The Kep Ultra is a legendary race started by the Godfather of WA ultra running Rob Donkersloot , he off https://mindfocusedrunning.com/ , where Rob teaches the runner all about the mental side to ultra. The Kep  ran for 6 years from 2009 through to 2014 before the local council and red tape brought it to a close. It then became a thing of legend with local ultra runners talking about it  but never really understanding its roots in the WA Ultra Community, it was the first real WA ultra of substance. The original website is still live and it’s worth a look , https://kepultra.com/  Some serious WA ultra legends in that list of results.

So this legendary race was due for a reboot and Shaun Kaesler and the USWA team  ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) were up for the task, and the Kep V2 was born. ( https://kepultrav2.com.au/ ) Due to the amount of volunteers needed for this event, down to the numerous road crossings, the new format was a 100k or 75k out and back course, rather than the original point to point.

I’d entered the race on a whim , why do I keep doing this ?, after recovering well from the Lighthorse 24 hour ultra two weeks earlier. Of course entering is the easy part, finishing is the harder task ! My training had been going well with the next A-race the Irrational South in June, ( https://irrationalsouth200miler.com.au/ ) the Kep was to be my last long run , with the added bonus of a medal, what could go wrong?

Training went well enough for the Kep but a few days out I started to second guess myself , really trying to understand why I’d entered a 100k race three weeks before the Irrational South 200 miler. I was even doubting myself on the way up the start at the Mundaring Hotel  but decided I’d run the first half and then grab my poles and casually cruise the second half, good pole practice for Irrational. Leaving it late I got to the start with about 30 seconds to go, totally unprepared truth be told , and off we went.

The start was a ‘soft start‘ as Shaun called it due to noise restrictions, the locals like their lay in apparently and 50-60 noisy ultra runners was deemed far too much for a Saturday morning. It was a case of 1-2-3 go, quietly !   There were drop bags available but I decided to take a backpack and carry my nutrition , which was about 8-10 gu’s, with aid stations available for hydration fill ups and lollys.

The Kep is basically 15k down hill, then about 37k uphill before turning around and returning to the start. This means after the half way you have a relaxing 37k back down the way you came before a 15k climb to the finish. I knew I’d need to save something for the final 15k rise and was hoping my poles would make it easier.  The plan was to enjoy the first 15k, get into a good rhythm , struggle through the 37k to halfway and then cruise home with poles, simple really. This way I broke the race down into four smaller races, something I recommend any ultra runner does, lots of mini-goals rather than the one finish goal which can be a long way off at the start of an ultra.

The race started well and I got into a small bunch of runner including Dru, running in sandals !, and the mastermind behind the Ultra Series WA , and a true bloody legend, Shaun Kaesler.  Shaun had run the Lighthorse 24 hour,  like me , a few weeks earlier and had enjoyed his first event for sometime (as he is normally either the RD or organising stuff) so much he entered the 75k Kep.  Given his busy life training had taken a back seat of late but he is a tough mother and , like me, had decided on a whim to take on the Kep. He was running well and the kilometres drifted away, even had a cameo appearance from Bart’s on his Saturday long run.

Getting to the first aid station was a breeze, remember as I mentioned earlier it is basically all downhill, and then we started the climb to the halfway point at 52k. Not much to report here really, Shaun and Dru turned at 22k as their course was slightly different to mine and Bart’s left me a few kilometers later.  I was probably running 6th , albeit the 100k field was only 10 strong.  It really was a training run and I was just concentrating on getting to halfway in a reasonable shape and picking up my poles for the 37k downhill section.  Jen Millum, the sole female 100k runner, and Dylan Bentley were ahead of me and I used them as markers to keep me honest and set my pace to the halfway point.  I even got a rush of enthusiasm  as I neared the halfway point and managed to sneak past them both, knowing we’d regroup at the next aid station. There is elevation but no large climbs as such, just a gradual grind uphill on a good running service.

The halfway point at this new version of the Kep V2 is a nice place to be, you know you have a mainly downhill 37k ahead of you and probably enough to get your over the last 15k ‘hump’ to the finish, add in poles and I was ready to explode to the finish ! I left Jen and Dylan in my dust and even caught and passed Mike Head to move into 4th place and a possible podium. Tony Smith was way ahead so a win was out of the question, he eventually finished sub 9 hours, setting a time that I reckon will be very hard to beat. Two of his athletes, Graham Dixon and Michael Snart,  eventually finished second and third both running low 10′ hours.  Coming down the hill Mike caught me at around 22k to go and although I saw him at the last aid statin at the bottom of the last 15k climb I would not catch him. Eventually finishing 5th in a time of 10:39 for the 105k course.

So what did I take from the Kep V2 ? It was another hard race, mentally tough, long time in the saddle and some good elevation. Good points was just starting and finishing as a few minutes before the start I was wavering, also the poles were a God send and I now feel more comfortable using them for an extended period of time. They will definitely be coming out late on the first day of Delirious in October. ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) It was also good to run a 100k so soon as the Lighthorse Ultra and Herdy’s, again running on tired legs will be a good skill to have running 3-4 day events later in the year.  Not so good points was I could tell the legs were hammered and ultimately I would pay a heavy price for this race.

Once I finished there was the obligatory photo with the bling and a kilometre walk back to the car before returning the Mundaring Hotel for a bloody good sausage and mash meal, great conversation with fellow runners and some verbal sparing with the Vegan runners on the benefit of steak and chips. Shaun has done a great job organising anther great event to add to the USWA (Ultra Series WA) catalogue and there’s even talk of a 50k next year after Shaun won the event, albeit he didn’t broadcast it actually existed and had an entry of one, himself ! ( https://ultraserieswa.com.au/ ) I’m sure Rob approves of this new format and the legend of the Kep is definitely now alive and kicking and it will once again be the measuring stick of the Ultra scene in WA moving forward.

Right the Lighthorse Ultra , 3/6/12/24 hour. This was my first ever DNF, assuming you can DNF a timed event after you start?, in 2018 when I got caught up in Jon’s run of his life so far , running an incredible 140km’s for 12 hours. I was left to lick my wounds after 3 hours as I drove home a broken man. You can read all about my tales of woe in this post. https://www.runbkrun.com/2019/06/01/what-you-learn-from-a-dnf/

Last year I redeemed myself when I placed third in the 24 hour event running 192km, although there were a few moments I was close to pulling out and I reckon it was only the fact I made my Wife drive me to the start and take the car home that saved me, the post is worth a read..  ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/09/19/24-hour-redemption-ultra/ )

Coming into the event this year I was in some good form after just running over 315km at Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra 5 weeks earlier but the only possible fly in my ointment was it was only 5 weeks earlier.  I had put together  3-4 weeks of triple figure weekly distance but no speed work to talk off. I went into this event with a ‘it will be what it will be ‘ attitude and of course I knew sometime during the 24 hours there would be mental challenges to overcome. This was another reason to do the Lighthorse, give myself another big tick before the Irrational South 200 miler in June ( https://irrationalsouth200miler.com.au/ ) a risk but one I thought worth taking.

The event is held close to Anzac Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served”.  As the images below show it is a day to remember their sacrifice and many times throughout the event the sight of these small figurines was enough to give you the energy needed to continue on.  Shaun had put together an event which really does bond the runner to the past and remind them of the sacrifice that was made for them by our Anzacs, inspiring stuff.

So to the race itself. As the images below show it’s all fun and games for the first few hours and you need to remind yourself it’s a 24 hour event. Running just over 5min/k average feels so easy but you know achieving this pace the following morning,  into the afternoon, will be impossible, of course it doesn’t stop you carrying on regardless. Not much to report for the first three hours before the sunset sneaks in and it’s time for the night time mental battles. I say mental battles because at night is when the mind starts to play games in an effort to slow or stop you. Running long is so much more mental than physical and at night doubly so. I always call the 2am – 5am the witching hours as this is where you are your weakest and this is when the mind starts to play with his good mate fatigue and try to stop you in your tracks. I always take solace from a David Goggin’s (https://davidgoggins.com/  ) quote where he states  when you are at your lowest and you think you are finished , unable to continue, he reckons you are about 40% of your potential. The final 60% is there, available, but you have to want it bad enough to release it.  I would certainly need this quote in the next few hours.

Last year at Lighthorse my running time was just over 18 hours. The rest was spent trying to sleep, and failing, or time sitting in my chair doing ‘stuff’, be that eating, complaining about <insert subject here> or just not running. This year was about more time running and less resting. Unfortunately I made a rookie error when it comes to ultra running, I tried new nutrition on the day of the race, this was to be a nearly fatal error for my racing goals.

The day before I made my normal visit to The Running Centre ( https://therunningcentre.com.au/ ) to see Sam, Amanda and the team and get my provisions for the event, this has turned into a bit of a tradition and the guys at TRC are always good value.  On this visit I spied new Maurten Gels with Caffeine. ( https://www.maurten.com/ ) Now I am a big fan of Maurten and now with added caffeine, what could possibly go wrong ? Well it seems quite a lot. I was taking one gel roughly on the hour but by 10pm my stomach was not happy and I was feeling very, very queasy.  So much so it stopped me in my tracks and it was time to bring out the onesie. (A sleeping bag with arms and legs from Aldi, good, different https://www.aldi.com.au/)  After last year when I shivered in my sleeping bag for 90 minutes I was hoping the new onesie would see me cocooned in my own heating chamber, not to be. I had underestimated my soaking wet running gear and basically just lay in my own sweat freezing, no change from last year then ! Rob was my support for the event and I asked for 30 minutes initially and then another 20 minutes as I was in no state to get back out into the cold and dark. When I did eventually arise from hour of laying in a prone position,  freezing cold, I had to put on a rain coat as well as my thermal, running shirt and running waterproof jacket.  I was still so , so cold but managed to warm up by the end of the loop and started to tick off the laps.

As in the previous year I was determined not to walk on the course but use my resting time at the gazebo. Because the loop is so small this approach is do able but the only down side is you pass ( or not as the case may be!) your comfortable , reclining, chair and gazebo far too regularly, meaning the temptation for a quick sit down is always there. You say to yourself three laps before a rest and then all of a sudden you’re passing your gazebo , the light is on, you can see the chair and all your goodies and you think, ‘maybe a few minutes won’t hurt!’…. This has proved to be my undoing because I think this year I was 18hours and 58 minutes moving time, a slight improvement from last year but this probably accounts for a similar distance.

As I have said earlier running through the night in these events is the most difficult time and when you add in an upset stomach and freezing conditions you have all the reasons you need to pull the pin and scuttle off home, tail between your legs. Many times during the night I was tempted to make myself sick but was worried if I started down that road I may be unable to stop and that would lead to severe dehydration, not an option when you’re not even halfway through the event. So it was on with the Aftershokz Aeropex headphones and back to the 1970’s I went, my happy place. Apart from changing my headtorch every few hours the night was uneventful. I promised myself another snooze just before sunrise knowing if I could get to sunrise the whole event changes as the images below show you why. Thanks to Joanne Oosterhoff who captured the moments beautifully.

As you can see from the images below I certainly cheered up when the sun eventually decided to peek over the horizon and start to heat up the surroundings.  It was a nice change from the previous evening when at one point the mist made it virtually impossible to see where you were going, very strange.  You’ll also notice my support crew out like a light,  albeit in Robs defence he had been with me most of the night and just returned from a top 3 finish in the 3 hour event. I spent my time logging the laps with breaks every other lap for some hydration and a SIS GU ( https://www.scienceinsport.com/au/ ,  ) these are more liquid than the Maurten so slightly more palatable.  I knew I wasn’t eating enough but had enough energy to run each loop without walking although I was probably spending too long at my marquee. Slowly my total distance crept up, I hit 100k in around 12 hours and set myself a target of 100 miles (160km) for the event, not too much of a stretch goal but I wasn’t in the mood for thinking of bigger numbers at that point.

Although the sun was up I was still suffering with stomach issues and relying on more liquid than solids but still lapping in the around 5:45min/k average , comfortable. Moving towards late afternoon I was three laps up on my nearest rival for third place and closing in on my 160k target. It is at this point I made another rookie error which would make the last 4 hours of the race challenging, to say the least. As the temperature started to rise it was time to change out of my skins and into some shorts after a good leg massage. After doing this I put in a good burst as my legs felt great and was sure I would be even further ahead of my rival for third place. Imagine my surprise when Rob checked the field and found Sergio and I were both on 152k, I was dumbstruck, how could this be ? Rob asked if the ankle bracelet was faulty and looking down I realised I had forgotten to put it on after I had changed out of my skins ! This was the low point of the day, instantly I knew I had 4 more hours of racing ahead of me to keep my podium finish and at a time where I was really beginning to suffer after putting in a big burst to break my opponent. At the time my friend Mark C. was with me and he drove to the local service statin to grab a bag of ice and a litre of orange juice, at my request. These items probably saved my race, I used the ice virtually every lap adding it to a neck tie and also my arm sleeves, the OJ  was just something I could keep down and had enough sugar to keep me moving forward.

As expected the last 4 hours was a slog but I managed to eek out a three lap advantage and then never let it go, running until the final few minutes of the 24 hours. In the end I ran an unofficial 196km total, a 4k PB , officially 187.5k.  Totally stoked with the end result, nearly matching my first 12 hours and working so hard for the third place. Must admit to a few tears when I finished, this feeling only a runner will understand, the release of  pressure of the whole event builds up and add in some seriously hard racing at the end, finishing really is special.  As I have said many times these ultra events strip you bare , there is no hiding and you discover so much about yourself each time you run one. The only caveat of course is one day you are going to go to the well and it will be empty, I’m glad to say today was not that day.

Will I go back and do this race again ? If you’d asked me this a day or two afterwards I would have said an emphatic no but now , after typing this, I’m not so sure. Because while I sit here at my keyboard and try and pen what I felt I realise how special it is to push yourself  past what you think is achievable. To reach out past the 40% that Goggins’s reckons is the limit for most people and see what the other 60% looks like, this is something special and this is what keeps you coming back. Several times during the race I was finished, 10pm lying freezing cold with stomach issues, 3pm in the same situation but even colder and more fatigued and finally 4 hours to go and knowing I would have to race every minute due to forgetting my timing bracelet. These are three occasions when I could have easily stopped, packed up my gear and gone home but on each occasion I chose to continue on, I chose to move past the 40% that limits most people in their daily life’s, I chose the path of most resistance.

The reward for all my hard work, a unofficial distance PB , a nice shiny medal and another great trophy to add to my one from last year for the same position. Both of these sit in my study and whenever they catch my eye I smile , remembering the pain I put myself to earn them and boy did I earn both of them. On a side note we had a COVID outbreak while the race was being run so at the end we all had to wear masks, go figure ? Made the presentations interesting.

Final few images below are the washing from a 24 hour race and my two trophies with all the regalia, I earned these bad boys but that’s the point isn’t it ? Looking at that image it does look like there could be room for maybe one more, maybe ? Giddy up…

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Next weekend I attempt my first 100 miler ultra, The Feral Pig Ultra. The race kicks off at midnight on Friday 7th November and if all goes well I’ll finish before midnight on the following day. Unlike a marathon where I can predict my finishing time with a minute or two accuracy with a 100 miler you’d be lucky to get it down to within 1-2 hours. ! With the added distance comes the added variables that can certainly change everything very quickly. add in navigating in the Australian bush and the heat of the day and it becomes a lottery as to whether you’ll finish at all. All you can do is train and train hard and hope , on the day, you also have the mental toughness to push through because in a race of this distance you will be asked questions you need to answer !

After the 24 Light Horse I’ve been lucky enough to string together a 7 week block of pretty consistent training which has physically prepared me for the challenge. Knowing I’ve put in the hard work has also helped my mental preparation as I know I’ve done the best I can in training and am now prepared to put it all on the line, when the time comes. More importantly I’ve enjoyed this training block and have added double days the last few weeks mainly because I’m just enjoying putting on the trainers and ‘getting out there‘.

In lock down it’s amazing how many races I have actually entered and I now have full calendar of events for the foreseeable future. This month is the Feral Pig 100 miler, December is the traditional 6 Inch Trail Ultra 48k(for the 11th time), January the Australian Day Ultra 100k, February The Delirious West 200 Miler, March,  Herdy’s Front Yard Last Man Standing Ultra, May it’s back to the 24hr Lighthorse and then June over to South Australia for the Irrational South another 200 miler and then August it’s Birdy’s Last Man Standing Ultra.  Add in the West Australian Marathon Club events and it looks like I’ll be sleeping with a bib on my chest.

I’m a big believer in distance, consistency and competing, get these things right and you’ll always perform at your best, unfortunately it’s a fine balancing act because get either of them wrong and your performance will suffer. You could also add in nutrition and hydration, both of which are overlooked when runners are training and racing , again ignore these at your peril. Who would have thought running was so complicated?

With distance performance improvements in running is virtually exponentially linked to this variable. If you run 50 km a week now and you start to run 100km a week you will improve, it’s that simple. This improvement will continue if you run 160km a week or more. Of course there is a ceiling of improvement and it’s not a linear improvement but up to a point improving at running is just doing it more, with the caveat of course of not getting injured and also making sure your diet reflects the increased work load.  Of course there are all types of workouts that will add to the improvement but generally just running more does the job.

Consistency over time is another big hitter in the running world. By adding distance you’re normally also adding consistency , they go hand in hand , but it’s important to realise that running daily is far better than a long run Monday and then three days of no running before another long run Friday,  you would be better splitting that total distance into 4-5 smaller runs but run daily, in my opinion. Personally I don’t like to have rest days but if you do I would recommend only one a week and make it before a harder run not a long run. The long run should normally be time on legs, so running on tired legs is normally ok.

Finally competing , nothing pushes you like having a bib on your chest and your heart threatening to explode through your rib cage ! Summed up by a classic Prefontaine quote below really.  There’s nothing more to say.

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This is the second post detailing my attempt to redeem myself from my first DNF last April at the 12 hour Light Horse Ultra. (It’s worth reading this post first..  https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/09/09/time-to-go-long-on-a-very-short-course/ ) To add spice to the occasion I upgraded two weeks out from the 12 hour to the 24 hour on the back of a great run at the Birdy’s backyard Ultra ( https://www.runbkrun.com/2020/08/16/most-fun-you-will-ever-have-in-running-gear/ ) Sounds like a logical thing to do but you need to factor in a nasty achilles tear limiting my training,  pre-event. As I always said logic does not come into a runners brain, ever ! Worse, an injured runner has more time on their hands and what’s the first thing they do, look for more events to enter, it’s a curse!

The event kicked off at 6pm and the plan was to run for 24 hours and finish at 6pm the following day. I had a few goals, as all ultra runners do which started with just being there at the finish (rather than scurrying off home in the dead of night like last year!) and then running a 100 mile total, with the ultimate goal being a 200 kilometre final distance (or better) I was as prepared as I could have been as the image below shows. I had my two bag of clothes including a sleeping bag, a small esky full of food, gu’s and drink and a cool bag with up and go milkshakes and various yoghurts. The largest bag was the reclining seat I used at Birdy’s , a life saver for the legs . With hindsight I had made the rookie error of selecting my youngest Daughter’s sleeping bag which was not built for the conditions I would face later than  evening. I could have also maybe packed a small two man tent (or a large RV with a comfortable bed!) as when I needed to have a ‘power nap‘ I would be unable to due to the fear of falling into unconsciousness and never waking back up because of the freezing conditions.  We will discuss this later in the post.

The race director has started this event to honour the men and women who have given their lives serving for their Country and this year he out did himself with exhibitions and also volunteers on horseback performing during the race. An outstanding effort I must say. We were also privileged to be a part of a rendition of the Last Post as the sun set , the ‘hairs on the back of your neck’ stand up type event.

So at 6pm we set off on what was to be my first of nearly 77 laps over the next 24 hours. I hadn’t really dialled in a race pace as such , it was to be a run at whatever pace I felt comfortable and adjust throughout the event. The most important thing was the hydration and nutrition as we all know an Ultra , of this duration, really is an eating and drinking competition with a bit of running thrown in ! It all comes down to it doesn’t matter how fast you are , if you run out of fuel you stop, ultra running is all about not running out of fuel , simple really.

Right to the race. The 2.5km loop itself is ran anti-clockwise for three hours and then we turn and run it clockwise, this is repeated 8 times. Funnily enough there was a difference and I preferred anti-clockwise. I moved along quite nicely for the first few hours concentrating on nutrition and stopping every two or three laps for a good feed. Given the distance I was hoping to achieve and the time I had up my sleeve these stops weren’t time critical but critical to me moving forward for the full 24 hours. I was probably stopping more times than I should have and maybe longer but I’d never ran 24 hours and it was better to still be running for the last few hours and make up time rather than hemorrhage it . In the back of my mind I had my Birdy’s experience where every 6.7k I was able to stop for 15-20 minutes. This made the final few laps at Birdy’s the fastest and I felt this format could work for the Light Horse.

I managed to stumble along until the witching hour, when you are at your weakest. For me it is the early morning when you have been running for 4-6 hours in the dark and you can’t see the morning light. This is when you are at your weakest and this is when the mental strength of running comes to the front. I was reminded of my previous post at this time, where I forecast a time when I would need my mental ‘Goggin’s’ strength, this was it.  I decided the best way forward was some serious massage gun time and then a power nap. This is where I nearly came undone. As I mentioned earlier I had brought my Daughter’s sleeping bag which was not built for the elements and temperature I was facing. I had planned for a 1-2 hour power nap but just ended up shivering, alone in the dark, at my lowest. Luckily I had foreseen this and made my Wife give me a lift to the start and then take the car home,  thus eliminating one exit point. This proved to be a good move as laying in that reclining chair , freezing, I would have found it so easy to take the easy option and bail, the same as last year. This year that option wasn’t there so I laid in my useless sleeping blanket wondering how long Uber would take if I could muster up the strength to stagger to the nearby road.

It got to about 3am , after 90 minutes of resting (and freezing) before I knew it was time to get running again and hopefully warm up or risk hyperthermia . So I left the comfort (?) of my reclining chair and off I went, into the dark. I couldn’t bring myself to shed my raincoat so ended up running in a thermal vest, running top, running jacket and a rain coat complete with a Georges beanie. I’d normally last about 10 seconds in this get-up but due to the freezing conditions I was able to run 3-4 laps before I needed to shed the rain coat. On the bright side I felt a lot better and actually managed to put in a few faster laps before the sun finally rose.  Trust me when the sun comes up all is suddenly good with the world…

The only downside with the sun coming up of course if you have to start shedding clothes and look to keep cooler, rather than warmer. It was going to be a particularly warm spring day and a change of attire was called for. Bye bye thermal vest and beanie , hello singlet, short shorts and running cap. Initially the fresh morning temperatures were invigorating but that soon turned to annoying as the temperature rose, that’s running in Western Australia, you avoid the late mornings onwards due to the high temperatures. Another bonus at this time was the 12, 6, and 3 hour races starting. From a field of just over 70 for the big dance we were faced with another 250 or so runners, this made things more interesting as we all stumbled along the 2.5k loop together, some moving into the second half of their races but most just starting, full of life. This extra encouragement helped and I got my head down and just kept running. I never actually walked on the loop but my stops were becoming more frequent and longer and with the added incentive of company. I had managed to get through 12 hours and rack up around 98k which was behind schedule but I had ‘rested‘ for at least 3 hours of the 12 so was confident I could still hit the 200k total target.

With so many friends also now running the day passed pretty quickly but I was slowing and taking more breaks as we moved into the afternoon. After half way nutrition and hydration really become important as the body starts to eat all its fuel and you need to make sure to replace calories quickly. You can do this in various ways including real food like rice, pasta, bananas etc or carbo shots and gu’s and the like. Get this wrong and your race is over very quickly, remember what I said earlier ‘an ultra is an eating and drinking competition with running as a distraction’  . I have a pretty cast iron stomach , which is a must for an ultra runner, but I was starting to avoid the food I had planned to eat as I just couldn’t stomach it anymore.  I made sure I was hydrated though and used my supply of Maurten drinks to keep me going. I highly recommend Maurten products, they just work.  I was also lucky enough to be camped next to Jon who always brings enough for the whole race including so many drinking bottles I assumed they were communal. Jon remarked that each lap he saw his rubbish bin get fuller and his supplies deplete.

Early afternoon was probably my favourite part of the race where I had worked out the best way to keep moving at a reasonable pace while taking time to rehydrate and rest at the many rest stops. If I felt good I’d run past my chair, if I needed a break I’d sit down, ultra running is quite simple really, you’re either running or eating and drinking. I went through my next goal, the 100 miles, in a reasonable state and then this run became my longest run ever. Next target was 178k as this was the distance the early race leader, the legendary Michael Hooker, had blown his kidneys and  been forced to abandon after 14 hours. This would also put me top 5 male which was another one of my goals for the race, a top 5 finish.

There was aso another race going on with Jon catching me after he had gone home for a few hours sleep earlier in the night. He had complained of a bad knee and hit the wall to such an extent he had contemplated pulling out. Instead he went home and had three hours good sleep in an electric blanket heated bed, a refreshing shower and some breakfast before returning and running like he had just started.  I was two laps behind him when he left and probably 6-8 laps ahead when he came back. This became more and more important as runners ahead of me dropped out and I rose to the dizzy heights of second with three hours or so to go. Unfortunately I was unable to hold this position as,  although I was still running,  I was taking longer and longer breaks and my average pace was slowing, after 22 hours funny that ? In the end Jon got me with about 45 minutes to go and that was the last nail in the coffin. I managed one more lap to take out Shaun Kaeslers 190k,  24 hour record and I was done,  with about half an hour left. Final total 92.55k and third male, 5th overall.

So what are the learnings from this race. It’s another tick in the box for my Delirious redemption training and also it’s a massive confidence booster as last year I DNF’d the 12 hour version of this race after three hours. To get to the same point this year , albeit at 7-8 hours in to the race,  and NOT go home was massive and add this to my Birdy’s finish I am more confident of doing well at Delirious in February next year.  Distance wise I could have done better but this was my first 24 hour race but looking at Strava (You do have Strava don’t you… http://www.strava.com ) I only ran for just less than 18 hours, (I had my Suunto on auto-pause so if I stopped running the watch would stop. )  That’s six hours of potential extra running time left out there. Next year I shall aim to take advantage of that extra time and break that 200k target.

Ultras test you and I mean test you. To quote Dean Karnazes ‘If you want to run a mile, run a mile. If you want to change your life, run a marathon. If you want to speak to God, run an ultra.’. In the image above I am making that call. ! On the plus side if you can keep running when every part of your body is telling you to stop it is an amazing achievement and one you can take forward into your everyday life. You can’t underestimate the power of mental toughness, look at Goggins ! ( https://davidgoggins.com/ I highly recommend some of his podcasts but be warned his language is colurful.)  Ultra’s help you hone this skill , they teach you valuable lessons.

Next on the agenda, in November,  is a good old fashioned point to point 100 miler, my first. The Feral Pig Ultra  ( http://feralpigultra.com.au/ ) is meant to be a hard race with some serious elevation but it’ll be another box to tick before Delirious next year.  Unlike my last two ultra’s this is a point to point trail run so I’ll expect lots of ‘Kev time‘ alone on the trails with some testing night time running. It’ll be as close to Delirious as I can muster pre-event so I need to finish it in a reasonable time and also feeling good at the end, remember Delirious is a 200 miler ! ( https://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/race-information/ ) Right that’s me for this post, as with the subject this has been an ultra-post but I hope you’re enjoyed it as mush as I enjoyed the event. I’m with Dean when it comes to Ultra’s , where else in life do you get the opportunity to speak to the big fella and if you run far enough he just might answer !

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After speaking to my number one , and only subscriber, Mum, it seems the links to the videos didn’t come across in my last post; albeit they were available on the web. Anyhow I’ve added some Bogan Race footage which is well worth a viewing and also links to the videos if they don’t come across on this link with mobiles. Best way , if the videos don’t display is to pop along to the website and view them there. Thanks Mum.

Rather than write about the experience I thought I’d add some video. My Daughters both got GoPro’s for Christmas so I ‘borrowed’ one and recorded some footage throughout the day. What do they say a video tells a thousand words ? (Forgot to mention I put in a bit of a dent in No3 Daughters GoPro on one of my many stacks during the day, it’ll come back to haunt me no doubt !)

The day before the race is the smaller version of the Delirious called the Bogan race, the race that stops a town.  Truth be told with Northcliffe it’s very difficult to tell when its stopped or started ? The race is a foot race holding a barrel after sculling beer along the way, in bogan fancy dress of course, sort of a beer mile on steroids. The first two videos are the Race Director explaining the rules and then the start of the race itself. ( https://vimeo.com/396639530 )

and the start of the bogan race, the race that stops a town….allegedly. ? ( https://vimeo.com/396642998 )

Right , back to the race, here’s the start. You’ll notice we actually deliberately go the wrong way as it’s tradition after last years navigational cock-up when the whole field went left when they should have gone right. Not a good start to a 200 mile race when you get lost in the first 1o metres ? It’s amazing any of them even found the finish line !! I was actually following Jen on this footage and we ran together for most fo the fist 70k before she dropped me and ran an amazing race to finish second female and top 5 finisher. I should have hung on for longer ! (https://vimeo.com/396109352 )

Next we are an hour or so into the race , still smiling . I think at this point we were top 10, mainly because everybody in front of us got lost.  Discussing our breakfast which consisted of waffles with bacon, ice cream, poached eggs and lots of maple syrup. The joys of ultra running. With hindsight more bacon would have probably saved my race ?  (https://vimeo.com/396110335 )

Fours hours in and still enjoying it, lots of walking and running, it was starting to heat up at this point, just before midday and after aid station 1. Certainly underestimated the distance between aid stations and this was eventually my downfall. Not enough nutrition or hydration early on led to the quads seizing up later in the race (around the 70k mark) and a long bus and train journey home for me. (in my race gear as my bag of clothes was at the finish line in Albany but that’s a post for another day !)  I have said many times on this blog an ultra is really just an eating and drinking competition with running between aid station a secondary activity. Get the eating and drinking wrong and the engine runs out of fuel, when that happens it doesn’t matter what car you’re driving, you stop ! End of story!  In an ultra a well fed diesel will always out perform a Porsche with an empty fuel tank ! ( https://vimeo.com/396112207 )

Four and half hours in and we’re starting to have second thoughts !!! Scenery is still awesome but I regret not putting on sunscreen around this time ! (https://vimeo.com/396113019 )

Around eight hours in and we’re both goosed ! Really hot at this point and some serious walking ! ( https://vimeo.com/396108801 )

Eight hours in and we’re starting to worry ! Realising we’re not even 10% into the race… oh dear.! (https://vimeo.com/396113815 )

This was after the 75k aid station, not happy , quads were locked solid. !! Around the 10 hour mark, still loving the scenery but dehydration and lack of nutrition was starting to take its toll. (https://vimeo.com/396109049 )

An hour later legs were good, pancakes and bacon finally kicked in. Probably around the 80 mark, eleven hours.  ( https://vimeo.com/396114361 )

Sunset , feeling pretty good at this stage, 6k into the next aid station and had managed to put together a good 10k of running. Legs had recovered at this point but unfortunately I went through one more aid station before pulling the pin. Quads totally seized around the 100k mark and I stumbled into Mandelay , at 112k , in a sorry state. Rookie errors,  namely not eating and drinking enough between aid stations and getting totally dehydrated due to the midday sun exposure with no suntan cream, what was I thinking. A couple of stacks on the last stage left me alone in the dark with a fading head torch, stumbling about lost. Running a race this distance is 90% mental and I gave myself so many reasons to stop but none to carry on. With hindsight a massage and a few hours sleep may have been enough to loosen off the quads but even the next day I found walking just about impossible and when you run a 200 miler the numbers can destroy you. I remember sitting in the chair at the last aid station , after running for 17 hours, totally goosed, thinking I still have over 230k  to go. At that point it was very easy to pull the pin when I found it painful to walk 10 metres !  (https://vimeo.com/396114936 )

So what’s the lesson learnt here. The race itself is just awesome and I can’t wait to try again. To that end I have entered another 200 miler in June called the Irrational South , another Shaun Kaesler special, what could go wrong ? ( http://irrationalsouth200miler.com.au/ ) Entries are open for a few more months if you want to join me, and maybe even get on the GoPro footage ? I even persuaded Jon to join me (albeit it is now sponsored by Trail and Tribe https://www.tribeandtrail.com.au/  so gets free entry)! and I’m working on Georges, it wouldn’t be the same without him and his ‘white t-shirt”?  The only fly in my 200 mile ointment is a nagging, niggly knee injury that has stopped me running since Delirious so it looks like I’ll be going in undercooked again, wouldn’t have it any other way !!! Giddy up.

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Rather than write about the experience I thought I’d add some video. My Daughters both got GoPro’s for Christmas so I ‘borrowed’ one and recorded some footage throughout the day. What do they say a video tells a thousand words ?

First offering is the start. You’ll notice we actually deliberately go the wrong way as it’s tradition after last years navigational cock-up when the whole field went left when they should have gone right. Not a good start to a 200 mile race when you get lost in the first 1o metres ? It’s amazing any of them even found the finish line !! I was actually following Jen on this footage and we ran together for most fo the fist 70k before she dropped me and ran an amazing race to finish second female and top 5 finisher. I should have hung on for longer ! (https://vimeo.com/396109352 )

Next we are an hour or so into the race , still smiling . I think at this point we were top 10, mainly because everybody in front of us got lost.  Discussing our breakfast which consisted of waffles with bacon, ice cream, poached eggs and lots of maple syrup. The joys of ultra running. (https://vimeo.com/396110335 )

Fours hours in and still enjoying it, lots of walking and running, it was starting to heat up at this point, just before midday and after aid station 1. Certainly underestimated the distance between aid stations. ( https://vimeo.com/396112207 )

Four and half hours in and we’re starting to have second thoughts !!! Scenery is still awesome but I regret not putting on sunscreen around this time ! (https://vimeo.com/396113019 )

Around eight hours in and we’re both goosed ! Really hot at this point and some serious walking ! ( https://vimeo.com/396108801 )

Eight hours in and we’re starting to worry ! Realising we’re not even 10% into the race… oh dear.! (https://vimeo.com/396113815 )

This was after the 75k aid station, not happy , quads were locked solid. !! Around the 10 hour mark, still loving the scenery but dehydration and lack of nutrition was starting to take its toll. (https://vimeo.com/396109049 )

An hour later legs were good, pancakes and bacon finally kicked in. Probably around the 80 mark, eleven hours. ( https://vimeo.com/396114361 )

Sunset , feeling pretty good at this stage, 6k into the next aid station and had managed to put together a good 10k of running. Legs had recovered at this point but unfortunately I went through one more aid station before pulling the pin. (https://vimeo.com/396114936 )

After little training for 2020 I took on the 350k (218 Mile) Delirious West Ultra, it was never going to end well truth be told. As regular followers of my blog (Mum?) will know I have struggled with my running mojo since August last year, actually probably longer. I managed a few reasonable results last year but overall I was struggling with form and motivation. This culminated in a total of 108k for 2020 up to the race, ( 7 weeks of running!) I’d normally call this total ‘Thursday‘ , so I knew the Delirious West Ultra would be a big ask.  (  http://deliriouswest200miler.com.au/ ) On the Monday of the race I was lucky enough to get a lift down to Northcliffe from Perth with the Race director, his right hand woman, Mel, and three other runners. We had a convoy ! After stopping at a KFC because Shaun, the RD, loves his bucket , Donnybrook for a pie (in the local bakery we found a pie-pizza, that’s right a pie with a pizza topping ! Genius  ! ) a Woolworths in Manjimup , where Shaun dropped nearly $3000 getting food for the 22 aid stations !! (there was a lot of food, my running buddy Georges reckoned he put on 5 kilograms after finishing the race !) we eventually made it to Northcliffe late afternoon Monday.  The race itself runs on the Bibbulmun track from Northcliffe to Albany, through some of the best scenery WA has to offer, apparently.  ( https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/  for anyone living and running in WA you need to get on this track !)

Right , Northcliffe is about 347km from Perth and about as country as you can get ! The hotel doubles as the pub, convention centre, holiday park and generally the catalyst of everything social in the town.  The pubs landlord, Duncan , and landlady, Helen, are true blue Aussi’s who,  if you cut them , would bleed green and gold. ! Such wonderful hosts and perfect for the event, they embrace the Delirious and for that few days in February become a runners dream location. The only downside to their wonderful establishment though is the rooms are a tad basic and my room, number 3, was right above the bar. On Monday night it felt like I was with Shazza as she dominated the pool table ! Luckily it was all quite Tuesday when I had ear plugs at the ready incase Shazza returned to kick some more pool table ass.  The food at the pub is outstanding, steak on Monday , pasta on Tuesday and waffles both days, you got to love ultra running where you really can eat what you want this close to the event, no worrying about putting on a few pounds when you’re running over 200 miles.  What a difference to running a marathon where you’re calorie counting weeks before the event and you spend more time on the scales than with your family. Ultra running really is the event that keeps on giving, one waffle at a time.

To show you how small Northcliffe is I had attached a photo of the train station, is that not the smallest train station EVER !! I’m assuming thee platform is for first class and the rest have to stand behind the painted line, brilliant.

Northcliffe train station, standing room only apparently?

Last year , it’s inaugural one, there was just over 30 runners for the event, this year that number doubled to over 60 starters and 15 , or so ,  defers to next year. Next year I’m sure it will sell out early and maybe even before it goes out to the public if Shaun offers entries to past runners and volunteers.  I’m hoping that I’m on the list of past runners albeit a past starter rather than finisher as I’m going back 100% ! (with a full support crew , pacers , poles , better legs and a decent head torch!) Anyhow as you can see from the photo the start is epic , surrounded by like minded, nervous runners who are about to challenge themselves like never before and have an adventure of a lifetime . (or in my case DNF horribly about a third of the way in !) Its a wonderful place to be.

The photo below shows the race winner , Jon far left, who ran the race of his life. Destroyed the field on the first day, destroyed himself on the second and then came good to battle to victory on day four , before driving to the local parkrun and running the 5k. He has gone down in folklore for that trust me ! Will anyone ever repeat that ? I’m not sure but I’m pretty sure there’s a few people (myself included) who will try next year, the Delirious +5 !!! You have to finish before 7am on Saturday morning to make the Albany parkrun by 8am.  Jon did it hard , with Peter Duff as his support crew driving his white BMW sports car through some seriously dirty outback roads, needless to say it was the colour of George’s shirt at the end of the adventure. Next to Jon you have my barista Georges. He, or his son Ben, make me and my Wife our morning coffee most weekdays. Over the last year I had been trying to persuade him to enter the race and he relented on the last day. Georges is recovering from shoulder and knee surgery a few months ago and, like myself , was undertrained .A cortisone a few days before the event got him through and he revelled in the adventure. I haven’t told him we’re going back next year, me to try and get into the Delirious +5 club and Georges for his double plugger,  plenty of time for that and plenty of coffee to drink discussing it.

To my left in the photo is my good friend Amy who had been suffering , pre-race , with shortness of breath and also a tight calf. Unfortunately a few kilometres into the race the tight calf turned into a calf tear and although she stumbled on there was no way you can run 350k with a tear, impossible. Things went from bad to worse after Amy stopped as her calf swelled up and lots of blood blotches started to show up , as the calf continued to swell. The medic called an ambulance and off to Albany hospital Amy was whisked, rapidly. Turned out she had blood clots in her lungs , which explained the shortness of breath, and both her calfs. She is one tough mother though and already talking up next year. My goal is to try and recreate this photo at the start in 2021 and also at the finish……

The course is well marked and up to 112k you shouldn’t get lost, assuming you have a good head torch and the course on your watch . After that I don’t know as I was on a bus home to Perth, tail between my legs.

Theres a tradition , after one year, at the Delirious where you actually deliberately turn the wrong way 100metres into the race and run for about a kilometre before turning back. This was because last year this actually happened and most of the runners ran around 5k the wrong way before realising their mistake and returning,. Imagine the spectators watching all 30+ runners disappear running North instead of South and then, 20 minutes later,  seeing them all come charging back and go the right way, priceless ! Shaun decided that because of this from now on all starters run the wrong way for a couple of kilometres, I suppose when you going to run 350k and extra couple should not be beyond you ? There was lots of giggling going on during the detour and the track, truth be told, was awesome. (I had actually walked that part of the track the day before believing I was going the right way myself, it’s easily done.)

The start of the race is biblical, you are full of beans and if you see a photographer you have to strike a pose. In the image below me and Georges are moving freely though the field,  loving every step and excited about the journey ahead.  This my favourite part of any ultra, well this and the finish, the hundred of kilometres  in between can get a bit tedious ? I jest of course, in an ultra you really can enjoy the whole journey and still avoid the pain box if you have trained well and make the right nutrition and hydration choices along the way. Remember an ultra really is an eating and drinking competition,  with running  between aid stations. 

More fun and games below, about 100 meters from the last photo, at this rate it’ll take weeks to get to the end , not days ! Can’t avoid a camera though, it’s be rude !

Right that’s it for Delirious part one.. I need a break and I’ll leave you with the image that will start the story tomorrow… some races are so long they need two posts !!

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