Australia Day Ultra 25/50/100km
I ran this race in 2015 during it’s inaugural event. I had a lofty target of four hours even. Readers may not remember the write up, but you may recall that time when I was passed by a capped and bearded man wearing a tutu.....well that race and I had some unfinished business in 2016.
Once again I toed the line in the 50 kilometer event, same as last year but this year I knew I had come along way in my training. I had learned much about not only my personal fitness, but how to manage my own mental strengths and am coming to grips with my bodies race requirements in the water and nutritional departments. I was coming off the back of a successful 6 Inch race and in a good mental place.
This race is an out and back course along Lake Leschenult, 6.25km out and 6.25km back with an aid station at each turn around and one right in the middle. The 50km event runs four laps, the 100km eight while the brand new 25km event zips about in just two.
The family and I made our way down on the Friday afternoon and settled in with family for the evening. I tried to get an early night before the 1:30am wake up call but this is often fruitless the night of a race. I did my best and was tucked in by 10:30pm.
An early rise meant for tip-toeing about the house getting myself sorted before slipping away on the short drive to the startline to meet the other 50 and the 100 runners. Registrations and mandatory kit check went smoothly and I moved about the small crowd quietly catching up with friends and other competitors getting set up. The run brief was exactly that, nice and brief. The pack staged behind the timing strip and I once again sided up with Tony Smith. The man very same Tony that paced me to a 3:12 marathon debut. We had chatted before the race and knew we could work together for a fair chunk of the race and then throw down in the closing of the race and see who had the most left. I was pretty confident he would not only beat me, but he would do it with quite a margin, but I do my best when playing with others. My goal was to run my plan and if possible beat Tony’s winning time from last year and go under the course record. We will see if I have the legs this year to run a time that would have won last year.....aim high they say!
A quick handshake then at 3:07am both distances were unleashed and we made our way along the ‘J’ shaped start/finish end of the course onto the path proper. We were all aglow with head lamps and reflective vests, must have been quite the sight.
Right away Tony and I are on target pace of 4:30 knocking out a 4:31 out of the box working with the thinning crowd. We were up the pointy end but a pack had already gone out hard, including a few of the 100′s. It was clear this was going to be a spectacle, either in stellar finish times or blow ups, fingers crossed I’m in the former.
We were running lap one right where we both wanted to, conversation was comfortable and while I knew I had run Kalgoorlie Pipeline Marathon at this pace it still made me think “woah.....can I really do this?” As we were heading out for the first time Tony declared “I’m only running with you so I get a mention in your race report” We both had a laugh about that as we counted of faces in the dark as the lead runners made the turn and headed back. At this point there were no surprises ahead of us with the exception of two of those people were 100k runners, Dave and Rick. After the turn we caught Dave after a brief stop but Rick was still ahead running with the lead lady and World 50k competitor (insert typical fanboy sigh) Tina Major.
At some point along here I explained my theory about how I was to run this four lap race. Each lap was a stage, and stage one was almost complete.
This lap is the shake out lap, usually easy, often too fast and we catch up and have a laugh (much to my wife's shock that we laugh and joke at that pace let alone speak at all) It was exactly that, fresh, fun and quite social. The first 12.5km were bowled over at 4:35′s or lower for a lap time of 56:15. A quick splash from a plastic cup as I cross the timing mat to head out, sharing my cup of water with Tony.
By set I mean ‘set the pace’. I needed to lock in that cadence of 180 and needed that 4:30 average to be programed into my legs for the following stages. We still chatted, and I had my first gel on approach to the middle aid station at about the 70 minute mark. Our group of three caught Rick whom seemed to be flagging a little, or perhaps he could hear us talking and thought it would be easier with us than trying to outrun us, either way, I met Rick and the four of us shared the chat on the way out over the speed bumps and old bitumen section. Tina was still left alone ahead of us, our shadows occasionally casting ominus shapes around her feet. Tony instinctively leant on the pace to close the gap. Cranking out split times down into the mid 4:20′s with only one km being over 4:30 (4:33). I personally was flirting with danger, too much of this and I would be in trouble later. Today was a day to push the envelope, but this was like running with scissors! With less than 3km left of the ‘Set’ phase we caught Tina. First Tony had a chat, then Dave and then it was my turn as our pace bus picked our way past while saying g’day, introducing ourselves and avoiding oncoming traffic. I admit, I mentioned that I read one of her race reports from a super fast 50k race in Canberra. #fanboy strikes again. I seriously can’t help myself. We all swing around the ‘J’ again with Rick and Tina now behind me, Dave swings wide for supplies and Tony and I are left still close as we head back out again, a quick sip from my handheld stashed at the turn and we were off again with no change to the order. The second 12.5km lap time was almost perfect split with only a second slower time of 56:16 recorded. We also got to dump our vests and headlamps after 2 laps, oppose to last years 3. Perfect.
This lap is where I made some mistakes last year, and this year I had to play it smart. I had a plan and I needed to stick to it or risk falling over while running with those scissors. As soon as we hit the path Tony tells me he is cranking it up a notch “shaving 5 or so off” Turns out that was somewhat misleading but at the 25km mark I was left with a choice of going with, or sticking to my own plan. Tony lifted sooner than I had expected, but I chose to run my own race here. I had hoped I would see him again but as it happened, Tony pulled much more than 5 seconds per km out and built a hefty buffer for himself.
I now had Dave, a well accomplished Commonwealth runner behind me in the 100 class and Tina another well accomplished international representative (with stunning running form I might add) behind me. I could hear them talking from time to time. Once again on approach to the middle aid station I had my second gel at about the 28km mark, just over planned time of 60 minutes, but I held it for a bin and chance to rinse it down with water from the station. After a momentary stop I had to get my rhythm back and my sensible low 4:30′s started to creep back down into the 20′s all the way to the cul-de-sac turn where I managed to pop out a weary leap shot for Alexis from Running WA.
I rounded the turn calling my number to the aid angles helping there and set back out for my second last leg home. I had to remind myself even though I felt really good at this point, I still had 1.5 laps to go and had only gone past 31.5km. It was good to feel in control, but let’s not see too many more 20′s. I saw Tina was looking great but I had a nice margin and thought I had better start saving some heart beats for later. Tina is very experienced and I am sure she is just waiting for me to make a mistake ready to pick off. I settled the pace back to low 4:30′s. I finished ‘Stage Smart’ with a string of 4:35′s as dawn morphed to morning. Lap time slid a little and I posted another 12.5km lap 38 seconds slower at a time of 56:54. No change of place for me or the now well spread leaders. I was holding 6th place overall, almost exact laps and average pace was now 4:30 exactly. Every smile I sent out was real, I was beaming. It was now time for the fourth and final lap.
Heart, all my training had got me here, my legs and brain had set this lap up, but it was going to take some heart to close the deal. If I wanted this personal goal I was going to have to dig deep. By now i was on approach to the middle aid station again and time to have my third and final gel. It was a Roctane ‘super dooper’ Gu, but first gulp nearly made me gag. A new flavour and it tasted foul. I got as much in as possible, dropped the packed in the bin and rinsed as soon as I could, handing over precious seconds before lifting those little legs of mine back to pace. In the shade of the tea tree’s I passed the 42.2 mark, even with coming to a dead stop and almost 8kms still to go I set a new marathon best. Mr Garmin says a time of 3:10.34. No one is about but I smile anyway. Two minutes off my marathon and a week nights training run to go. In my mind though I have a concern about that last gel, it was sitting fine now, but was it enough to be able to hold off Tina’s late charge? Tony was long gone now, the leader Tom had already stormed past, second place Mike was a way back but still charging ruthlessly. I expect to see Luke next but see Big Kev.....a shuffle up the front? As I near the last turn for the final time I see Tony, not Luke. A bigger shuffle ahead. I call to Tony who says “he’s done, maybe a hammy?” I can see the cul-de-sac and Luke on his way south. Bare chested and that look on his face where you reflect on where you went wrong. I don’t think it was a hammy, he went out with a smashing pace and paid the price late in the game.
For the second time ever, I decided to break into my emergency supply. Partly from fear of Tina (did I mention she had fantastic form? It was like running from a T1000, sent back from the future to run you down with shiny metal sword hands and perfect forefoot strike!!) and partly because I didn’t get many calories in last gel I had a NoDose tablet. I have no idea if it worked or not, but it was good to know I had something.
Now on the home straight. Last year I was ticking off mental milestones, I also slowed and was passed a few times, desperate not to walk. This year it was the opposite, I was champing at the bit, trying to keep the pace steady, I consciously slowed down clocking a 4:44 and a 4:39 split consecutively in an effort to save some for Tina’s late challenge. I swept into the middle aid station for the final time, gulping a small cup of coke and tipping a small water over my head. 3km to go and time to get the shovel out and start digging.
I clawed back the aid stop time and lifted some more, I knew my goal was almost complete, my heart swam in joy as I knew I had a strong finish in me. The knee’s pumped and I hefted air through my mouth. Someone coming the other way yelled “wow man you’re sprinting!” and I was. There was no charge from behind, Tony was long gone and already finished with a 6 minute or so lead, but still I gave it all I could clocking a 4:19 in my second last split, and a 4:07 in the final. The thought crossed my mind that I should have gone earlier, but that would have been a risk, and I honestly was already running in a place I had never visited before, so I think I played it smart for a great result.
My final lap was a mirror of my third, 56:54 exact, 5th place overall and under last year course record with an official time of 3:46.18. Close to 25 minutes off last year, and almost an hour off my first 50km road race. Happy is an understatement.
It really is a great day out. Soon after a few of us including Bryant, Margie and of course Tony slipped over to Bunbury for a cheeky 5km parkrun before coming back to the course to welcome in the other finishers. It really is a wonderful community we have, and the encouragement on course is something I just can’t explain, so if you want to experience a fast, flat and super friendly 25, 50 or 100k, head down next Aussie Day, free hi fives all day long.
Oh.....and then there was this shot ‘for the report’ Ha! Thanks Tony, once again we shared a great run.
