakfast. Jumping in the pool after breakfast I forgot my sunscreen and paid the price that evening and beyond. I was fried like a Mars Bar in a Scottish fish shop, silly boy. As you can see from the image above my head is starting to glow!
Unfortunately this year Warwick Crapper got lost and failed to win the bogan year albeit I feel his chances are getting slimmer each year as the race organisers seem to find a way to derail him. Luckily he takes it all in his stride and concentrates on the alcohol intake rather than finishing times. He informed me he’d be back for a fourth attempt next year.
After the race briefing on Tuesday evening I drove Mark (and Warwick) back to Pemberton and started the last minute preparation for the main event. Truth be told after four years I have my game plan pretty much sorted but you can always find an excuse to pack and then repack ‘stuff’ the night before, it’s a running thing.
There are many traditions when it comes to Delirious and one of my favorites is the waffles on race morning, served up by Duncan and his wonderful team at the Nortcliffe hotel. I figure before a 200 miler you really can eat what you like, doesn’t matter how many calories you digest you’ll use more when you’re running for the whole day. My logic is probably flawed as I’m pretty sure I put on weight over the event but you can’t muck about with traditions.
Post waffles I scuttled off to the start, Wednesday 7am and it was on like donkey Kong. Christmas for an Ultra runner. The event didn’t get off to a great start with the new generator giving up the ghost before it could erect the starting arch. If this was the worse thing to befall the event I’d be stoked.
Right here we go , video one, day one.
I went hard on the first day settling into the lead group and just enjoying the banter albeit always wary of what was ahead. I was surrounded by good friends and loving the journey although the heat was starting to become challenging and moving forward I knew I would drop off this pace later in the day
It was good to run with a small group albeit Tristan jumped off the back before Dog Road aid station and Simon and Aaron left me at Dog Road so I was alone at 50km, so be it. In a race this long you need to run at your pace and this can fluctuate by the minute, hour or day. I’d bump into Simon again and we’d leap frog each other for most of the fist three days.
Right, that’s enough for post #1, there will be a few more. A race report for Delirious is the like the main event, it can take days to finish !
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
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/)
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ
After last weekends 24 park run in 24 hours ( post here :- https://www.runbkrun.com/2024/01/15/running-in-a-furnace-for-a-great-cause-24-park-runs-in-24-hours/ ) what better way to prepare for the Delirious West 200 miler in a few weeks ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) then another ultra, this time on tired legs. I have ran the Australia Day Ultra three times in the past , the 50km option the first time (2016) and then two 100km events. (2017-18)
The first time I ran the 100km Rob Donkersloot produced a video on the event ; worth a look …
Looking back at this video its funny to think of where I am now compared to then. In the video I was still a marathon runner chasing the elusive sub 2 hour 40 minutes marathon time, where as now I’m an ultra runner, 100%. In the back of my mind I had visions of taking the 55-60 AURA age group record , to go with my 50-55 time set in 2018, but knew this would be a big ask after the previous weekends racing. More important was just finishing and using this as my last long run before the big dance in a few weeks at Delirious.
I couldn’t persuade any of the usual suspects to come along so had to drive myself the two hours to the start, leaving Perth at 8pm to arrive at Australind just after 10pm to pick up my bib, chat to the Race Directors, Ron McGlynn and Chris Lark, and move my gear to the middle aid station where the lovely Charlotte would look after me. I was also lucky enough to have Mick Francis and his partner Val there to give me a hand. Being a 6.25k out and back loop meant that having my gear at the middle aid station I was only ever a maximum of just over six kilometres from it. My plan was to run through the start aid station and also the one at the far end and just use the middle one. I had adopted this strategy on the three previous times I ran the course and it worked a treat albeit I tended to stop at the aid station both ways when initially I intended to only stop one way. If I’m going to break the age group record I’ll need to work on my aid station strategy and employ a dedicated crew with a plan, release the inner ‘Phil Gore’.
The race kicks off five minutes into Saturday morning in an attempt to avoid runners turning up Saturday night for a Sunday morning event, this has happened a few times and is always a risk with a midnight start. There wasn’t a big field this year and truth be told since the race decoupled itself from the the Ultra Series WA umbrella numbers have dropped. The 100k ( eight laps of a 6.25k out and back loop) and 75k (six laps) runners started first with the 50k ( four laps) starting at 3am and the 25k (two laps) starting at 6am.
It was fairly quiet for the first three hours and I put on Spotify and Taylor Swift to keep me company. Laps one and two were reasonable enough although I wasn’t hitting the pace I needed for the age group record so put that one to bed early. I had talked about cruising through the night at less than 5 min/k pace , banking time in the cool evening conditions, this didn’t happen. I wasn’t surprising really and I turned my attention to plan B, enjoy the event and finish strong.
Lap three and four and the wheels started to fall off. The 50k runners joined us but were running far too quick and just added to the feeling of slowing down. At one point I talked myself into finishing at 50k and ticking the ‘last long run‘ before Delirious box without doing too much damage to my legs. With this in mind I finished lap four (50k) but then had a change of heart, if I could make sunrise and maybe score a cup of sweet tea there was a chance. I also think a couple of No Doz tablets , combined with a paracetamol tablet or two, also helped, don’t judge me.
Running past the middle aid station I put in my request and Charlotte managed to find some sugar in the bottom of her bag and produce a perfect cup of sweet tea. I covered my legs in fisocrem (this stuff is magic ! https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) , downed a yoghurt pouch and with the sun peaking over the horizon started to feel so much better. Laps five and six I maintained a reasonable pace but around 75k I started to up the tempo. With all ultra marathons you have good times and bad times. With bad times you know the good times will eventually turn up and visa-versa. It’s weird but at 75k into the event I felt better than the first kilometre, this is ultra running.
I was comfortably in third place at the end of lap six but noticed the runner in second was coming back to me. My pace had improved to less than 5min/k and I started to reel him in. By the start of lap seven he only had a few hundred metres on me and before the end of that lap I had moved into second place. I’m putting down my fast finish to all the hours spent on my treadmill in the sauna that is a Perth summer. Recovering from a hamstring tear in October I had spent a lot of time walking and running on a 15% incline while listening to podcasts. I really believe this helped me improve my fitness when I started to combine these garage sessions with my normal running. Anyhow whatever the reason I finished like a train for a good negative split, going out in 4hours 51 minutes and coming back in 4hours 42 minutes; total time 9 hours 34 minutes, good for second position.
I was presented with my merchandise and medal with a small trophy for second place by the Race Directors as I crossed the line, this it seems was the presentation. As I said earlier a real grass roots event, nothing fancy, a coupe of timing mats, few aid stations, eager volunteers and that’s about it. The event just works and I’m really looking forward to going back in 2025 and smashing that AURA 55-60 age group record, why wouldn’t you ? For anybody chasing an ultra PB this could be the event for you. Flat as a pancake and the midnight start avoids most of the heat of the Perth summer albeit humidity can play a part. Next year Ron is adding a 12.5k option ( two laps) to try and entice park runners into the fray and start down the slippery slope that is ultra running.
Finally a quick shout out to the products that have helped me on my running journey lately. Fisiocrem and Humantecar are incredible products that help massively with recovery or preparation. Both products just work and I used fisiocrem on the run and humantecar bandages post run. I was back running on Monday afternoon with a spring in my step, ready for another week of training. This would have been impossble without these products.
Bix hydration products kept me fueled and again without Bix I would have struggled. It is my go to product for all hydration while on the run and also recovering. Fractel headgear, T8 clothing , Coros watches, Osprey products , altra footwear (although for this event I used Hoka Mach X road shoes) and shokz ; thankyou.
Right that’s it for a few weeks. I have a quiet week and then one final push before the Delirious West 200 miler kicking off February 7th in sunny Northcliffe. To say I’m excited is an understatement.
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
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/)
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ
On Saturday I ran the 24 Park Runs in 24 hours in Perth for the On My Feet charity, helping homelessness. ( https://www.onmyfeet.org.au/ ) The concept is simple, run a park run, drive to the next one, run that park run and repeat 24 times over the course of the 24 hour period. This gives you around thirty minutes for each park run with a small break for lunch, dinner and an early breakfast. Sounds easy right ? Wrong as Perth decided to present us with the hottest day of the summer so far with temperatures hitting 42c ( over 107F) and staying around the 40c for most of the early afternoon into the evening, chuck in brutal humidity and it became a challenge.
The donation page for the 2023 24 park runs event has now closed so the best way to donate, if you so choose, is to log on to the charities website ( https://www.onmyfeet.org.au/ ) and donate there. They also sell cool socks which would be a nice gift for any runner, donating and giving , a win – win situation.
Right , off we go. I had decided to run this event while training in the Perth hills the day before. It had been on my radar since last year but I had made no effort to prepare for it and in the end just ignored it. It wasn’t until the chat started to build and FMO (Fear of Missing Out) started to kick in that I eventually caved in and put in my charity donation to the On My Feet fund. (link above , just in case you missed it) I was in but had no food and only a few hours to get ready the morning of the event. I had managed to snag a seat on the best ride in town, that of the famous Gore family van with Gemma and Phil driving, ably supported by Bradley. All I needed to do was turn up to each park run , cruise around in less than thirty minutes and eat and drink in the van while being chauffeured to the next run, simples. Well as with all best laid plans, and in this case there wasn’t even a plan , things started to go awry when the temperature began to heat up.
Even at Park Run number one, Garvey Park, you could feel the heat and by the end of the first park run you knew you were in for a long day. We started at 8am but as soon as you ventured out into the sunshine you were rewarded with a reminder of what was to come, heat and plenty of it. On the plus side I was about to run 22 park runs I had not ran before so it was an going to be a sight seeing tour of Perth , in a heatwave, with some running in between long stints of eating and drinking while a member of the Gore family, or Bradley, drove. How bad could that be ?
One of the major surprises of this event was the laughter , in the back of the van there was a lot of it and the six of us just had the best time together. Although we all knew each other spending 24 hours driving around Perth in a heatwave brings you all closer together, literally. Conditions were cramped but I’d managed to snag myself the seat behind Phil with my own door, that doesn’t sound special but trust me it was like being upgraded from cattle class to first class, I was stoked. We had the right combination of characters and the time in the van was just ace, well it was for the male occupants. Sarah did leave us just before midnight citing space concerns when Gemma joined us but truth be told I think we had worn her down with our ‘special conversations‘ and theories regarding Stephen Hawkins and many other subjects that shall remain between the van crew only.
The thing with this event is if you have a good bunch of runners sharing a ride it becomes even more epic and I had a great crew sharing a ride.. so much laughter albeit it’s best it stays within the members of the van..
As well as running every park run in under 24 minutes. (get it, 24 park runs in 24 hours, all finished in under 24 minutes..) Phil also drove the first three or so allowing me to ride shotgun. Once he stopped and Bradley took over I was moved back to economy class in the back, albeit I had a window seat with my own personal sliding door, luxury.
Over the twenty four hour period there were only a couple of times I really struggled and doubted I’d finish. The first time was Carine Park run at 3pm. The heat was incredible and close to 42c. We had just finished Whitfords park run and assumed the temperature would drop , unfortunately we had not taken into account the sea breeze which had cooled us the park run before Carine, this breeze was well and truly now gone and all we had were Sahara like conditions. I had arranged for my Wife and Mum to meet me at Carine and hand over a Brownes Mocha Chill ( basically a protein drink with a kick and full of sugar) . They both witnessed me stumbling about sucking up icy poles like my life depended on it, actually at that moment in time it may have. Karen has seen this many times before and knew to leave me to it and not get involved, probably the best thing to do. They both left and I was escorted back to the van, we had a schedule to keep.
After Carine we ran the Yokine Park Run which was better as there was some shade and I had recovered a tad by the time we were ejected from the air conditioning heaven that was team Gore’s family van. I just had to survive two more park runs before a good break for dinner but better than that if I could survive Maylands, the next one post Yokine, there was a twenty minute drive to Applecross, in that time I could neck the Brownes Mocha chill. This was a risky move as 600ml of milk can go either way on a upset stomach, it really is a kill or cure move. Luckily in this case it was a cure and I ran Applecross better than all previous park runs finishing ahead of Phil, albeit I had started earlier due to worrying about what was going to happen.
Post Applecross we were eleven down with thirteen to go and hopefully better conditions. We had a good break for dinner and managed to find a Pasta Cup outlet which is built for runners doing this kind of event, carbohydrates in a cup and lots of them. I never finished the portion but it gave me the energy I needed for another six or seven hours of running. As I said earlier I had no real nutrition plan , mainly brought on by having no nutrition. I was surviving on Bix products and any sweets available in the van, thanks Tom, Bradley and Aaron.
As you can see from the image below I was a new man after my pasta meal, a similar story after my Mocha Chill, with ultrarunning it’s all about hydration and nutrition, get these right and you’re halfway there. Unfortunately getting the mix right is difficult and it takes experience to judge the conditions accordingly and tweak your plan. In this case the humidity was a killer and we were taking onboard at least a litre of electrolytes an hour. I would run the park run , head back to the van and just drink as much as I could stomach before the next one. Alternating between electrolyte tablets and powder, all supplied by Bix. ( https://bix-hydration.myshopify.com/products/bix-active ) I made it through the night but for the last few park runs I couldn’t stomachs even water, the end was in sight so I knew I was ok for this one but for longer ultras I use more ‘proper food’ rather than hunting just calories and sugar.
The evening park runs became harder and harder with my average pace slowing accordingly. The meatball hit lasted a few hours but eventually the body starts to crave more calories and I knew I wasn’t providing them. My only saving grace was my bix powder which was full of carbs. I actually felt better when I was running and the journeys to the runs started to become the problem. As soon as you stopped you started to sweat and then sitting in an air conditioned van made this even more profuse, luckily my towel protected the upholstery (well it was better than nothing?). While in the van you had to prepare yourself for the next run as time was always against us. You had enough time to update Strava, maybe a quick post on facebook and then drink and eat as much as you could stomach before charging your shozk headphones and iphone. Once you arrived at the next location you had a few minutes to prepare whatever hydration you’d need and then off you went. Changes of clothing or applying sudocrem was a luxury you’d rarely have time to think about, it was that tight on time. I did make sure I used fisocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com/ ) every four hours or so and it helped big time, combined with a couple of nodoze and a few paracetamol, don’t judge me.
Homestead, Champion Lakes, Shipwreck and Calleya came and went and by the time we hit 2am I was ready for a macca’s visit , albeit I don’t eat junk food but was hoping for a bacon and egg sandwich or a hash brown. As it was they hadn’t started the breakfast menu so I was left with a Chicken burger , fries and fanta. This was a mistake and it made the next park run, Bibra Lake at 2:31am, a real test. I started well enough but fell apart in the last few kilometres, I was not in a happy place. It’s amazing how long a 5km can feel , even after running 18 of them previously.
After Bibra Lake there were five more runs to complete but the next two, South Fremantle and Cottesloe, were particularly testing with beach sections. As we lined up at South Fremantle I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to complete the run in time, it was 3:30am, and we were well into the witching hours. ( between 2am and dawn, the most dangerous time for ultra runners !) As it was when we started to run I found my rhythm early and actually enjoyed the time on the beach. Andy Baldwin got me through this park run together with Sarah and we ran the last few kilometres together , dare I say enjoying the moment. This was then duplicated for the Cottesloe run and then the sun rose and all was good. In any ultra make it to sunrise and you’re good for another few hours, guaranteed.
Once I spied the sunrise I was never not going to finish. The final three park runs saw other runners join in as we were into early Sunday morning. As the numbers rose so did our energy levels and we could all start to see the finish line a few hours away. Claremont park run was number 22 so a few of the lads put on their tutu’s and skipped around full of the joys of spring ( or summer in this case) The morning temperature was a relief from the heat we had endured the previous day albeit we could feel the temperature start to rise by the minute.
Next it was Burswood before the final park run at Claisebrook. To comply with tradition all the nine runners who had completed all 23 park runs had a shot of Fireball Whisky, to warm the stomachs before the final park run, number 24. I’m not a big drinker in fact for 2023 I had two pints of Guinness after running Delirious West 200 miler in February and maybe a glass of red wine on the plane to Run Britannia in May, that’s it. That was probably my first spirit since the Tequila shots after finishing the Unreasonable East in 2021 ? I digress, the fireball went down well but must admit to feeling a tad ropey that afternoon although the previous 24 hours may have had something to do with that but I’m blaming the fireball.
So the image below shows the nine of us that finished all 24 park runs and I had to work very hard to get into it. In the end it was an incredible journey with good friends and so much laughter mixed in with some serious ‘pain cave’ time, mentally testing situations and an opportunity to find out more about yourself; what more could you wish for.
If I can ask if you’ve got this far then you show your appreciation by scrolling back to the top of the post and donating to the cause, anything is better than nothing, it all helps. I would really appreciate it.
Finally a massive shout out to Team Gore for letting me hitch a ride in their van , which unfortunately should now be destroyed, six sweaty runners for 24 hours in one van does not end well for anybody. At the end of the event I promised never again but after a few days I can’t wait for 2025. Next year I will insist on an esky full of icy poles, avoid macca’s like the plague and bring my own food. Assuming the temperatures are lower maybe next year it’ll be easier, maybe ? I’ve already asked Phil for my seat on the 24 hour bus and I’m hoping the rest of the 2024 runners do the same, it’s tradition and runner love traditions.
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
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/)
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ
Over the Christmas break and into 2024 I have been putting in some serious trail time and double days and hitting some big weekly distances. Infact last week was my biggest weekly total (excluding races) since week 38 2016. I know this because I have been tracking my running totals using an excel spreadsheet since 2009.
I’m up to 65,662km’s now and 4,409 separate runs; of course with Strava I have a detailed record from about 2013 onwards but still manually log every run in my good old trusty spreadsheet.
Looking at the table you can see my big years were 2011, 2013 and 2016. These were when I raced often and regularly got PB’s (PR’s for the Americans among us) I feel 2013 was my time and I wish I had jumped onboard the TRC coaching program but instead waited until 2016 when I had a ‘second coming’ so to speak by amping up my training volume to 11.
Some context behind the figures above. In 2007 I started to get hooked on running and this culminated in my three Comrades runs in 2008, 2009 and 2010. After that is was on for young and old and I started to compete regularly moving from a middle of the pack runner towards the front. My marathon times dropped virtually every time I ran one, happy days. My Comrades training was what allowed me to ‘kick on’ in 2011 and have a stellar year, PB’s in all events over all distances.
2012 was looking to be similar but my Father passed in February and this together with a calf knot knocked me about and for a time I lost my running mojo. It wasn’t a complete disaster though as I managed to drop my marathon PB at Melbourne to 2 hours 43 minutes, also managed the biggest prize money of my career with a $6,000 cheque for first Australian at the Chevron City to Surf Marathon.
In 2014 I was running the best I have ever ran, adopting a new approach where I tried to keep the average pace of every run under 4min/k. I highlighted these runs in red in my spreadsheet and as you can see from the extract below I was doing a good job. Coming into Bunbury I had ran a course PB at the Darlington half and was ready to defend my crown after winning the previous year. Unfortunately the wheels fell off in the race as I pushed too hard and blew up when really I didn’t need to. I may not have won as a young Michael Ho ran an incredible time but I could have cruised to second and maybe even a PB. In the end I had to settle for fourth but this result affected the rest of the year.
In 2015 I hooked up with Raf Baugh from the Running Centre in Perth and then carried what he taught me through to 2016 where I went all out and started to hit some big weekly totals, with double days becoming the norm. This was my last hurrah, so to speak, at fifty years old I was still running good PB’s but I was putting in some serious kilometres. The highlight of the year was my 1 hour 15 minute half at Fremantle after a massive month of training, over 100 miles week in, week out. I remember sitting in the car before the event thinking I was about to embarrass myself as I felt so tired. In the end I decided to run with the front runners, ignoring pace, and see how long I could hang on. I managed to hang on and led for most of the race before being pipped at the post by two far superior runners.
Things were going well at the start of 2017 but a calf tear put an end to my year after the WAMC Bridges 10k in April albeit I did manage a win at the end of year 4k City Beach race, after three second places. In 2018 my running year was again cut short by injury, this time the dreaded Planar Fasciitis. This , together with my advancing years, was the end of my PB days in anything less than an ultra, my pace was gone. Thus in 2020, and beyond, I have been concentrating on ultra marathons as I am still able to race at the top end of the field.
So the point of this post is that when I look back at my training spreadsheet I can see a correlation between the distances I run in training and the PB’s . One small caveat , to supercharge the improvement race often, this together with the added distance makes a massive difference to your finishing times. Racing often makes you comfortable with being uncomfortable. This is incredibly important, the only person who can get you to the finish line quicker than you have ever got there before is you and there will be time in the ‘pain box’ , that’s just the way it is. You’ll never get use to it but familiarity, in this case, does not breed contempt, it breeds acceptance.
So to sum up this post, if you want to improve run more and if you really want to improve run more and race often, simples.
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
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/)
or follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/runbkrun/
or facebook RUNBKRUNOZ
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