I wrote this post last year and it’s worth reposting because , if I say so myself, it’s a bloody good one. If you want further proof subscribe to Run to Japan on You Tube. Incredible results from incredible training. ( https://www.youtube.com/@RanToJapan )
Ramping it up..
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. In fact 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.
2011 was a breakout year.
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.
2013, a great year, my first , and only, marathon win.Racing my good friend Steve ‘Twinkle Toes’ McKean to my only Marathon win, Bunbury 2013.
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.
What could have been ? Put myself under too much pressure at Bunbury.
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.
Distance was (is) the key to success , and this block of training proves it.
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.
There are two types of endurance: cardiovascular (aka aerobic) endurance and muscular endurance. Cardiovascular endurance refers to how efficiently your cardiovascular and respiratory systems are at supplying oxygen to your muscles during sustained periods of exercise, whereas muscular endurance is your muscles’ ability to work over a long period of time without becoming fatigued.
Running for longer stretches increases both types of endurance, Mayla says. Over time, your cardiovascular system becomes more efficient at delivering oxygen to the muscles in need, while your muscles also adapt to produce more energy to support longer workouts.
2. It Builds Mental Toughness
You know the feeling: You’re 12 miles into your 16-mile long run and you want to quit so badly. You’re tired, it’s hot out, and you just want to be at home in a horizontal position on your couch. But you keep going anyway, knowing you need to finish what you started. Indeed, long runs build resilience, Mayla says.
That’s not just the stuff of bragging rights. Mental toughness is a key indicator for successful athletic performance, per a 2017 review in The Open Sports Sciences Journal—and this trait comes with a few other perks as well. For instance, a small 2018 study in the International Journal of Stress Management found a link between mental toughness and lower perceived stress, anxiety, and burnout, as well as fewer depressive symptoms and fewer sleep difficulties.
3. It’s Good for Your Heart
You typically run longer distances at slower paces—if you were to try and sprint all-out for six miles, for instance, you’d burn out almost immediately. And while experienced, faster runners may knock newbies for their reduced speeds, slower paces are actually beneficial to your heart health.
According to a 2014 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that analyzed over 50,000 people, running just five to 10 minutes per day at slow speeds (about six miles per hour, or the equivalent of a 10-minute mile) can reduce your risk of heart disease.
While a 5- or 10-minute run doesn’t qualify as a long run, it does go to show how the slower paces associated with longer runs benefit your heart. Not to mention, actually running for longer durations brings you closer to meeting the recommended amount of cardio activity that the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends to maintain heart health. According to the AHA, you should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. If you do a 90-minute long run one Saturday morning, for instance, you’re that much closer to hitting that 150-minute goal—you’d just need 60 more minutes of physical activity that week.
4. It Boosts Your Running Economy
Running for longer periods of time improves your running economy—how fast you can run using a given amount of oxygen at a certain pace—according to Melvan. Think of it this way: You’re looking at two cars to potentially buy. The one that can go farther on a gallon of gas has better fuel economy. The same can be said for runners; if you use less oxygen than your friend while running at the same pace, then you have a better running economy than they do.
Distance running helps with running economy by primarily using slow-twitch muscle fibers, Melvan explains. Slow-twitch muscle fibers are the muscle cells responsible for endurance movements. They use up their energy at a slower pace than fast-twitch muscle fibers (more on those soon), so they’re able to keep you going for longer periods of time.
Research suggests that a greater distribution of slow-twitch muscle fibers is associated with a better running economy. And the more long runs you do, the greater your chance is of changing your body’s distribution to favor this type of muscle fiber (as opposed to fast-twitch), according to a 2021 research paper in Sports (Basel).
Benefits of Running Fast
1. It Boosts Your VO2 Max
Running at faster speeds, like sprinting, improves your VO2 max—the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise—according to Melvan. This measurement is often referred to as the gold standard for aerobic fitness. The higher your VO2 max, the more cardiovascularly fit you are.
In fact, research has shown that sprint interval training can significantly enhance VO2max in athletes. This is especially true when sprint workouts are done at your max aerobic capacity (90 percent or more of your max heart rate), per a 2022 review in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Sports Science. The reason is quite simple: When you spend time training at your VO2 max, the workouts eventually become easier and you’re able to push harder, thus increasing the number.
2. It Builds Muscle to Enhance Athletic Power and Overall Performance
Speedy running increases both your power and performance, according to both Melvan and Mayla. Sprinting boosts the proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers—the muscle cells responsible for quick, powerful bursts of movement. The more you sprint, the bigger these muscle fibers will grow, thus the bigger (and stronger) your muscles will get.
The stronger your muscles are, the more power and speed you’ll have. For instance, a small 2017 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that when runners incorporated sprint interval training into their routines, their 3-kilometer (1.8-mile) run time was faster and their power output increased.
Additionally, a 2022 review in Motor Control found that people saw improvements in their vertical jump height after regular sprint training. This can come in handy if you participate in sports other than running, like basketball or volleyball.
4. It Reduces Injuries
While it may seem counterintuitive, there may be a connection between sprinting and lower injury risk. For instance, a small 2017 study in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport observed that soccer players who reached nearly 100 percent of their peak velocity in at least one sprint session per week were less likely to have muscle injuries than those who reached around 85 percent of their peak velocity.
“Incorporating sprint work into your training plan can definitely help prevent injuries,” Melvan says. “Sprinting helps build muscle by working on the fast-twitch fibers, but the main goal is to train your muscles to adapt quickly to a change in pace. If you don’t work on sprinting or running at different paces, then you set yourself up for the risk of injury when you go out too hard or increase your speed too quickly during a race when you haven’t trained for that.”
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.
Fisiocrem is a must have in your ultra box of tricks…
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
Truth be told I had no right to rock up to the start line of the Transcend Ultra a few weeks ago. I hadn’t trained for nearly two months post the Cape to Cape Ultra ( https://www.cape2capeultra.com.au/ check out this miler if you are in WA or Australia, it is bloody brilliant ! ) in early June. No mojo and legs that felt like I was the tin-man from the Wizard of Oz. I had heard tales of woe from this event due to the steep gut busting ascents and hair raising descents coupled with terrain that was built to send you to the local ER department, rocky and unforgiving.
Undeterred I went with my usual logic of I paid for it , there’s no refund and what else was I doing at six am on a freezing Saturday morning. What’s the worst that could possible happen ? I’ve written a post on the whole sorry affair on the blog so maybe read that first before continuing on .. ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2025/08/20/transcend-ultra-2025/ )
So assuming you’ve read the post on the event you’ll know I nearly pulled out at the first aid station , continued on to the second aid station, took drugs, got strapped up and finished like a train. Amazing how I summed up the whole post, which took me the best part of half a day to write, in one sentence. Maybe I should ask AI to have a go.
Here’s a concise summary of the “Transcend Ultra 2025” race report from RunBKRun, published on August 20, 2025:
Overview
The author—already undertrained due to lingering fatigue from a previous ultra (Cape to Cape) and a failed double-run attempt—entered the Transcend Ultra with a very low training base. His minimalist seven-week build-up included one Yelo run, a 5 km race, and disheartening outings that left him struggling from the outset Run Bk Run.
Race Details & Conditions
Held on August 16, 2025, this ultra covers ~65 km through the Avon Valley, starting at Walyunga National Park, traversing Mt Mambup, Bells Rapids, Avon Ridge Estate, Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary, and more Transcend TrailsRunning Calendar Australia.
The start time was around sunrise in cold conditions (about 3 °C)—bitter, especially as the author regretted shedding his coat too early Run Bk Run.
The Unfortunate Incident
Barely two kilometers in, he sprained his ankle after misjudging a puddle. The mishap immediately froze his race, turning the rest of the course into a painful struggle Run Bk Run.
Despite the injury, he chose to soldier on—slowly hiking up climbs and enduring painful descents, passing through aid stations with the help of tramadol (his “just-in-case” pain relief) Run Bk Run.
Race Experience & Scenery
Despite the injury, the course’s beauty impressed him. He stopped frequently for photos of breathtaking views, waterfalls, and single-track trails that were postcard-worthy Run Bk Run.
He was aided by the helpful volunteers, race director Shane (who even brought sweets and toasties), and camaraderie with familiar ultra runners like Phil Gore (a world-record backyard ultra runner) and the WARP relay teamRun Bk Run.
Summary Thoughts
Training deficit—the author had a string of underwhelming sessions and limited volume leading into the race.
A terribly technical and hilly course made it challenging under any circumstances.
A rookie error and early ankle injury significantly hampered performance—but he persevered through pain.
The scenery and community—volunteers, scenery, familiar faces—were highlights that kept him motivated to finish.
Wow, that AI bloke is pretty good. ? Anyhow, forget what he (or is AI a she? Actually assuming AI thinks it’s always right it must be a woman ? ) said.. let’s go into more details about the question of this post. How much is too much or is a DNF better than a DNS?
When my good friend Sarah Dyer took this photo below I was so close to calling my current Wife and asking her to come and pick me up. The only reason I didn’t was she was probably an hour from my location and would probably tell me to continue on, she is Scottish you know and an advocate of tough love apparently. At this point my ankle was hurting after spraining it in the first two kilometers of the event and I was hobbling more than running, which accounted for my position towards the back end of the field. I sat down post photo , took some pain killers and had a good talk to myself , enough to persuade myself to at least carry on to aid station two as there really wasn’t any other option. I think I uttered some David Goggin’s quotes about ‘staying hard‘? (I’ll explain later in this post)
Sarah Dyer took this at the first aid station.
The question is was this the right decision ? In hindsight it was as the drugs kicked in (don’t judge me) and at aid station two my ankle was strapped and was no longer an issue, my lack of training of course still was but I managed to continue through the field and finished before it got dark. I left the event very happy that I had managed to finish and also thoroughly enjoyed the trails, they were special, which combined with the perfect conditions made the whole event ace. As you can see from the image below taken at eight hours into the event it’s a different runner, and that’s ultra running.
Eight hours into the event and it’s game on… clothed by Bix, fueled by BIX.
I have run 109 marathons including ultra marathons (the split is 48 marathons and 61 Ultra-marathons ) with two DNF’s in there. (Not counting the twelve backyard Ultra’s where I DNF’d eleven times (winning one) , but of course everybody bar the winner DNF’s in a backyard Ultra. )
There’s also a very weak 33 kilometres at my first Lighthorse Ultra twelve hour race in 2019 ( https://lighthorseultra.com.au/ ) where I scuttled home after three hours but as it’s a timed event you can’t DNF. In my defence I had moved house the previous week, alone as Karen and the kids were in the UK. This was also my first timed event and I had no idea what to expect. I ran with Jon Pendse who set a twelve hour record for the event which has still to be beaten. It was a midnight start (my first) and I remember being in a portaloo at three am just staring at the mirror on the wall absolutely spent, with no idea how I was going to continue for nine more hours. Easy option, pack up my gear and go home. Funnily enough I got up the next morning and ran another 32 kilometres. If I’d gone back to the event I could have finished with a reasonable total. I have competed at this event every year since, in the 24 hour version , and podiumed every time with a 206km PB, that’s five podiums, my best results at an event. This is a theme in my DNF events.
Love my Lighthorse 24 hour ultra.
My two DNF’s were both in 2020. My first was at the Delirious West 200 miler in February. ( https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) I hadn’t trained for months before the event recovering from a particularly nasty man-flu (or maybe COVID, a very early case in late 2019) picked up post my last sub three hour finish at the City to Surf marathon in August of that year. I’d trained for less than 100 kilometres in 2020, not ideal preparation for your first 200 miler. I got what I deserved with no training and no idea about nutrition or hydration. After just over a hundred kilometres , at two in the morning, (the witching hours) sitting alone in my mate Felix’s car, legs seized, I pulled the pin. I hadn’t eaten enough or drank enough and although I was loving the whole experience my legs seized completely and after many falls it was too easy to just stop. No crew and no reason to go on I was whisked away to Warpole and a comfortable bed for the night. I was devastated but as with the Lighthouse Ultra I have since returned to this event five times and it is now my favourite bar none, with all top ten finishes including a podium.
My all time favourite running event. When you know, you know.
My only other DNF was at another one of my favourite events (now) the Feral Pig Miler. ( https://feralpigultra.com.au/ ) This was November 2020 and I had trained well for this event. Again my first 100 miler but I had finished a 24 hour Backyard Ultra as well as placing third at the 24 hour Lighthorse earlier in the year, so I had some running long experience. I think I ran too conservatively for this one and walked too often, albeit I was having the best time with the company. I have finished this event three times prior but never really beaten it, I have always stumbled to the finish. It’s one of my favourites because it is just so bloody hard with the event taking you back to the start line , at around 132 kilometres, and then making you do the death loop, which is by far the hardest part of the course when you are totally goosed and the option to DNF is right there infront of you. The first time I did it I succumbed to the option to DNF back at the start and my mate Adam, who had came out to pace me , took me home just after midnight I think. With hindsight not knowing the course and never running on it was a big mistake. Since then I have spent hundred of hours on the course, including finishing it three times, and know it like the back of my hand , making the event so much easier. So the Feral is one of my favourites just because it is such a challenge but, as most local runners know , I always retire every time I finish and then scuttle back once entries open .
Love chasing Pigs…
Lets ask that bloke AI again ..
Top ultra runners generally have a very nuanced view of a DNF (Did Not Finish). In ultra running, a DNF is often not a failure in character but a strategic and sometimes essential decision. Here’s a breakdown of what elite ultra runners typically think:
1. A DNF is sometimes the smartest choice
Ultra races are extreme tests of endurance, often lasting 12–100+ hours. Conditions can change rapidly (heat, storms, injuries).
Elite runners see DNF as a decision to protect long-term health rather than a moral failing. Pushing through an injury or severe fatigue can end a career.
Example: Kilian Jornet, one of the world’s top ultra runners, has DNFs in his career and has spoken about choosing to drop out to avoid risking injury or illness.
2. DNFs are learning experiences
Most top runners review their DNFs meticulously: what went wrong in training, pacing, nutrition, or strategy.
They often treat a DNF as data for improvement, not shame.
3. There’s a mental component
Some see finishing at all costs as heroic, but elites recognize the difference between courage and recklessness.
A DNF is a demonstration of self-awareness and discipline in many cases.
4. The culture is more forgiving than in shorter races
In marathons or track races, not finishing is often stigmatized. In ultrarunning, DNFs are very common—even among top pros—because races push human limits.
Some ultras have 50% DNF rates in tough conditions; finishing is often celebrated over placing.
5. Context matters
Injury, illness, extreme weather, or equipment failure can justify a DNF.
Dropping out early due to poor preparation might carry more personal disappointment, but most elite runners focus on the lessons rather than the shame.
Bottom line: In the world of elite ultra running, a DNF is not a moral failure but a strategic decision. Most top runners respect a DNF if it’s done for the right reasons and learn from it. They prioritize longevity and smart racing over ego.
Here’s a closer look at how three of the world’s top ultra runners—Kilian Jornet, Courtney Dauwalter, and Jim Walmsley—view and respond to a DNF (Did Not Finish), based on their personal experiences and insights.
🏔️ Kilian Jornet: Prioritizing Long-Term Health
Kilian Jornet, renowned for his endurance feats, emphasizes the importance of making strategic decisions during races.He has openly discussed instances where he chose to withdraw from races to prevent potential long-term injuries.Jornet believes that such decisions are essential for preserving one’s health and ensuring a sustainable career in ultra running.He views a DNF not as a failure but as a responsible choice when faced with challenging conditions.
👟 Courtney Dauwalter: Embracing the Learning Process
Courtney Dauwalter, celebrated for her remarkable achievements in ultra running, has experienced her share of DNFs.She considers these moments as valuable learning experiences rather than setbacks.Dauwalter emphasizes the importance of listening to one’s body and making decisions that align with long-term well-being.She encourages fellow runners to view a DNF as a part of the journey, offering insights that can lead to better preparation and performance in future races.https://www.injinji.com/
🏃 Jim Walmsley: Acknowledging the Mental and Physical Limits
Jim Walmsley, known for his aggressive racing style, has faced DNFs in his career.He has openly acknowledged that pushing beyond one’s limits can sometimes lead to a DNF.Walmsley views these experiences as opportunities to understand the mental and physical boundaries of the sport.He emphasizes the importance of resilience and learning from each race, regardless of the outcome.rockingultra.com
In Summary:
For elite ultra runners like Jornet, Dauwalter, and Walmsley, a DNF is not seen as a defeat but as a strategic decision or a learning opportunity.They all agree that making informed choices during races is crucial for long-term success and health in the sport.
If you’re interested in more detailed accounts of their experiences with DNFs or insights into their training and racing philosophies, feel free to ask!
So how to avoid a DNF ? I have a number of ideas..
A crew is a big DNF ‘buster’ for many reasons. First you are part of a team so it’s not so easy to just DNF when you feel you are letting down the crew. Also a good crew knows your mental and physical boundaries and when to push and when to comfort, they provide the fuel (and steak with onions!) and also the kind words that keep you moving forward. I have been crewed by my good friend Mark Lommers, and before him the great Gary Devries and Alex Leong, for the last four years and he knows me as well as I know myself. He understands my moods and adjusts his input accordingly, he is quiet when I need him to be quiet and encouraging when I need help; everybody needs a ‘Mark’. Being part of a team is massive, as my mate Rob Donkersloot often says these longer races should be two different events, for the runners with crews (business class) and the ones running alone, ‘screwed‘ as Rob calls it. I totally agree.
Experience and knowledge trump just about everything when it comes to ultra running. All three of the events I have DNF’d (if you include the Lighthorse Ultra 12 hour) were my first time and since then I have finished all of them multiple times , and loved them all (bar the Feral Pig which is still a bugger of an event!) If you are attempting an event for the first time find out as much as you can about the terrain, conditions,. aid stations and if you can run as much of the course as possible. Anticipate issues and have mitigating plans put in place for as many possible scenarios .
A Porsche with an empty fuel tank is just a lump of metal on wheels. Fueling correctly will help you on your way to running success. something as easy as eating and drinking , correctly, is paramount to finishing ultra marathons, especially the multi day events. It doesn’t matter how good a runner you are if you run out of fuel , you stop. This impacts so many ultra runners and I’d say is the number one DNF reason. Getting your fueling right is just so important, that’s why I have a ‘Mark’ (see point one) Know what your stomach can handle and practice your fueling strategy under as near to race conditions as you can. Personally I’m pretty lucky and just eat normal food for most of my longer events, and, as I love eating , I don’t normally have issues. I reckon I put on weight after running the Delirious West 200 miler each year as the aid station food , and Mark’s cooking , is so good.
Best way to avoid a DNF, is a good crew who knows when to dish out ‘tough love’ similar to my current Wife.
A Goggin’s ‘stay hard‘ attitude is priceless when it comes to avoiding a DNF. For those living under a rock David Goggins ( https://davidgoggins.com/ ) is the hardest man on the planet, self proclaimed. Truth be told he is probably is up there winning and racing in some of the hardest ultra marathons in the world and also , at one point, holding the world record for the number of pull ups in a 24 hour period, and if you’ve seem Goggin’s he’s no featherweight. His story is well documented and worth a listen , if you can stomach the language which is colorful shall we say. My favourite Goggin’s quote, and there are many, When you think you’re done, you’re only at 40% of what your body is capable of doing. That’s just the limit that we put on ourselves. What he is saying is when you think you are totally finished, sitting in the car at two in the morning absolutely buggered, you’re only at 40%. There’s another 60% available to you , all you got to do is tap into it. This is the mental challenge of a DNF, and lets face it most DNF’s are mental , physical ones i.e. something is broken , you can’t really do anything about. In the five years since my last DNF I have been in positions where it would have been so easy to pull the pin but experience and mental toughness (or stubbornness) has always kept me moving forward and I’ve never regretted that.
Understand in an ultra there will be highs and lows, enjoy the highs but work though the lows. Very few runners have the perfect race, if such a thing even exists. Of course some just ‘complete’ the event and enjoy the party bus at type back of the pack, just ahead of the sweepers. In this case you can go through the whole event without hitting any lows bar an upset stomachs from spending too much time at aid stations.! Most of us compete, rather than complete, so push ourselves and when this happens you are going to experience lows be that down to physical exhaustion (remember Goggin’s and his 40% rule) or fueling issue i.e. letting your hydration or nutrition levels drop. When this happens you just got to buckle down and wait to come out the other side because invariably you do. That may come down to a handful of Jelly babies, sleep, rest , kind words from your crew (or a mouthful of abuse?) , the sun rising, the sun setting , there are an endless triggers that will help you drag yourself our of your low and head back into the high of what you are doing… being awesome. Understanding this is paramount to success at ultra events, paramount.
Have a why. Understand why you are doing the event. This why is so important because you will need to call on it when you are close to pulling out. Every runner has their why and it can make the difference between a DNF and a glorious finish, against all the odds. It’s a simple but so powerful thing. Write it down and hand it to your crew to be used sparingly and only in the case of an emergency. Ask them to hand it to you when you are contemplating the unthinkable. It will get you out of the chair and back into the event, I promise.
Right that’s the end of part 1. This subject is too big for one past…
Re-evaluating my life’s decisions with Marky Mark keeping me honest with his homemade Spaghetti bolognaise.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
I had ran the Cape to Cape miler at the end of June ( https://www.cape2capeultra.com.au/ ) and had hoped to kick on and train hard for this race, Transcend Ultra, and ultimately Perth Marathon in October. ( https://perthrunningfestival.com.au/ ) Unfortunately, I seem to say that word a lot in my posts recently, my legs never fully recovered from the Cape to Cape and as you can see from my Strava extract for the last six weeks my training has been minimalist at best.
It all went wrong when I tried a double run day a week post the miler. The second run was a disaster and I stumbled home very slowly. This set the tone for the next six weeks unfortunately. (There’s that word again!) I made my weekly Yelo run the following Thursday but even bailed on that the next week. The only reason I ran on the Sunday was Strava informed me I had exercised at least once a week, every week , for the previous 99 weeks, a streak of sorts albeit a very, very weak one ! The following week was the Choo Choo run (post all about that here :- https://www.runbkrun.com/2025/07/29/racing-trains-choo-choo-run-2025/ ) and then a five kilometre race, which didn’t end well. One more Yelo run which ended very badly with me being dropped and stumbling home (I seem to type that a lot these days as well, unfortunately ) and that was my seven week training block for this event. My total for the seven weeks would be what I’d call Thursday back in the day.
A sorry training block .
For most events I could probably get away with a long taper, shall we call it that ?, but Transcend isn’t a normal ultra. As well as distance it has elevation and it s has it in spades. As you can see from the Strava extract below, over 3,000 metres of elevation. To the uninitiated that’s a lot. This event has been gaining traction year on year and this was its fifth time and there would be over a thousand runners over various distances. Of course I was running the longest, why wouldn’t you although after a kilometre or so I regretted not entering the kid’s one kilometre dash, I wonder if there is an age restriction. !
The main issue isn’t the distance, it’s the elevation.
WALYUNGA – AVON RIDGE ESTATE PARK 12.6KM +604m
Walyunga stands for ‘happy place’ so what a great place to start! As the sun rises over Boongarup Pool the runners will start their journey on the Pilgrim single track along the river banks of the Avon river, heading down stream. They will then face a steep incline up to the ridge line of Mt Mambup with the Perth city in view and the beautiful Avon Valley behind them.
The descent is on a mountain bike track, which does get technical at points so take your time. It won’t be long before your reach the river again and re-join the Pilgrim Trail for a nice flat, fast and technical section to the Bells Rapids bridge, which you cross and make you way over to the Orlov Bridal Trail Tunnel.
From here it is a reasonable climb and then a drop into the valley where you meander up along a creek that takes you to the breath taking Bells Falls.
Walyunga may stand for ‘happy place‘ but I was certainly not in a happy place at six in the morning in three degrees temperature. Rob drove me to the start and I persuaded him to hang around so I could keep my coat on, it was baltic. Unfortunately (love that word!) I had to take it off a few minutes before the start and I ambled to the front of the start line, in hindsight a mistake with hundreds of faster runners behind me and kilometres of single trail ahead of me. I was soon to become the human road block.
The start line was buzzing and the Transcend crew certainly know how to get the competitors jumping, even in the dark and three degrees. The great Phil Gore had my race bib as I was unable to pick it up on Friday evening , otherwise engaged watching my beloved Fremantle Dockets lose to the Brisbane Lions. Phil had just set the World Record for the number of backyard ultra loop a few weeks earlier , 119 laps ( that’s 119 hours and just shy of 800 kilometres) , still humble enough to grab my bib. He was using this as a training run but still managed seventh overall, incredible athlete and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. I’ve been racing Phil since he first started his journey (now it’s more about meeting him at start lines, the days of racing Phil are long gone ) and watching him set world records while still working full time and supporting a family is inspiring.
I also bumped into the WARP boys, Simon Pham and Chris Shaw , they were running Transcend as a team in the relay, which I regretted not doing so myself halfway up the first climb ! ( https://warunningpod.podbean.com/ ) They had Dane Sproxton as their fifth runner so they’d be a show in for a top five finish.
One last photo before we set off in the dark in sub-zero (well three degrees) temperatures, as you can see not the best dressed for the conditions. The first few kilometres were challenging but I knew a big hill was incoming and that would warm me up pretty quickly ! I wasn’t disappointed.
Jacket off, ready to go.
From the start I knew I was in trouble. My legs felt awful, nothing in them and it felt like running on wooden stumps. The sort of feeling you get nearing the end of an event, not in the first kilometre. As I mentioned earlier I had started way too far up the field and had hundreds of runners behind me unable to pass because of the single trails. This pushed me along quicker than I would have liked but it meant I wasn’t paying attention to the terrain lit up in my head torch ahead of me. Ultimately my race ended before the two kilometre mark when I sprained my ankle in a puddle I took for firm ground. I came off the path and knew I’d done some damage to the ankle, it was just a case of how much and how would it affect my race. With a large hill coming up I knew I would be ok to hike so hobbled to the start and hiked it up without holding up too many runners.
Rookie error after two kilometres, with faster runners behind me I was running too quick and misjudged a puddle for firm ground. I went over on my ankle. ( Image from the finish line. )
The next few kilometres I was passed by most of the pack including my good mates Glen Smetherham and Alexis Ooosterhoff . I has spoken to Glen at the start and he , like me, had done little running since Cape to Cape. Seeing the two of them disappear quickly didn’t help my mood as I pondered how far I would get on one good ankle.
First hill, of many!, just before the sunrise, steep incline up to the ridge line of Mt Mambup
I preferred the climbs to the descents because I could hike at a good pace but descending was painful as the legs still felt like wooden steaks, no spring whatsoever. By the time I made it to the first aid station I was close to the back of the pack and contemplating my life decisions. If I’d had support, or thought I could be picked up quickly, I probably would have pulled the pin, I was not in a good space. In the end I decided to take the two tramadol I had for such an occasion and push on to aid station two, assuming the drugs would at least mask the pain.
First of many waterfalls.These images don’t do the scenery justice, incredible views.
AVON RIDGE ESTATE TO WALYUNGA SCENIC LOOKOUT 13.3km +636m
Please note the fire trail (easement) below Avon Ridge park goes through private property. Please do not run through their private properties, the course goes down into the valley opposite the park and around Avon Ridge Estate.
Out of the aid station you will commence a decent down into the valley along the creek. The course then turns right to run along a narrow plateau single trail that gives you a beautiful view of the Walyunga valley. You will intersect a gravel track which takes you further down into the valley. You then take a sharp right hand turn, for a steep gravel track ascent that goes over the ridge to a meandering steep descent. Once you reach another gravel track that is parallel to Wooroloo Brook Creek turn right. This path leads to a small water crossing, the Wooroloo Brook Creek Ford. From here you then face a long steep ascent through some beautiful Wandoo Forrest and granite outcrops.
At the top of the challenging climb, you veer left to follow the ridge line that looks over the Avon River and, in the distance, the grassy green slopes of Shady Hills Estate. The track joins on to the Survey Heritage Trail heading up towards Ewing Road. A sharp left turn just before the public road places you on a fire trail that takes you out to the monument cairn marking a survey point by John Forrest from the 1870’s. This gives an amazing view of the valley up towards Toodyay and back to where you started at Walyunga National Park.
Here you are at the perimeter of Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary, which is Noongar for ‘stopping place’. There is a shed and toilet block there that will be the support aid station.
Wooroloo Brook Creek was considered too dangerous so there was a deviation put in place.
I met my good mate Marty Kallane just after aid station one and it was good to have some company as we both moved forward. I would power ahead up the hills but Marty would pass me as I tip toed down the descents on one good ankle, not a pretty sight. I would continually kick a rock or catch my ankle on a branch , that’s trail running I suppose, but when you’re trying to protect one ankle it’s seems to be continually the one bearing the brunt of any collisions. I was prying there’d be a medic at aid station two to strap my ankle or my race was probably over.
Even though I wasn’t having the best of time with the running bit of the trail race the scenery really just got better and better. I took quite a few photos but in the end had to stop or I’d still be running now, it was picture postcard stuff. Conditions really were perfect and even when it heated up later in the day there always seemed to be a creek you could cool off and wet your cap , so heat wasn’t a problem.
Some incredible single trail on well manicured trails.
I left Marty about halfway between the two aid stations and for the most part ran alone to aid station two. The day was turning into a ripper and I was determined to keep going using the logic I had nowhere else to be and the trail was just awesome, so why leave early? Coming into aid station two I made a beeline for the volunteers , who were dressed in the beach lifesaving uniforms so I assumed they were the people to talk to ? They were incredibly helpful and I had an entourage of physio’s examining my foot , which at this stage was quite swollen. As they iced my foot I got to work on hydration, nutrition and more drugs, a few ibuprofen to take the edge of the pain. The volunteers strapped my foot with fixomull and it worked a treat, I skipped out of the aid station a new man. The volunteers saved my race, thanks’ Bob’ and her mates.
WALYUNGA SCENIC LOOKOUT TO NISSEN HUT 11.5km +624m
Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary is a single trail heaven! The Numbat track takes you along the undulating valley ridge until you branch off on to the Quenda Trail. These single trails feature small creeks, man made platforms and a monument over another survey marker. There are quite a few steps in this section, so it is a good idea to include some in your training.
The far east aspect of the Quenda Trail intersects with an access track which we will use to direct you to the Nissen Hut on the Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary border near Copley-Dale Rd.
Paruna Steps, not as bad as I had heard?
Truth be told I had paid little time looking at elevation over the course , which was a mistake. The first three legs contain most of the elevation and leg three especially is short but testing; albeit also contains the best single trails and some seriously steep downhill sections on testing terrain, a bit of everything really. The trails at the start of this section really are very, very special. Lots of well manicured trails diving into the valley and then loads of steps to come out the other side. Throughout the eleven kilometres on this section you are either going up or coming down , with a few creek crossings thrown, brilliant.
I also bumped into some Delirious West buddies along the way, Martin Von Kaschke and Harmony White, so had great company for the start and conversation as we battled the steps together. It was around this time I started to enjoy the event. The first section had been a disaster and the second section was an exercise in pain management and looking stupid hobbling down hills. With the strapping doing its job and the painkillers doing theirs I was started to move freely and even started to run over runners ahead of me. Being so close to the back of the pack by this stage there was plenty of opportunities to chase down competitors and this helped the kilometres tick along nicely.
Aid station three came along quickly and I was stoked to see Heath and Simone Watkins running the aid station. These guys have run aid stations at Delirious West ( If you’re still reading this post click on this link , change your life https://www.deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) for the last four or five years, they are just the best. A quick red bull and a handful of treats , helped down with two more ibuprofen and I was off back on the trail.
Coming down the other side of Paruna steps with Marty, not sure why he’s camouflaged. ? He is there trust me.
NISSEN HUT TO VALLEY CAMPGROUND 16.4km +499m
Once you pass through the Nissen Hut you are then greeted by a steep descent into another valley with a small creek crossing followed by an incline before making a final descent down to the fire trail (not the ARC Infrastructure Road) that is parallel to the train line. You then follow the boundary track up to the ‘Stronghills’ Private Property. After the campsite there is a small creek. After the campsite there is a small creek and a short distance later you enter the beautiful Avon Valley National Park and continue to run along the undulating access road. At approximately 14km into this leg you will encounter a goat trail through some bushland that involves a scramble up an incline and fairly technical decent. On the other side there is a short section of fire trail again until a right-hand turn which, takes you to the secluded Valley Campground. Here you have the opportunity to refuel or tag in your team mate.
A random hill on the third leg, which for the most part was actually quite flat.
Section four is the longest, just over 16 kilometres, but for the most part along a river so pretty undulating, it would have been a really good section to bring down the average pace if I wasn’t so damn unfit at the moment. (Back to my seven week taper plan !) As it was I was looking for hills so I could justify power hiking but instead was met with long stretches of run-able trails, bugger. I certainly wasn’t setting any land speed records but continued to reel in runners ahead of me including my old buddies Glen and Alexis who had left me for dead hours earlier. I sprinted past them, up a hill, before collapsing on the ground , always playing the fool. It was good to chat before leaving them and continuing on my pursuit of the next runner ahead of me.
This is what happens when you sprint up hills ! photo : Alexis Ooosterhoff .
This section is the longest and you know when you finish you have less than twelve kilometres to go, the end seemed to come quickly after aid station three ? There is a kicker of a hill before you run into the aid station and I say ‘hill’ in the broadest sense of the word, more like a mini-mountain. I was thankful it was dry as climbing (and you were climbing ) this bad boy in the wet would have been very testing. Post mountain it was a nice single trail into aid station four where I was met by another good friend from Delirious , and current champion, Tim Pullin. Tim looked after me albeit it was a quick stop, I could smell the finish.
Coming into aid station four
VALLEY CAMPGROUND TO COBBLER POOL 12.3km +489m
The final leg continues on the undulating access trail until the right hand turn for Quarry Rd. It is here you head up towards the highest point of the Transcend Ultra at 296m. Quarry Rd intercepts South Break Access Road which takes you to the boundary of the Avon Valley National Park. From here you make your way through three private Toodyay properties, which offer a mix of paddock and single trail running. Relay runners can meet their team members at the bottom of the final hill where there will be an opportunity for you all to cross the finish line together.
At the finish line all competitors will be greeted by their supporters and fellow competitors for rising up and going beyond, transcending the Avon Valley on foot in one day! Competitors have reached the Duidgee region which stands for the ‘land of plenty’, here they will have the opportunity to replenish and unwind. Upon finishing, competitors will have the opportunity to give back to the land and plant a native tree in the region to help ensure there is beautiful environment for many generations to experience in years to come.
At the finish line we have entertainment, food and drink vans and we will provide as much shelter as feasibly possible.
The final stage is basically a King of the Mountain climb on crushed limestone road mainly and then undulating terrain to the finish with a few nasty sections to test you one more time.
Start of the final stage, King of the Mountain. There was no way I was competing in this Strava segment.
After a drop from the aid station and more good running trails, this seems to be a theme for this event, you are faced with the final climb of the race, the King of the Mountain. There were four runners ahead of me as you can see for a good distance up the road and I managed to real them all in before the top, albeit not setting any speed records. I was really starting to embrace the event now and even dare I say ‘enjoying myself.’ That’s ultra running. At Aid station one I was contemplating retirement while nearly sixty kilometres later ,at the final aid station, I’m loving life and excited about the finish.
Starting to feel the love with less than ten kilometres to go.
As the finish drew closer I reflected on what had turned out to be a ripper of a day. Perfect conditions, beautiful trails shared with so many friends from previous adventures, that’s trail running I suppose. It’s the whole package, the scenery, the physical and mental test but also sharing the experience with friends , old and new. I really was a little sad the end was coming.
Couple of fence crossings for the final five kilometres.
There was some more decent trails in the last five kilometres including some barbed wire crossing, more crushed limestone roads and even running through paddocks. This event just keeps giving.
The sun was starting to dip as I ran through some great single trail, about four kilometres to the finish.
As the sun started to dip we were treated to more ripper single trails and then a long , testing on the quads, descent into some meadows. It was a special place to be after being out on the trail for nearly eleven hours at this point. You know the end is in sight and you reflect on the journey, all while basking in the evening sunlight.
Chasing a few runners with less than two kilometres to go.Very happy to see this little sign.Big finish to grab one more place up the rankings.
The finish is uphill , who does that ! and I had one more chance to move up the ranking, s so ran down a runner infront of me with a few metres to go, it is a race after all but really it’s so much more than that. Transcend delivered big time , incredible terrain, perfect conditions and amazing volunteers and tukka. (I forgot to mention Shane , the RD, spends hundreds of dollars on sweets as well as the usual toasties and soup etc. Brilliant) ,surround by good mates, perfect.
Done and dusted. That was brutal.
Big shout out to Bix products including all my racing clothing and the Bix Big 40 Gel (with caffeine)
…… a sports energy gel that provides 40 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
Here’s a breakdown of what the Bix Big 40 Gel offers:
Carbohydrates: 40g per gel. This provides sustained energy for endurance activities.
Calories: 160 calories per gel.
Electrolytes: 200mg of sodium per gel to help maintain hydration.
Caffeine (optional): It’s available in both caffeinated and non-caffeinated versions. The caffeinated version provides 75mg of caffeine.
Flavor and Formulation: It has a natural, light flavor designed for easy consumption during workouts or races. It is vegan and gluten-free.
This gel is designed to provide athletes with a significant boost of carbohydrates and electrolytes to support their performance during intense training sessions or competitions, especially in hot and humid conditions.
As you all know I love my Altra trail shoes but it seems the Olympus model has an issue. On my last three pairs they have split in the same place (see image below) Admittedly on two pairs they had a bit of wear in them but plenty of life left in the tread and if they hadn’t split I’d still be wearing them. One pair was virtually brand new. Maybe Altra will reach out after reading this post and send me some new shoes to test. During the Transcend both shoes developed the same tear , which is worrying. These shoes are now getting up in the $400AUD dollar range, comparable to carbon plated super shoes, so I expect better. I have numerous Altra shoes and only the Olympus has developed this fault ?
So to sum up the Transcend Ultra is the real deal, stunning scenery, gut busting elevation, organised by trail runners passionate about the sport and attended by runners who just ‘get it’, simple. I’ll be back in 2026 with a better head torch watching out for those nasty puddles. ( https://transcendtrails.com/ ) See you on the start line , near the back of the pack.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ ) Caveat : read the post on Transcend Ultra 2025.
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
The best Deli in Serpentine. Back in the day , racing trains not a bus.
The Choo Choo run is one of my favourite events as it’s such a unique concept. The concept is simple, you start at North Dandalup train station any time you want but you need to be at Serpentine train station by 9:44am to catch the only train back to the start. This year, the same as last year, the train service was cancelled due to track upgrades so we were actually racing a bus but the principal is the same of course, just a different mode of transport back to the start.
Over the years I’ve left with less than three hours to make the thirty three kilometres, mainly trail running on the Mundi Biddi track ( https://mundabiddi.org.au/ ) , to Serpentine and usually make it with ten or so minutes to spare, give or take a few minutes. This year I was nowhere near the fitness levels for a sub three hour attempt as my legs hadn’t recovered from the Cape to Cape miler five weeks previous ( https://www.cape2capeultra.com.au/ ) and I’d done little or no running since. An added bonus was the chance of a storm front coming through while we were running and the BOM confirmed we would be getting pretty wet. Because of this weather warning, and also the train being cancelled again , there was a total of two of us racing the train (bus) this year.
A far cry from the forty or so who would normally run this event when the train was running. No worries I channeled my inner Goggins sank a ‘can of hard’ and dropped a ‘few suck it up pills’.
I see trouble ahead.
The bus was leaving Serpentine at 9:44am, which is earlier than the train which use to leave at 10:21am. Add in my earlier departure time due to my total lack of running fitness and I would be running up the scarp and onto the trails in the dark, and alone, as Dave Martin, the other bus racer for 2025, had started at 5:20am. With the BOM forecast I knew I would be getting pretty wet along the way so put on a thermal top under my running top with a Gore-Tex jacket as my final protection for the elements.
The traditional photo of the start train station, North Dandalup. There’s normally more than me at this stage and it’s a lot lighter.
One more photo below with my beanie , headtorch and fully ‘weather ready’ before setting off. Looking at Strava ( you do have Strava right ? If you want so see the run in all its glory the link is here : https://www.strava.com/activities/15247879970 ) I left at 6:03am, giving myself three hours and forty minutes to get to Serpentine, more than enough time I thought ?
Ready ?
Off into the night I stumbled and I mean stumbled, after the first few kilometres I was reassessing my finishing time and doing mental arithmetic working out how slow I could run to make it , I reckon I had about an extra minute a kilometre up my sleeve, compared to my usual running average , so as long as I stayed in the six minutes per kilometre average I would be ok. The first ten kilometres is virtually all up hill as you rise up to the scarp , it’s then thirteen undulating kilometes across the top of the scarp before a good ten kilometres of downhill and flat coming off the scarp to the train station, simple right.
I was treated to a beautiful sunrise and conditions were perfect as I struggled up the road to get to the trail, five kilometres ahead of me. The road section is steep and you second guess yourself as you haven’t got your second wind, actually you haven’t got any wind, you just keep moving forward. There was the usual flurry of cars coming up and down the road and they would have been confused seeing this runner with a headtorch that makes night into day , the Silva Exceed 4XT headtorch ( apparently you can see it from the Moon) , moving towards them. I made a consensus effort to bow my head and cover my head torch as I didn’t want to cause an accident and waste time saving lives, I had a schedule to keep.
The Sunrise was spectacular.
The first five kilometres was testing and I was getting slower and slower as I started to fully realise how little running I had done in the last month and how it had affected my fitness. I had also battled a nasty cold that was doing the rounds in sunny Perth and this had kept me restricted to basically a run a week, just enough to keep my Strava streak of some sort of exercise activity weekly. I finally made the trail section where the gradient flattened out and started to sneak back into the high five minute a kilometre pace. I caught up with Dave around the eight kilometre mark which was a worry as he had started forty or so minutes ahead of me. It turned out he had done the original longer course which has an extra four kilometres, so he was already ran twelve kilometres when I caught him.
The weather took a turn for the worst , as expected, and I was thankful for my Gore-Tex jacket and beanie, without these it would have made for a rather unpleasant experience. I did make the rookie error of bringing gloves but leaving them in the car, silly boy. The temperature never really improved and with the added bonus of torrential rain we were in for a beating , but that’s the point right? Dave started to drop off the pace after a fall so I motored on to the 23k road crossing point for the traditional photo, see below. If Dave had ran faster he could have been in it.
Traditional 23k road crossing photo.
Doing the maths at the road crossing, with around ten kilometres left and a hour to beat the bus, I reckoned we were in a pretty good place. I knew the hardest part was behind us and with a few kilomteres until we dropped off the scarp and some serious downhill running was confident we’d have ten minutes or more for deli time Unfortunately I had not factored in the fatigue which was building quickly and when it came to the downhill section I was still running in the five kilometre pace , moving towards the higher end as we reached the final three kilometers to Serpentine on the highway.
I decided to step on as much as I could so I would be able to stop the bus from leaving Serpentine if Dave couldn’t keep up. No looking back now it was on, we were racing the bus ! As it was I made the Deli with about four minutes to spare, got a random to take a photo of me outside and then saw Dave charging towards me, he was going to make it. We snapped a selfie at the deli and then stumbled to the train station as the bus arrived just as we did, albeit it was two minutes early. Mission accomplished, just.
Another traditional photo of the Serpentine Deli, just no time to go inside for a pie and brownes Mocha
Only thing to do now would be a selfie outside the bus , all smiles.
That was cutting it fine. 9:42am for a 9:44am departure.
One final selfie on the bus and racing the train (bus) for 2025 is done and dusted. Talking to the bus driver he assured us next year we’d be back racing trains so maybe me and Dave will get some company.
So we made the bus but it was close but that’s the point of this run, it’s race the bus not run to the bus and there is a world of difference. We could have easily missed the bus if we had dropped off the pace earlier and save a marginally quicker burst at the end we would have had to beg the bus to stop as it left Serpentine on it’s way back to North Dandalup. Quite a few runners decided against racing the bus this year so the bus company were expecting more passengers but given the conditions , and with no train, I can understand why so many pulled the pin. As it was I thoroughly enjoyed the time on the trails and the conditions were bearable as I was dressed for them, similar to the Cape to Cape miler weeks earlier.
Mission accomplished , see you all in 2026, back on the train.
Right that’s bus racing for 2025 albeit Irwin is talking about maybe going again later in the year when weather conditions improve. I’ll certainly be keen. All aboard.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
Its been nearly four weeks since I finished the inaugural Cape to Cape 100 miler in sunny ( well actually very wet and windy!) Augusta. ( https://www.cape2capeultra.com.au/ ) My legs took a hammering mainly due to my complete lack of trail running in the eight months pre-event, not the most intelligent thing to do. I got through the event on experience and stubbornness , which has been my go to approach lately, forget this training stuff. My legs haven’t really recovered and weekly totals of 10k, 44k, 10k and nothing this week show my complete lack of motivation.
I understand that I need recovery post a 100 miler race but it’s more than just a physical thing, it’s a mental hurdle as well. The runners low is real and is takes away all your drive and you need to battle with your inner demons to lace up and get out the door. Even when you eventually start running again the mind is continually playing tricks on you with his good friend fatigue , this can make running unenjoyable. We run because we enjoy running right so when it becomes unenjoyable its amazing how many other things you can do to avoid running. With me lately its my dogs who are now losing weight as they are being taken for three to four walks a day. On the brightside I am getting my steps in, and my dogs look amazing, but not enough to justify this as an alternative to running of course.
Earlier in my running career I loved the training aspect of the sport and would regularly run ten times or more a week, I loved my double days and it was effortless running one hundred and fifty kilometers or more a week. This of course translated into improved racing times, a win win situation. As I aged my racing times blew out of course, you can hide from Father Time it seems, and training became more of a chore with days of large mileage a distant memory. What I do have of course is experience and mental toughness ( or stubbornness as I call it ) and this lends itself to ultra running when finishing time is not such a big deal, it’s about smelling the roses and finishing with good mates. (albeit a few metres ahead if possible)
So what’s the best way out of a runners low as you age, easy, spend hundreds of dollars on a race entry. It focuses the mind and you will start to exercise again, eventually. In 2022 I ran twelve ultra marathons, winning three of them , and raced for over two thousand kilometres with a bib on my chest , 40% of my annual total. Basically I was training while racing, I have used this for the last few years successfully although its not for everyone (and please don’t let Karen , my Wife, find out the cost of this training method !)
I am about ready to ramp up training again which is a good thing a I have four races in the next five weeks (with the possibility of five in five ), looks like its back to the racing is training plan, someone hand me my credit card.
After 22 hours at Birdy’s backyard ultra I was spent… nothing left to give. (Excuse the tu-tu, it was lap 22 ) image Astrid Volzke
From AI :
“Runners low” refers to a period of low mood or decreased motivation that some runners experience after a race or a period of intense training. This dip in mood can manifest as fatigue, sadness, a loss of motivation, and even symptoms similar to depression. It’s a common experience and is often linked to the letdown after achieving a goal, the end of a training cycle, or hormonal fluctuations.
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
What causes “runners low”?
Endorphin Drop:
Runners often experience a “runner’s high” during or after a run, a feeling of euphoria caused by endorphins. When this wears off, a drop in endorphins can contribute to a low mood.
Loss of Purpose: Setting and achieving a goal, like completing a race, can give a runner a sense of purpose. After the goal is achieved, that sense of purpose can diminish, leading to a feeling of emptiness.
Hormonal Shifts: Intense exercise can cause hormonal fluctuations, including a decrease in cortisol and an increase in testosterone. These shifts can affect mood and energy levels.
Overexertion: Pushing too hard during training can lead to physical and mental fatigue, which can contribute to a low mood.
Nutritional Deficiencies: Inadequate nutrition, especially in endurance athletes, can also play a role in the “runners low”.
How to cope with “runners low”:
Acknowledge it: Recognize that a low mood is a normal response to a big event and that it will pass.
Rest and Recovery: Allow your body time to recover physically and mentally.
Adjust your expectations: Don’t expect to maintain the same level of intensity or motivation immediately after a race.
Find alternative activities: Explore other activities that you enjoy, whether it’s a different type of exercise or a hobby.
Socialize: Connect with friends, family, or other runners.
Seek professional help: If the low mood is severe or persistent, consider talking to a doctor or therapist.
This post was from 2016 after the World Masters games in Perth where I ran 7th overall and second in my age group with a 2:44 marathon in humid conditions , a big goal for the year and post event I sunk low, real low….
After an outstanding four days of completing at the Australian Masters in Perth I have been spending the week contemplating the next goal in my never ending journey of ‘running’. I have mentioned on numerous occasions all runners need goals otherwise they morph into joggers or even worse get taken by the dark side that is triathlons. All joking aside I respect all forms and types of exercise, really anything that gets the heart pumping faster and burns a few calories is fine with me. (Note: keep it clean people, my mum reads all my posts religiously. Hi Mum ..) I admit to trying and enjoying triathlons in my younger days but found I was a back of the pack swimmer (at best, I have British roots remember) , a middle of the pack cyclist but a reasonable runner. This , in my view, is the perfect way to run a triathlon as you spend the whole time overtaking people. Not to say maybe the odd swimming lesson wound’t have gone a miss as I swim like a brick attached to another brick; and thats probably being kind to me not bricks.
As always I’ve digressed, the point of this post is to highlight that after the runners high you need to experience the runners low. Yin and Yan, chalk and cheese, night and day, Trump and common sense; you get the picture. After training for an event, and completing it, the high you experience has to finish and you ‘come down‘ to quote drug addicts everywhere. (I’m assuming this is the case, we run a clean ship here.) The runner’s low starts probably the next day proper, or maybe a few days after, the main event. Suddenly the memories of the finish are fading and all you have is muscle soreness and some shiny bling. You normally take training easy the week after (unless you follow the Tony T-train’ Smith method of recovery , which normally entails threshold pace the day after a marathon, more to wind me up that serving any purpose I’m thinking?) and struggle to find the motivation to make those early morning wake-up alarms. The main issue here is normally we haven’t set a goal and so we are like a rudderless ship floating about on the ocean without a destination, becalmed even. We need to get some wind in the sails and to do this we need to search the internet and enter another race, preferably longer and harder than the last one. This gives you your next challenge and a reason to make that 5AM wake up when it’s dark, freezing and uninviting outside. With your new goal you will be oblivious to the elements , focused on the task ahead, and the end race, where yet again you will experience that runners high we all crave.
Like a heroin junkie working towards that next big hit of quality ‘smack‘ us runners crave that feeling that only finishing a marathon , or better, gives us. On the bright side the harder the race the better the runners high, I feel sometimes maybe I should try a marathon with little or no training, maybe add a few kilos, how good would that runners high be then ? Unfortunately not so much, as with all drugs the quality is important, (apparently? , I watched Trainspotting recently thus all the drug related references are from this film ) just finishing with no real challenge would be nice but not satisfying and here lies the crux of the issue. You have to earn it to really experience the full monty of the runner’s high, you have to have trained to breaking point, put your life on hold, upset you family on a number of occasions and generally ostracised yourself from the world in general. Then add a goal time to aim for, and make is very, very difficult to achieve this, then and only then will you experience the runners high.
So the runners low will hang around until to have that new goal, allowing you to start to move towards it, one step at a time. You don’t need pace or even distance to start, just slowly start moving in the right direction. Momentum will come as move closer to your goal and a good training plan will help you plan the structure of the assault on your next race because it is an assault and you need to be prepared for more of the same, just the way we like it. If it was easy everybody would be doing it , right ?
You can sometimes experience a runners low early in a 200 miler, but a good cup of tea , with three sugars, can fix that. image Astrid Volzke
Another post on the runners low written earlier this year, I’m an expert on this it seems.
Everybody talks about the runners high, this sense of euphoria one experiences when they cross the line at a major goal event. I’ve discussed what I feel it is, a sudden overwhelming sense of relief, or release, after you achieve something after putting yourself either under pressure or into the ‘pain box’. Anyway, after this ‘runners high’ you can sometimes come a cropper and experience what I term the ‘runners low’.
This feeling is the same in all sports and happens after achieving something you have worked so hard to do. There’s a classic scene (there are so many classic scenes in this movie of course.) in ‘Chariots of Fire’ when Harold Abrahams has just won the 100m gold and everybody else is celebrating while Harold himself is reserved and alone in the changing rooms. What Abrahams is struggling to come to terms with is success after so many years working towards that one 10 second race. All of a sudden he has no purpose, no target, no reason to do what he has been doing for so long. It must be daunting ?
The same can be true for us recreational marathon runners, albeit probably not as severe. Once we have completed the marathon and achieved the ‘runners high’ the next day all of sudden we have no goal. No reason to put in that early morning 5am start, no reason to double up or run a threshold until your lungs feel they are about to explode. There is no purpose after so many months of having something to achieve, a target to overcome. This feeling , coupled with the emotions of the previous few days of finishing a marathon, makes the runners high seem so long ago.
There is hope though and it as easy as getting on the internet and searching for the next goal, the next target, the next reason to structure a long term plan. Before you know it you’ve signed up for another race and it’s back on. Another phase begins towards another goal race which will probably have a target finish time just that little bit quicker than the previous race. Let’s face it we don’t do all this to slow down !
So my advice is to get back on the horse (so to speak, if you actually get on a horse you’ll probably get disqualified, remember this is a running blog!) and set yourself your next goal. It works for me, no off season, the next race is normally a few months away at worst but I know it’s there for me, waiting. Admittedly after a marathon I do feel low for a few days because I love to run marathons and the feeling you get when you finish one is why we do what we do. It has never let me down in 40 runs so far . (and the 16 ultra-marathons have also delivered of course)
Remember we are runners, we need a goal, something to make those 5am alarm calls worthwhile. What else is there to do at 5am in the morning anyway?
A runners high after 100 milers of fun, fun fun with these guys.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
Here we go again, time to put it all on the line, excuse the pun. North Dandalup train station.
It’s that time of year again when runners takes on the train. (or this year we take on a bus!) North Dandalup train station, Sunday, 27th July, to leave at whatever time it takes to get to Serpentine train station before 9.44am when the only returning bus departs. (the train line is being upgraded so for the second year we’re racing a bus!)
The premise is simple we leave North Dandalup as late as possible to make the 33k route on the Munda Biddi ( https://mundabiddi.org.au/ ) to Serpentine before the 9.44am Australind bus leaves heading to Bunbury. ( There is a longer version we use to run before part of the track was closed but the 33k route seems to be the route of choice at the moment ? I assume the GPX on the facebook page is the 33km route?
There’s no second chance as there is only one service per day so if you miss the bus it’s either a long run back on the trail or a shorter run , as the crow flies, on the main road. Over the years we have had a few runners miss the train but they have always managed to grab a lift back to the start, a runner on the side of the road crying does attract attention apparently.Note: The Munda Biddi runs to Perth, if you get to Jarrahdale you’ve gone too far !
The last group to leave, I think we gave ourselves three hours.
Last year it was a small turnout mainly because we were racing a bus but it doesn’t take away from the point of this exercise, to test yourself against the clock. You need to leave and give the bus a chance so last year we left at 6:54am, with the bus departing at 9:44am, giving ourselves just shy of three hours. I finished in a few seconds off two hours and forty five minutes, so had ten minutes in the bag for a ice coffee and the photo at the deli.
This meant no hanging about and finished with a sub five minute kilometre average pace, on trails this is moving, at no time did I feel comfortable during the run with the opportunity to miss the train always in the back of my mind, and that’s the point of this exercise.
The compulsory finishing photo outside the deli at Serpentine.
It was nice of TransWA to put on a bus just for us as it seems this route is now very unpopular, I suppose it’s just as easy to drive if you are forced on a bus ? No worries, we enjoyed the ride back just as much although I did miss my cup of tea.
All aboard, our own bus. !
Ticket purchased and so excited, I’ve attached a few posts from the previous years to get you all in the mood. Also please bring some tukka as the best bit about racing a train is talking about how you beat it afterwards , with good friends while eating cake, simple.
One final word of advice , it’s called ‘Race the Train (bus) ‘ , not ‘Run to the Train’, please make an effort to actually race the train by not giving yourself too much time. Over the years I had a few close calls and that’s the point of the event, we need to give the train a chance. Note: in the eight or so years I’ve been racing, and beating, the train it’s always be late so you could probably factor that in, albeit not TransWA have read this they’ll probably be early ! But joking aside it is actually more fun to have that touch of danger hanging over you. There was talk of a fine for people arriving too early and we’ll discuss this at the feast afterwards, it could involve press ups equal to the number of minutes you arrived too early , multiplied by a factor of X !! Myself and Irwin will discuss this week.
From previous years posts…
It’s the annual runner vs train trail ultra. This is without doubt the most fun you can have racing trains, albeit probably the only race that actually pits runner versus machine, a sort of Terminator type event for runners. The concept is simple, you park your car at North Dandalup train station and then run a 32k (or 34k) trail , on the Munda Biddi trail, ( https://mundabiddi.org.au/ ) to Serpentine train station and arrive before 10:21am where the only returning train departs and takes you back to then start. Simple right, you’d be surprised at the number of people who have miscalculated and missed the train. They are then faced with the drive of shame back to the start or a long walk if no one takes pity on them.
Over the years the event has grown to such an extent the train company reserves a whole carriage for the ten minute trip from Serpentine to North Dandalup. I must admit the returning journey always seem to be shorter than it should be after nearly three hours running, which translates to ten minutes on a train, albeit the train takes a shorter route back of course; as the crow flies so to speak.
Check out the previous years posts for an idea of the event.
Last year we left at the latest we have ever left and cut it very short due to the train being on time for a change. I reckon we made it by less than five minutes. Didn’t even have time for my Brownes Mocha, very disappointed. Cedric cut it even shorter and missed the train completely and Jon missed it by a county mile. ! Luckily they both managed to get a lift back to the start. I’m not sure we’ll leave as late this year albeit we could roll the dice and hope the train is late ? This is the whole point of the event, you need to be second guessing yourself the whole time and keep the pressure on, the last few kilometres you really should be under the pump.
Ticket details for the big day. Best $9.10 you’ll ever spend.
For all runners popping along make sure you all bring some tukka for post run, as you know the only thing better than running is eating great food and talking about running.
Proof of starting time albeit it’s on Strava of course.
Over the years there have been some classic stories including Barts running out of puff on the first hill and getting left like a bad rash. Then as we waited for the train he miraculously appeared , albeit coming from the wrong direction. To this day he has never revealed how he achieved this but the word Uber comes to mind, albeit I’m not sure they even have Uber in Serpentine, actually I’m not sure they have invented cars yet in Serpentine. ? There was also the first runner to miss the train completely by following the Mundi Bindi blindly forgetting to take a left turn to get to Serpentine, ending up in Jarrahdale before he realised his mistake. Adam had left his group which contained a runner with a GPX route on their watch and just kept on running, albeit he was joined by a few other runners. Needless to say he suffered at the post race tukka-fest, being forced to stand alone in the naughty corner, while being ridiculed from afar. Last year Cedric was running with us when he made the fatal mistake of running ahead with a couple of fitter runners who decided to run the longer version of the course, unbeknown to Cedric. The other two runners caught us and made the train, Cedric unfortunately didn’t. Jon ‘Trailblazer’ Philips also missed the train last year despite starting very early, luckily for him I took pity on the poor soul and sent a car for him before he stumbled off the scarp.
I wonder who’ll join this illustrious group of train no-shows this year , to find out you need to book yourself a train ticket, get yourself to North Dandalap train station early Sunday morning and get running, what could possibly go wrong ? All aboard…
Lauren and Katt leaving a few minutes before the 7:25am group.
Choo-Choo 2020 , this time the train managed to beat a few runners !
Recently we had the 6th running of the ‘runner versus train‘ Choo-Choo race. The concept is simple, you leave North Dandalup station then run 33k (35k?) over mostly trails to Serpentine station to catch the 10:21am train back to the start. The game is deciding how late you leave North Dandelup. Over the years the record for the latest departure time was around 7am but this year, due to part of the course being shut and thus 2k shorter, we decided to try and break the sub 3 hours and leave at 7:22am. It was Mark’s idea and although I was onboard Jeff was none the wiser to our plan having never ran the Choo-Choo before. So we let the last few runners start their journey and held firm, waiting for 7:22am to come around.
One of the last groups standing, holding firm just before first light. This group left just after 7am.
Jeff was a tad confused when the last group left just after 7am and myself and Mark continued to pontificate and make no effort to move away from the station. Eventually we let him in on our plan but he was less than excited, expecting a relaxed amble from one station to the next , stopping for selfies and rose smelling. He knew if we left at 7:22am it would be on for young and old and if you stopped there would be a good chance the train would be well gone when you eventually arrived at Serpentine Station. Of course he was in a catch 22 situation as the last group had left and he had no idea where he was going , so would need us for directions. There was much head shaking and grumbling but all this served to do was to gee up myself and Mark , who then took great pleasure in talking up the challenge ahead. We can be a cruel lot us runners !
The first sub3 group, with one very unhappy China man !!
So at 7:22am precisely we set off for Serpentine Station, giving ourselves 2 hours and 59 minutes, assuming the train was on time. From past experience I knew we could make the 35k version of the course in 3 hours, including a 5 minute drink stop. Having a nasty 2k loop taken out due to storm damage would probably give us 10 minutes , so we should have 10-20 minutes to play with. As I said earlier Jeff had not ran the Choo-Choo before , where as myself and Mark were old hands and knew what to expect. As you can see from the graphic below the run starts with about 8k of serious hill, as you rise onto the scarp. It then undulates, mostly uphill , until the 25k mark at which time it’s all guns blazing to the best finish ever !! Knowing this is coming it allows you to do the numbers in your head factoring in the fast finish. Jeff did not have this prior knowledge and at every kilometre got more and more discouraged as our pace dropped due to the terrain ahead of us. Again Mark and I did nothing to alleviate his angst and just kept on, knowing we were on track but not divulging this to Jeffrey.
Choo-Choo elevation.
The run itself was pretty uneventful as we had the GPX of the route on Mark’s Garmin (what did we do before GPS watches ?) so the couple of time we wondered of course we were made aware by the watch and we turned around and continued on the right track. Not having this would prove to be the undoing of a few runners because although the course is predominately on the Mundi Bindi bike trail ( https://www.mundabiddi.org.au/ ) eventually you have to leave the trail and return to the road and ultimately the train station. Some runners missed that turn and ended up in Jarrahdale , luckily the two runners in question where able to blag a lift to Serpentine and still made the train in time, after running over 40 kilometres, outstanding job ladies. Some runners thought were less fortunate and my mate Adam was unable to make the train in time, missing it by nearly 10 minutes. He was given a left back to the start and had to endure a slow clap as he arrived , rightly so of course. He was eventually allowed to take food from the tukka table but there was grumblings of discontent from the runners who had completed the course, these was talk of banishing him to a separate part of the park, as I said earlier we are a cruel lot us runners .
The best Deli in Serpentine.
You’ll notice in the image above no sign of Jeff, we had left him to his own devices about 5k from the finish as it was every man for himself at that stage and me and Mark fancied a Mocha before the train. Jeff did make the Serpentine Train station show below (far right) but was still smarting over the whole affair and will probably leave a lot earlier next year, a lesson learned.
All the runners bar the 5 DNF and TB who cut it very, very late (as usual!)
The Australind Train on it’s way to Bunbury via Serpentine Station, 10:29am; 8 minutes late I seem to remember.
The train ride itself is a bit of an anti-climax due to a number of factors. One, it takes an ‘as the crow flies ‘ approach to travel between the two stations, funnily enough, and two, it is a lot quicker than us runners ! The journey itself takes about 12 minutes for the 18km or so distance. Thus you just about sit down , get comfy, before it time to get up again and leave the train, not even time for a cup of tea from the buffet (which was actually shut this year anyhow?) No worries, we had organised for everyone to bring tukka for a post run debriefing because we all know that runners love talking about running as much as running.
Irwin and I enjoying the moment just before the train arrives.
I need to give a big shout out to Irwin Swinny who kick started the Choo-Choo this year after a leave of absence in 2019. He set up the Facebook page and, with his influence, we had a record turn out. With Irwin’s help I feel this event can go from strength to strength with more and more people experiencing the stress of racing a train. He has an excellent podcast, Stimulate Run, that is well worth a visit ( https://anchor.fm/irwin-swinny ) ,you’ll be surprised who you can listen to.
Best thing about running , is talking about running after you finish running , over cake ! Look’s like I’m doing all the talking for a change ?
So at the moment the record for the last to leave will stand at 7:22am, albeit with an asterix for the short course option. We later found the 2k loop we missed was runable it’s just not part of the Munda Biddi anymore as this is built mainly for bikes. Sam Hoffman ran the fastest time for the day albeit stopping his watch when waiting for his running partners. Still outside the course record set in 2018, 2hrs 27mins by Allister Caird, an average of 4:11min/k. At that pace you could chance your arm and leave at 8am and pry the train is a few minutes late, not that would be a story worth telling !!!!
Footnote: After this adventure my good friend Amy (wearing purple in the picture above) decided she would do the Choo-Choo in reverse. This meant catching the train from Perth to Serpentine, running to North Dandalup and then hanging around at the local servo’ station before catching the train from North Dandalup back to Perth, in the afternoon. Of course you could kill time by running longer , the possibilities are endless. Amy did report that there is a lot more elevation running it backwards and the hill up the scarp is a killer. Of course this then lends itself to a double Choo-Choo but the logistics would be quite complicated. It it to be noted one runner ran from Serpentine to North Dandalup , starting before 2am , and then ran the Choo-Choo. (well done Chemie Banger) I’m calling this a Choo-choo-choo; ultra runners always find a way to push the envelope, I suppose that’s the point ?
Man versus Train, again !
Right a quick post on the 2018 man versus train race where we leave North Dandalup train station and run the 35k to Serpentine train station and catch the only return train back to the start. Miss the train and you have a 18k run on a busy road or a 35k trail run back to North Dandalup. !!
The Serpentine train leaves North Dandalap at 10:20am so we decided this year to leave a tad earlier than previous years due to the various running injuries we were all embracing. Calf strains, Achilles issues, carrying too much weight (I’m not sure this is an injury Barts!) and good old Plantar Fasciitis to name a few. Thus at 6:40am we set off up the scarp, mainly due to Bart’s insisting we get a move on as he really wasn’t ready for a 35k sprint to the finish. He had got lost last year when he was dropped halfway up the scarp and had to run a lonely thirty or so kilometres to the finish. This year he was determined to stay the course and refused to leave a key hidden on the car so if he got lost he knew I’d have to find him and my lift home. Little did he know I had arranged alternative transport if we ‘lost’ him. In the end he made it and ran a large proportion of the run with us, complaining most of the way of course. I don’t think Bart’s like any hill in any direction, up or down, as both seem to set him off on a tirade of abuse. This from a man who loves trail running ?
The photo below shows the starting line up for 2018 taken at North Dandalup train station, funnily enough we were the only people about early on a Sunday morning in the country. I managed to persuade five ‘newbies’ to join us and supplied all of these with a GPX file of the course as I didn’t want them to suffer the same fate as Bart’s from last year, bless him.
So off we went up the scarp, which is a road section and probably one of the hardest sections of the run as you’re in danger of getting collected by mad country drivers cutting corners. Thankfully this year it was very quiet and I don’t remember seeing any cars, which is unusual, they were probably all still in bed after the West Coast Eagles, a local footy team, managed to sneak into the Grand Final the day before. As you can see from the elevation below the start is a challenge but the finish is ‘to die for’. It was a this point last year we lost Bart’s (the start not the finish.) and history repeated itself with Mark, a new runner from Brisbane, dropping off the pace early and, in Choo-Choo tradition, left to fend for himself. I felt a small amount of guilt but this was quickly forgotten when I realised the task ahead and I had supplied Mark with a GPX file of the course , so he had no excuse to get lost.
Choo-Choo run elevation. It’s all about the finish….
The conditions this year was perfect and we had given ourselves more than enough time to finish by leaving probably half an hour earlier than the year before. This certainly made the journey less stressful than previous years and we settled into a good rhythm with enough pace to complete the task at hand but not enough we couldn’t natter away discussing a plethora of topics and generally putting the world to rights. We as a group splintered early which seemed silly truth be told as it wasn’t a race and there seemed no point running a few hundred metres infront of each other. I ran with Jon, because he had the GPX route loaded into his Garmin 310, and Liam for conversation. (with Bart’s always a few hundred metres behind us complaining about something?) The three of us eventually caught up with the two Mark’s at the ‘drinks stop‘. I say drinks stop in italics because there was no drinks. Simon had hidden a carton of water and a box of Gu’s behind a tree but it seems these country people are resourceful with good eyesight because there was no supplies to be seen. Not a problem though but it did the make the last 5k or so a challenge as we were into the ‘dead zone’ (over 32k) with little water and no nutrition, a good test of your bodies capabilities to survive on it’s won internal fat resources I suppose. Luckily the last 10k is predominantly downhill so you can sort of ‘fall‘ to the finish line. ( It is to be noted this year Trish refused to bake for us which made the return trip to Dandalap a bit of an anti-climax as the reward of Trish’s baking (which is awesome by the way) would not be there to greet us, in the end we made do with McDonalds pancakes but thrust me they ain’t the same!, anyhow I digress.)
After regrouping with the two Mark’s the group of five set off to the finish and the conversation continued to improve with numbers. The highlight of the last part of the run was most of us falling prey to the only puddle on the whole course, how does that happen ? Mark C,. attached it with gusto (he’s Scottish you know and use to large expanses of water !) and nearly went in, this made me more cautious but it was to no avail and I ended up in the same situation, soggy socks and shoes for the last 10k or so.! Once we started to descend of course it was ever man for himself and Mark C. probably set the record for the fastest kilometre with a 3:10 down the steepest part of the hill. He was very excited and reported feeling a runners high as he snowballed down the hill at speed, more probably he was just totally knackered as we had all just ran just about 35k on a few sips of water.
It’s hard to put into words the run itself as it really was just about the perfect day. A good distance, beautiful trails and great company rounded off with Brownes Mocha and a danish at the Deli. Chuck in a train ride where the guard announced to the whole train of our adventures as we boarded and departed and the day really couldn’t of got any better. Talk at the Deli (see below) centred on next years departure time as we had plenty of time to relax at the deli before the train, well most of us that is. If you remember at the start I mentioned Mark from Brisbane getting dropped at the 3k mark, you’ll see he’s not in the photo below. We all thought he was gone and I had even arranged at the Deli to let him know we’d drive back and pick him up, save him the 18k walk back to the train station. Well he made it with 3 minutes to spare, albeit the train was late as usual so he could have probably stopped at the Deli for a danish.
At the Deli after a Brownes Mocha and a Danish, life really is that simple sometimes! (Notice no Mark from Brisbane)
As you can see from the photo below taken at Serpentine train station Mark is back into the fold and happy to be there, he currently holds the record for cutting it closest to missing the train, probably beating Trailblazers record set a few years ago. I’m sure Jon can get closer with a bit of effort ? Honourable mentions must go to Allister Caird who set a course record running the route in 2hrs 27 minutes, thats a 4:11k average, sub 3 pace for a hilly trail run, Boom! He could have left nearly as hour after us and still made it. Nigel also went well considering he twisted his ankle at 15k and ‘hobbled‘ to the finish in good time, a big call as if the ankle had given way completely it would have been a long night on the trails. Of course Mark gets a mention for running the whole route by himself under the stress of a potential long walk back to the car. He looked relaxed when he finish and puts his time down to this was his first trail run back in Perth, he’s from Brisbane you know. Bart’s also went well after we dropped him just after halfway, we actually dropped him earlier but always made sure he could see us, sort off. At least this year he ran the whole course after his miracle run last year.
At the hub of Serpentine, the ‘bustling’ train station. That’s a lot of smile , while I’m putting on my best ‘just finished 35k grimace’ face…
Right that’s the Choo-Choo for another year. I’ll try and drum up some more enthusiasm next year as if you live in Perth you really need to do this run. We all agreed we’d leave later next year but the departure time is personal to your ability and general fitness and also if you want that added bonus of really ‘racing a train’ and trying to cut it closer tham Mark, from Brisbane’s, valiant effort of three minutes to go. Up for the challenge ? All aboard…..
Choo-Choo run 2017, man against train.
The Choo-Choo run was an idea of Simon Coates a few years back. Basically we all drive to North Dandelup Station (and I use the word ‘station’ in the broadest sense of the word, it is actually a small raised platform and a car park.) and run to Serpentine train station to catch the only train back to the start. Miss the train and you are faced with either a 10k walk back via the road (and in the country running on the road is suicide due to the drivers all believing they are Michael Schumacher, before the skiing accident !) or worse, repeating the 35k trail run in reverse. (Now there’s a thought ? )
It’s not a race as such, more of a man versus train type run with friends. Everyone leaves at different times with the idea being you’ll all arrive together at the finish, a handicap run I suppose. There was talk of a prize for the last person to leave North Dandelup and make the train but this, for this year at least, was shelved. As it was I have attached a photo of the runners who left last @ 7am, this was 30 minutes after last years leaving time so we’d given ourselves little margin for error . Its a 35k testing trail run which should take around 3hours and the return train leaves Serpentine @ 10:20am.
All aboard the Choo-Choo run 2017, the last to leave @ 7am.
So off we went full of the joys of spring bounding up the first 6k which is all uphill and on road. As I mentioned earlier this is testing for two reasons, one, the hill is large , unforgiving and long (as all good hills should be) but there is also the threat of getting cleaned up by the ‘country drivers’. In the country life may be slower but the driving is anything but. There’s a reason that even Kangaroos get wiped out on a regular basis. Faced with slowing down country drivers decided to speed up and fit ‘bull bars’ to their cars, so rather than avoid Kangaroos(or runners!) they accelerate into them . Bless ’em.
We managed to get to the top of the road section intact after one close call when three cars cut a corner and we happen to be on it, you certainly feel alive when that happens trust me. Once we regrouped a quick headcount indicated we were one short (literally!) . Bart’s , who had driven me down to the start, was missing so I volunteered to run down the ‘hill of death’ and find him. After a longer run that I had wanted to take on at such an early stage of the adventure I found Bart’s ‘huffing and puffing’ up the road in a world of pain. This after 6km’s into 35k challenging trail run , racing a train. Not a good start and I indicated the best thing he could do was return to the car and wait for us or at least give me his car keys (as my bag was in his car, it wasn’t about the bag though , honest ?) Bart’s insisted on carrying on and asked me to come back and check on him during the run. Due to the time constraint we had set ourselves I told him in no uncertain terms this was not going to happen and once I left him he was on his own. Surprisingly he was ok with this and, with no prior knowledge of the route and less than 3 hours to run the remaining 29k, was happy to take on this adventure , alone. So Barts was dropped quicker than Hilary Clinton endorsements after the American Election, never to be seen again, or so we thought ?
Drinks stop @ 21k.. notice no sign of Barts ?
After dropping Barts like a bad habit I caught up with the back markers and eventually the main group. We continued on our merry way commenting how enjoyable trail running was and how we should do it more often. Please note this is the same conversation we have at the beginning of every trail run, unfortunately our views on trails can sometimes be a tad different by the time we finish; and that’s be nice about it ! Anyhow we made it to the 21k mark where our ‘race director’ Simon Coakes had dropped water and gu’s, it was the least he could do after DNS’s the previous evening due to umpiring his son’s footy game and pulling a hammy. (He’s getting old Si, bless him.)
What goes up must come down.
The last 14k after the drinks stop is the best part of the Choo-Choo run as you run off the scarp which means some wicked descents into Serpentine. Last year I was able to take advantage of the terrain and put in some seriously fast splits but this year, due to it being 2 weeks after the Perth City-to-Surf marathon, my hammy’s had tightened up so every step was painful as I hobbled (and that’s being nice) down the hill. No worries. reached the Deli and tucked into my first Brownes Mocha for probably 6 months, man did that taste good !!
Choc milk time at the Deli, job done.
We had 20 minutes until the train arrived so just enjoyed telling tales of the day when all of a sudden who comes into sight, walking the wrong way to the Deli, but Barts. ! Unbelievably he had somehow managed to get to the finish in time for the train, albeit running 3k less , somehow ? At the time of writing this post it has to be noted we have not seen any Strava evidence ( http://www.strava.com) of Barts and whatever trail he did run but assuming he said he did what he did I am in awe of the man.
A Lazarus comeback from Barts, almost made me believe in religion
Funnily enough the train was graffitied at the main depot so was cleaned before it set out on its journey, resulting in a 45 minute delay. We could have started at 8am, not 7am, and still made it easily. When the train did arrive at the station there was no sign of any graffiti and maybe next year this could be a cunning plan for a lie-in, just got to persuade someone with a spray can to get the train before it leaves ? That’s wrong, right?
Graffiti, a likely story, more like the train driver fancied a sleep in !
The photo below is all the crew who made the finish including a few runners who left before the 7am sweepers. There has already been lots of talk of leaving even later next year but we’ll see; no one has actually missed the train yet so there will be a first. One thing for sure it won’t be Barts, if he can recover from near exhaustion at 6k and then still finish less than 3 hours later after running 32k I reckon the man could fly if he wanted to. Running gives you so much and on that Sunday it allowed me to witness a miracle, how does one go about nominating someone for a sainthood ? Saint Barts of lost causes, it has a nice ring to it, if only he was taller…..
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
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Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
With the Cape to Cape miler last week this week was all about recovery. I was unable to run for four days post the ultra and had penciled in my first run Thursday morning at Yelo, my weekly 5:30am 14k progressive ( or a 10k easy?) . The alarm was set for 4:40 unfortunately due to a power nap earlier in the week I had set it to PM not AM. , rookie error so no Yelo run Thursday. Albeit I probably could have found time but wasn’t ‘in the mood‘ and had house chores and work to attend to.
Friday and Saturday were more of the same, finding excused not to run albeiut in my defence my Wife and No3 Daughter were away and I had a funeral to attend Saturday , so running took a back seat. This left Sunday where I was determined to run to keep my Strava streak going , 99 weeks of some sort of exercise, (you have Strava right ? http://www.strava.com ) It’s a pretty weak streak of course but at 99 weeks you aren’t going to break it are you ? So an easy 10k Sunday afternoon and that was it for week four of my sub3 mission.
That’s probably not enough to justify a post so I’d thought I’d reflect on my favourite marathon and go through some memorable moments. The Perth City to Surf marathon started in 2009 and it was also my first sub3 marathon. I finished in 2:58:14, 36th position overall from a field of 811. My first sub3 at 42 years old, in my tenth marathon. I was met at the finish line by one of my running hero’s , the mighty Mick Francis, who had pipped me by about a minute or so, also running over the top of my good mate Bartsy with the finish line in sight was special, albeit not for Bartsy, his second last sub three funnily enough. (He managed a third place at Rottnest the following year, his last)
My first sub3 with ne of my running hero’s , the Mighty Mick Francis.
In 2010 I had the runners nightmare when my Garmin discharged itself in the evening and I had no juice when I turned it on at the start line. This was back in the day when Garmin’s were for running only and not your everyday watch. Mentally this finished my race early and I tried to hang on to my mate Jon Pendse and a sub3 group but was ejected out the back around fifteen kilometres into the race. I then ran alone , with no idea of pace, and finished in 3:03:20 , good for 31 place overall, from a field of 976. I still reckon if I had my watch I would have ran sub3 but such is life. After this race I would wear two watches for many years.
Love this photo of Jon laying down the law just before I was dropped, with no watch I was doomed to failure.
2011 and my first sub two hours and fifty minutes finish. I finished in 18th place, in a field of 989, recording 2:49:13 with my mate Rhys ten seconds behind me and Jon three seconds behind him. Rhys was dropped early for a toilet stop, he’s well known for this, and we never saw him but unbeknown to us he was stalking us the whole way and ran Jon down in the finishing few metres.
Deeks Costella was the MC and managed to grab a great photo with Rhys, Jon and I.
2012 and I improved my time again finishing 7th overall out of a field of 1047, in a time of 2:45:05, just pipping Rhys again . This was important as I was the first Australian to finish and there was a $6,000 prize, unbeknown to me at the time, for this. The race was sponsored by Chevron who had brought in five male and one female African runners, the six ahead of me. At the time it was the most lucrative marathon in Australia and funnily enough I was working for Chevron at the time so was adorned in a Chevron singlet, I should have got a bonus , albeit the Chevron finishing tent was pretty special. Rhys got second Australian good for $3,000, incredible prize money for us ‘hack’ runners.
One of my favourite photos of the City to Surf, we’d managed to score bib’s 1,2 and 3..
I ran my marathon PB in 2013 and ran with the lead African woman the whole way, letting her break the tape a few seconds ahead of me. Finished 9th, from a field of 1196, in a time of 2:41:14 which I thought would be good for some prize money but it seems there were two Australians ahead of me after the six African runners. No worries, it was a great PB and I was stoked. The only time I ran with a named bib, given to the faster runners of an event, albeit in my case I knew the RD.
My PB time. 2:41:14
2014 I ran 2:49:02, good for 13th overall from a field of 1,141. I had been abroad the week before and picked up a calf knot so my streak of improving finishing times was done, still happy enough with another sub two fifty finish and got to wear the number one bib.
Should have sprinted faster for a 2:48 finish.
I got my best City to Surf finishing position in 2015 running fourth in a time of 2:48:30, from a field of 987 runners. By this time Chevron had dropped the prize prize money significantly and no African runners meant we all bumped four or five places up the finishing order, explaining fourth place ? I was hoping for $2,000 prizemoney for fourth but there was a caveat that prize money for fourth and fifth would only be paid out if they were in 10% of the winning time ? What, seriously.? Unfortunately for me Yuki Kawauchi, the Japanese super runner , had come across and ran a 2:16, with second place being 2:35. Yuki cost me $2,000. No worries, as I said earlier I run for the love of running, not prize money, albeit it would have been nice.
All smiles before Yuki does me out of $2k prize money.
In 2016 I ran one of the races of my life to finish in 2:41:44, my second quicker marathon time and good for fifth place from a field of 828 runners. By this time the prize money had all but disappeared and I think I got a $25 gift voucher I never used. A far cry from $6,000 for first Australian four years previous. I remember I was running with second and third at halfway and decided the pace was too quick , backing off. Both these runners ran sub two hours forty and I often wonder if I had just rolled the dice and went with them what would have happened. Bar a 2:44 at the World Masters later in the year I would never get close to this time, what could have been. I put this time down to Raf Baugh , he of the Running Centre in Perth, who trained me in 2015. Lessons I learnt from Raf got me this close again, three years after my PB on the same course, I should have went with them. ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ )
2016 and at my most ‘show pony‘, even had the number 1 bib. Funnily enough you can see Raf in the crowd, wearing the baseball cap.
2017 14th from a field of 698 runners in a time of 2:49:23. I was recovering from my first major injury , a 5cm calf tear sustained in May which sidelined me for 12 weeks, only resuming full training in late June. After this result I continued to improve culminating in another second place at the Rottnest marathon in October. This is another what could have been but injuries happen and I was injury free before this one so I suppose it was my turn ? Highlight of this run was finding my good friend Mark Conway, who had just finished ahead of me, skulking in the medical tent at the finish, he was berated loudly. This was also the first time I wore carbo plated shoes, the Nike Vapoflys 4%. I hadn’t had time to wear them before the race and I still remember warming up running down St. Georges Terrace with the biggest smile on my face, I couldn’t believe how good the shoes were. Even only I had them a year earlier when I ran 2:41, what could have been ?
Pretty stoked to finish this one.
I missed 2018 due to another injury , a nasty case of plantar fascittis, which hurt as I had ran all nine of the previous City to Surf marathon. Truth be told I probably could have ran it was was protecting my sub3 streak which was over thirty marathons at the time. With hindsight I should have ran.
2019 was my last sub 3 at 52 years old, (at the moment?) , and also the last time the City to Surf marathon actually happened. COVID killed it in 2020 and then , due to the ever increasing costs and dwindling numbers, it was canned. I ran a 2:55:23 , good for 13th overall from a field of 598. It seems fitting my last sub3, number 32, should be ten years after my first at the same event and also the last time the event was run. It was an incredible event and holds so many good memories, if one race encapsulates my running journey it was this one. Ten finishes with nine sub 3’s in there (and eight sub 2:50’s) and two of may fastest times as well as a sprinkling of top five finishes, perfect just perfect.
The end of the City to Surf, 2019, surrounded by good friends. A fitting end to a magical journey. Jon, Nate, Jacques, Tony and Johannes.
Looking at the finishing photos for sub3 number 1 in 2009 and sub3 number 32 in 2019 I don’t think I’ve aged a bit, hell I look younger. Can I go sub3 one more time in October 2025, of course I can.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
Week three was always going to be high mileage and less runs as I had the inaugural Cape to Cape 100 miler on Saturday . ( https://www.cape2capeultra.com.au/ ) With this in mind I only ran two ‘time on feet’ ten kilometre runs on Monday and Thursday before the race itself Saturday , finishing Sunday morning. The purist would shake their heads at the thought of running a 100 miler in a marathon block but my logic was it is early in the block and I have time to recover, albeit as I type this post I think my logic my be flawed.
image Outback Papparazzi
This gave me over 175 kilometres for the week which is more than I will run moving forward of course and I will be forced to take a down week as I haven’t run yet and it’s already Wednesday. The legs are recovering well and I would hope to run ten kilometres tomorrow morning at Yelo and maybe try and find fifty to seventy or so kilometres for the week. The following week I had penciled in the Bibra Lake half marathon but will need to see how the legs recovery before I enter.
It was wet and that is a massive understatement. image Outback Papparazzi
Right lets discuss the Cape to Cape Ultra, it started in a complex storm which means it was a bloody big storm, high winds, cool temperatures and even some hail later in the event. I was saved by my thermals on Saturday evening and the second day as the wind was freezing and without a thermal top I wouldn’t have finished. Overall there was a 50% DNF rate which is unusually high and most of these would have been down to the inclement weather.
Wet, windy and lots of soft sand.
The event starts from one lighthouse, at Augusta, and finishes around a second lighthouse at Cape Naturaliste. The track itself is around 125 kilometres so Shaun Kaesler, the Ultra Series owner, ( https://www.ultraseries.com.au/ ) had to find another forty or so kilometres to reach the miler distance. As it was due to permits not being accepted in time and river crossing that would become too dangerous due to the conditions I actually ran around 154 kilometres. I’m ok with this as for this type of event , in these conditions, you can never guarantee the course; it is ever changing. The team at Ultra Series did an incredible job getting all runners to the finish line , that were able to get there. This involved answering many phone calls for help from stranded runners faced with very dangerous river crossing at all times of the night. I know at one point there was over fifteen runners who needed shuttling in cars as the river they were due to cross had become too dangerous to wade through.
The start was a example of what was to come with permits denied for a road crossing in Augusta town centre which meant we had to drive to the Augusta lighthouse and then run a six kilometre out and back to make up the distance. The start itself was another Ultra Series classic with all the runners stopping after fifty or so metres with no idea which way to go. All this in the eye of a storm that raged all around us. In the end we went the right way but more luck than judgment, that’s why we love the Ultra Series , organised chaos.
Organised Chaos image Outback Pappazazzi
There was more than enough aid stations for this event, compared to the Feral Pig ( https://feralpigultra.com.au/ ) where you need to run a marathon for the first aid station and then another thirty odd kilometres for aid station two !. The only issue with the first few aid stations was they were exposed to the weather so there was no hanging around for chit chat, it was too brutal. There was also no chance of putting up a gazebo, so there was little shelter. Later into the event things eased up a tad and we were blessed with gazebo’s and some quality food and sweet tea, the real reason we run ultra marathons.
As this was the inaugural event I had no idea was the track would be like, in the end it was inspiring with plenty of beach sections, which I love, and enough forest running and general trail running to keep me happy even with the weather conditions which actually made the whole experience better in my opinion. The strong tailwind on the exposed beaches was a massive bonus, if it had been in the opposite direction no one would have finished ! The only fly in my ointment was the amount of limestone which meant the balls and bottom of your feet took a right hammering. I use Altra Olympus trail shoes but may look at a more cushioned trail shoe for my next trail ultra, I’m hoping this will help. Post Delirious West 200 miler in April I had the same problem.
The Cape to Cape bus in full flight, driven by Andy with me in the passenger seat. image Outback Papparazzi
There is nearly thirty kilometres of sand and most of it very soft, not ideal for running in. You were also totally exposed on the beach and luckily for us the very strong wind was a tailwind, a headwind would have made the whole event a whole different animal. I’m not saying the tail wind was all good though and a few times it was painful on the back of the legs as you were sandblasted. For the most part though the tail wind was a big bonus and could help you scuttle along the beach a lot quicker than if there was no wind at all. It also added to the whole feel of the event, running through a storm, you need wind and lots of it. As soon as you got off the beach , for the most part, you’d get some respite as you’d be shieled by the fauna.
The highlight of the beach running was meeting a couple of kite surfers who were getting ready to probably commit suicide, I’m assuming , by entering the water . The waves were huge and the wind was so strong, I was worried they’d disappear into the stratosphere never to be seen again.
Sand glorious sand, soft and plentiful.
Hydration wasn’t a problem and I survived using my two 500ml water bottles and refilling at the aid stations, taking on the tailwind available. ( https://www.tailwindnutrition.com.au/ ) Nutrition I could have done better and lost my appetite during the night culminating in me ending up on my hand and knees vomiting up a protein drink I tried at the Yellingup aid station. Apologies to the volunteers. I’m putting this down to too many Gel’s with caffeine, upsetting my stomach. On the bright side, post puke, I was able to eat again and made up for it instantly with a couple of Anzac biscuits and soup.
I ran with Andy, Glen and Matty virtually the whole event. Running with good mates makes the whole experience so much better, suffering with friends is so much better than suffering alone. There’s also the added benefit of constant banter which makes distance and time disappear so quickly. Over the twenty eight hours I reckon I used my shokz headphones for thirty minutes , if I was running alone I would have had my headphones on constantly. I’ve ran with these guys over many hundreds of kilometres the last few years and we still find sh*t to talk about, albeit sometimes the same sh*t .
I ran with Andy, Glen and Matty virtually the whole event. It was great to finish together.
So we finished in 28 hours and 23 minutes which was my target goal time , around 28 hours, pre-event but the course was seven kilometres short so really I would have been an hour or so over my predicted time. No worries, it was great fun running with the boys and I’ve done zero trail running , bar races, for the last eight months. In the end the fatigued legs could go no faster, even with fisiocrem and some serious pain killers onboard (don’t judge me) Moving forward I need to concentrate on road running now with the Perth marathon incoming in October and then hit the trails for a few weeks before the Feral Pig Miler in November and the 6 inch trail ultra in December. ( https://www.6inchtrailmarathon.com/ )
I worked hard for these pieces of bling.
So that’s week three of Perth Marathon training, not your typical marathon build week but everyone’s different right ? Week four will be a down week straight into week five, a taper week for the Bibra Lake half marathon where the goal is to go quicker than the HBF half I finished a few weeks ago. A good indicator for a half time is around one hour twenty five minutes , which going by the double your half time and add ten minutes , gives you three hours for the full marathon. I’m certainly nowhere near that time at the moment but will aim for a sub ninety minutes, albeit a lot will depend in how the legs have recovered of course.
Two weeks post Bibra I have a 10k and then two weeks after that is a 5k. That will give me five good weeks to work on ‘proper‘ marathon training before another ultra in August, this one is a baby, only 65k, ( https://transcendtrails.com/ ) what could possibly go wrong?
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
If you run the 50 mile you won’t see this, or anything really ?
This weekend I take on the inaugural Cape To Cape Ultra, the miler option. ( https://www.cape2capeultra.com.au/ ) There is a 50 mile option but unless you’re a vampire it’s probably best to avoid this one as you start at 6pm and its the shortest day of the year week, basically if you’re a reasonable runner , or a practicing vampire, you’ll run the whole race in the dark.
This will be week three of my sub3 Perth Marathon block and probably not what most coaches would approve but as I always maintain I’d rather do more races at a reasonable level compared to less races but faster. For me the reason I run is to race otherwise surely we morph into joggers right, and nobody wants that ? ( Joggers are the sort of people who strut about at traffic lights , like a cat on a hot tin roof, a real runner stands at the lights with a look of disgust on their face, frustrated their run has been interrupted, still, silent, ready. )
(The phrase “like a cat on a hot tin roof” is an idiom that describes someone who is restless, uneasy, or agitated. It is often used to convey a sense of nervousness and anxiety. The phrase originates from the image of a cat trying to escape the heat of a tin roof, constantly moving and unable to settle down; like joggers ! )
The Gaia map is shown below ( https://www.gaiagps.com/ ) and I’ll use the app on my iphone to keep me ontrack albeit the trail is well marked I’m sure. With just about sixty runners for the miler I should be with company which makes getting lost easier, like all things in life company makes stressful situations less stressful. For example imagine in a zombie apocalypse , you only need to run faster than the slowest runner in your group; if you’re alone all the zombies only have eyes for you. I would imagine in such situations you’d seek out slower runners to join your survival tribe, like sacrifices. I digress.
The Cape to Cape Ultra ( Aid stations marked with red tear drops)
The event kicks off from Augusta at 6am and will complete over 100 miles later at Bunker Bay, albeit the cape to cape track is about 125k long but Shaun Kaesler, the Ultra Series owner, has found another thirty five kilometres by adding a loop towards the end of the race. It has that Feral Pig feeling about it. ( https://feralpigultra.com.au/ ) The track itself sounds incredible with beautiful untouched beaches, pristine national parks , single trails meandering (well it is a 100 miler) through untouched forests , to say I’m excited is a massive under statement. The only fly in my ointment is the predicted weather for the event, rain and plenty of it. Being a point to point I’m hoping any wind will be on my back (currently is a South Westerly, which would be a good thing?) not a head wind, a head wind would be challenging. It’ll also be cold but not enough to be a problem as long as we’re moving forward, probably a good temperature for a racing.
One of the best things about a miler is the opportunity to run though the night cocooned in the beam of your head torch. I use a Silva Exceed 4XT which is 2000 lumens, turning night into day. Albeit the latest Silva head torch has 3000 lumens which is apparently visible from the moon, the runner Infront of you actually gets sunburnt if they get too close ! Night running is a special time and you can either lose yourself with a podcast, music or ‘raw dog’ it and chill out with the night animals going about their business, and the zombies.
Love my ‘head torch bubble’ time
I sometimes struggle with a 100 miler as it’s the longest distance when it’s a race as such, I always find anything longer starts to become an adventure , and to me that’s a big difference. When you race an event you are mindful of time and position , an adventure it’s all about the journey and just finishing, time takes care of itself. The Feral Pig miler is the only other miler I race regularly and have only really nailed this event once in the three times I’ve finished. Feral does have elevation and heat as other factors which can derail your race quickly, plus the midnight start. I’m hoping the early morning kick off , lack of elevation, plus a cool temperature prediction for race day, will push me along to a reasonable finishing time, around twenty eight hours or quicker. Albeit I hear there are seriously long sand/beach sections and lots or rock hopping which are not conducive to fast times of course. As this is the inaugural running it will be interesting to see if the finishing times are slower or quicker than Feral ?
More time with the running legend that is Simon Bennet this weekend…
It will be so good to spend time with the Ultra Series reprobates as I’ve not seen a lot of them since Delirious West in April this year. The running tribe is as important to me as the event itself, spending times with these legends is just so good and remember the zombie clause, always find someone to run with who , when the ‘shit hits the fan‘, or the zombie’s are chasing you down, is slower than you.
When Zombies come calling run with Felix !
Finally another shout out to Bix products which will be my go to for quality hydration and nutrition products during the event bar the aid stations and real food of course. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ )
My hydration and nutrition needs are taken care off. Thankyou Vlad.
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
Week two in my quest for sub3 number 33 at the Perth Running Festival in 17 weeks ( https://perthrunningfestival.com.au/ ) . Last week I managed nine runs and 107k weekly distance and the plan for week two was just to run one more time , from nine runs to ten, and add distance, in this case 107k to 116k. Both goals ticked.
( you can read week 1 post here if you missed it https://www.runbkrun.com/2025/06/10/perth-marathon-sub-3-mission-week-1/ ) As you can see from my Strava output for the last 6 weeks I have been gradually increasing mileage, culminating, today, in my first long run since the Delirious West 200 miler in April. (There are many, many posts on my Delirious West adventures over the last 6 years on this blog) As we are marathon training, proper like, I’ve also started adding double days.
Monday . 10k around Herdy’s lake late morning , followed by my local Hyden Lane loop 10k, late afternoon. Both runs easy, just over 5min/k pace.
Tuesday I decided to add some pace so ran a seven kilometre progressive finishing off at just under 4min/k pace for the final kilometre and then a three kilometre cool down to hit ten kilometres for the day. Work, my dogs and family got in the way late afternoon and never made it out for run number two as planned.
Wednesday was back in Bold Park for a trail ten kilometre before a late run in the dark on the bike path to Trigg and back in the Aplhafly 3’s to help with the fatigue of another double day . Both runs felt good albeit they were both at an easy pace.
Thursday morning 5:30am, it’s Yelo time.
Thursday was the weekly progressive/threshold Yelo run with the usual suspects. I wasn’t feeling the love at the start, after the double days earlier in the week, so decided to just run ten with a fast finish. I was also meant to be tapering for the Cape to Cape 100 miler Ultra a week Saturday. ( https://www.cape2capeultra.com.au/ ) I know this is not normal practice to add a 100 miler in the middle of a marathon build but I have time before Perth, so why not? Started to pick up at the end but decided that ten kilometres would be enough knowing that I would double up late in the day. Took it very easy for the second run of the day, time on legs run.
Friday was back in Bold Park running my favorite trail loop, again at a very easy pace before returning again on Saturday for the same route albeit a tad quicker.
Long run with the BTRC crew and a sprinkle of Team Tina runners.
Sunday long run I was aiming for two hours , similar to last week, but with the BTRC gang (Ben Tay Running) and we were joined by a sprinkle of Team Tina runners, albeit I think most runners are members of both groups. Last week it was elevation I was chasing , finishing with twenty one kilometres and over 500 metres of vert, this week it was purely distance. No nutrition on the run, I like to run on body fat and try and burn some on long runs, I managed to squeeze in twenty five kilometres. This was enough to persuade me to hang up the trainers until Monday , after all I was meant to be tapering ?
Best bit about running long on Sunday, coffee and banana bread , toasted.
Post long run it was straight to the nearest cafe for a coffee, OJ and banana bread fix and laughter , lots of it, with the usual reprobates , some I’ve been running with for decades others just a matter of months; but we all connect over coffee. Not sure why Zac insisted on drinking coffee topless but each to his own I suppose ?
This weekend is the Rottnest Marathon which for everybody outside of Perth is a small island twenty kilometres or so offshore. It is a magical place and I have finished the marathon twelve times with my kids growing up on the island for one week a year, just wonderful memories. (If you’ve never been get yourself to Rotto quick smart https://www.rottnestisland.com/ ) The image below is me coming second with a two hour forty eight, and change, finishing time. The course is four loops and I had lost contact with the eventual winner on the first loop. I knew I was in third place and managed to move upto second when I passed my good mate Zap Jeps n lap three as he moved back through the field. I was content with second which would probably come back and haunt me as I only saw the first place runner ahead of me on the last hill where I closed to within touching distance before he put on the after burners for the last kilometre and beat me by about twenty seconds.
Because I only caught him so close to the finish I wasn’t mentally ready for his kick at the top of the hill, I wasn’t expecting to be in a sprint finish. Another ‘if only‘ moment as he collapsed over the line while I strutted around happy with a second place finish. If I had seen him earlier I would have been prepared for what was to come as he had come back to me very quickly on that last lap. Such is life.
2017, 2:48 , good enough for second place, again !
This year at Rottnest we celebrated the live of one of our own , Todd Ingraham, who passed this week. Todd had won Rottnest in 1998 and set a time that would be unbeaten for over two decades. He also won the Melbourne marathon in 2001 and the Perth marathon three times, 200, 2006, and 2011 . He also completed the Abbott’s World majors with an impressive average for the six events in the low two hours and thirty minutes. His wife Tina is another legend of WA running and the two of them were a formidable partnership with both running the Comrades marathon and achieving incredible results, Todd running sub seven hours twice and a smidge over seven hours for his final run.
Todd was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease ( MND) and fought his best fight but MND is a devastating disease, his death has been felt far and wide within the running community in Australia and within his professional commitments, as a serviceman and a police officer, always serving the community. Todd gave every race his all and it was a privilege to watch him disappear Infront of me for many races over the years.
This is a reminder to all of us to live every day and do out best because you never know when it is your time. RIP my friend, you were special.
Gone far too early. RIP Todd Ingraham.
Finally a bit shout out to Bix nutrition and Vlad for getting onboard the BK SUB3 freight train with BIX products, these products are , in my view, the best on the market and I’m stoked to have Vlad in my corner. Do yourself a favour and get onto the website and indulge yourself… ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ )
Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
Great hydration.
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Fractel headgear, just ace.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
Best running headphones EVER !
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
Altra supply the best trail shoes on the planet, in my opinion, and none better than the Olympus five. Do yourself a favour and buy a pair. ( https://www.altrarunning.com.au/ )
https://www.osprey.com/au/en/category/hydration/trail-running/ Osprey Australia have come onboard and are supplying me with two running backpacks and travelling luggage for the Run Britannia adventure. I particularly like their running backpacks and am excited to test them over the event. I’ll be using the Duro 6 and the Duro 1.5 backpacks.
Excited to have Coros onboard who have supplied me with the new Apex 2 Pro GPS watch. I already owned the Apex 2 and was stoked when Coros reached out and offered me an upgrade. Even more battery life, can you believe 75 hours using GPS, wow! The watch itself is awesome, so light and well made. The watch is paired with a incredible application to keep track of all your stats, and runners love stats ! . ( https://coros.net.au/ )
From previous years posts… 
