Here's the report....
After a slow start to begin training this time around I had a few good weeks logging over 160km with a few good runs with fellow lower Blue Mountains locals Sleep Train, Scurry and Mister G in the National Park and around the streets and hills of home. But in hindsight maybe a little too late as I missed out on some invaluable long runs.
While the training was starting to come together and my fitness was improving, life's obstacles got in the way three weeks out and training ground to a virtual halt. I even contemplated not running which reflected my emotional, physical and mental status. However, the ever positive and enthusiastic Sleep Train helped psyche me up and suggested that I should have a crack at a sub 4 hour finish and which I was quietly confident a month out that I had it in me. His suggestions of a diet fueled with watching DVDs of Gallipoli and 300 would help ignite my primal fires and I took his suggestion on board. But 6FT is hard to predict.
After a very sleepless night when my two year old decided that party time started at 1am the alarm sounded a few short hours later, rudely awakening me and it seemed I had only just closed my eyes. After getting up without waking anyone I made my way into the kitchen to consume my first coffee and a big bowl of oatmeal cooked in rice milk and a banana. Continuing to follow my previously successful pre-race routine an hour later I drank a 600mL gatorade and took two S-caps (still two hours to race start). Everything continued according to plan with the scheduled toilet deposit and mellow time with my wife before leaving to pick up Simon.
On all my runs over the last week I felt full of energy and had to hold back and not run beyond my fitness but not today. I felt flat, heavy and lethargic - not a good sign. And not what I was expecting. After a short warmup jog to loosen up and shake off the staleness I headed over to the start to see the Wave 1 runners head off (and also try and get into a good position at the start line myself as I knew it was going to be a chaotic race for a good position heading down the stairs.
Getting into position at the front the gun fired and I took off with the other runners but was surprised how quickly some of them went past on their way down. I was being a little cautious after slipping here at 12FT last year (painful memory). I got caught behind a couple of slow descenders but when the tracked made it possible they graciously moved over to allow me to pass. At the bottom of the stairs when the track opened up I decided to push the pace and see if I could make up some time on my way to the river. I was surprised when I quickly started catching and passing some of the wave 1 starters. I thought perhaps that I was going a little fast but I didn't feel like I was pushing beyond my limit.
I reached Megalong around 37:30 and at this stage I was a little concerned that my stomach was feeling very full. I took my first GU somewhere here with some water. I had a great run as always along the single track to the river which I reached in 1:12. About 1:30 into the run I grabbed a Hi-5 Gel and consumed it with 2 cups of water but immediately I regretted it when I almost gagged. The rest of the climb was with a sloshing stomach which didn't appear to be taking in liquids or nutrition. I tried eating some banana and watermelon at one of the aid stations which didn't go down well either. I was continuing to alternate between drinking sports drink and water from station to station but when my hands starting swelling I knew that I was getting into trouble. I reached Pluvi in around 2:26 (about 6 minutes behind plan) and didn't have much in me to pick it up along Black Range.
Upon reaching Deviation in around 3:15 from memory I noticed that I was starting to feeling good, my stomach had cleared and my energy levels had picked up. I had a great run through to the road running all but the steepest hill, hitting the road right on 3:30. Having run 12FT a couple of times I knew that I could easily run home in about 35 minutes and I was happy with the thought that I'll finish in around 4:05.
I'm always amazed at the clarity one has when sailing through the air. As careful as I was trying to be due largely to my tired state I didn't manage to lift me feet quite as high as needed. I clipped the top board on a flight of stairs and in slow motion flight reminiscent of the photographic sequences of a matrix fight scene I sailed through the air and rotated onto my side to take the impact of the fall squarely on my hip and shoulder. I lay on the ground stunned and winded but knew immediately that I had to get up and move before I stiffened up with post-run stiffness (rigor mortis). Argh! Within a few 100 metres I knew I was struggling. I could run but I had thrown my back out and the pain would build up to a point that I was forced to either walk or stretch out a little before I could run again. I had gone from feeling good to feeling very down about the race and found that I no longer cared about my finishing time as my goal of running in the 3:55-4:05 range had slipped away.
I continued on in this state of mind working through the pain and trying to run as much as I could as I just wanted to get it over and done with. Catching up with a Wave 1 starter he asked if we would make it under his goal time of 4:30 and I realised that if I picked it up now and ran to the finish that I could run under 4:20. That became my goal and as painful as it was over the final descent I made it and immediately I felt content. Finished in 4:19:36.
My contentment immediately changed to excitement and jubilation as I heard from Blue Dog that my sometime training partner had not only won the race but in the process set a new course record of 3:15. A time that could stand for many years. Unless Ben decides that he would like to raise the bar again.
On my way into Caves House I ran into Andrew Lee who I knew was a local as I had passed him on the streets around home and after introducing myself and asking how he had gone discovered that he had run in second place. Way to go Warrimoo!!!!!
Now I'm inspired to get myself back into peak shape. My wife would say it's about time that I start thinking like this again. She has to live with me.
After a slow start to begin training this time around I had a few good weeks logging over 160km with a few good runs with fellow lower Blue Mountains locals Sleep Train, Scurry and Mister G in the National Park and around the streets and hills of home. But in hindsight maybe a little too late as I missed out on some invaluable long runs.
While the training was starting to come together and my fitness was improving, life's obstacles got in the way three weeks out and training ground to a virtual halt. I even contemplated not running which reflected my emotional, physical and mental status. However, the ever positive and enthusiastic Sleep Train helped psyche me up and suggested that I should have a crack at a sub 4 hour finish and which I was quietly confident a month out that I had it in me. His suggestions of a diet fueled with watching DVDs of Gallipoli and 300 would help ignite my primal fires and I took his suggestion on board. But 6FT is hard to predict.
After a very sleepless night when my two year old decided that party time started at 1am the alarm sounded a few short hours later, rudely awakening me and it seemed I had only just closed my eyes. After getting up without waking anyone I made my way into the kitchen to consume my first coffee and a big bowl of oatmeal cooked in rice milk and a banana. Continuing to follow my previously successful pre-race routine an hour later I drank a 600mL gatorade and took two S-caps (still two hours to race start). Everything continued according to plan with the scheduled toilet deposit and mellow time with my wife before leaving to pick up Simon.
On all my runs over the last week I felt full of energy and had to hold back and not run beyond my fitness but not today. I felt flat, heavy and lethargic - not a good sign. And not what I was expecting. After a short warmup jog to loosen up and shake off the staleness I headed over to the start to see the Wave 1 runners head off (and also try and get into a good position at the start line myself as I knew it was going to be a chaotic race for a good position heading down the stairs.
Getting into position at the front the gun fired and I took off with the other runners but was surprised how quickly some of them went past on their way down. I was being a little cautious after slipping here at 12FT last year (painful memory). I got caught behind a couple of slow descenders but when the tracked made it possible they graciously moved over to allow me to pass. At the bottom of the stairs when the track opened up I decided to push the pace and see if I could make up some time on my way to the river. I was surprised when I quickly started catching and passing some of the wave 1 starters. I thought perhaps that I was going a little fast but I didn't feel like I was pushing beyond my limit.
I reached Megalong around 37:30 and at this stage I was a little concerned that my stomach was feeling very full. I took my first GU somewhere here with some water. I had a great run as always along the single track to the river which I reached in 1:12. About 1:30 into the run I grabbed a Hi-5 Gel and consumed it with 2 cups of water but immediately I regretted it when I almost gagged. The rest of the climb was with a sloshing stomach which didn't appear to be taking in liquids or nutrition. I tried eating some banana and watermelon at one of the aid stations which didn't go down well either. I was continuing to alternate between drinking sports drink and water from station to station but when my hands starting swelling I knew that I was getting into trouble. I reached Pluvi in around 2:26 (about 6 minutes behind plan) and didn't have much in me to pick it up along Black Range.
Upon reaching Deviation in around 3:15 from memory I noticed that I was starting to feeling good, my stomach had cleared and my energy levels had picked up. I had a great run through to the road running all but the steepest hill, hitting the road right on 3:30. Having run 12FT a couple of times I knew that I could easily run home in about 35 minutes and I was happy with the thought that I'll finish in around 4:05.
I'm always amazed at the clarity one has when sailing through the air. As careful as I was trying to be due largely to my tired state I didn't manage to lift me feet quite as high as needed. I clipped the top board on a flight of stairs and in slow motion flight reminiscent of the photographic sequences of a matrix fight scene I sailed through the air and rotated onto my side to take the impact of the fall squarely on my hip and shoulder. I lay on the ground stunned and winded but knew immediately that I had to get up and move before I stiffened up with post-run stiffness (rigor mortis). Argh! Within a few 100 metres I knew I was struggling. I could run but I had thrown my back out and the pain would build up to a point that I was forced to either walk or stretch out a little before I could run again. I had gone from feeling good to feeling very down about the race and found that I no longer cared about my finishing time as my goal of running in the 3:55-4:05 range had slipped away.
I continued on in this state of mind working through the pain and trying to run as much as I could as I just wanted to get it over and done with. Catching up with a Wave 1 starter he asked if we would make it under his goal time of 4:30 and I realised that if I picked it up now and ran to the finish that I could run under 4:20. That became my goal and as painful as it was over the final descent I made it and immediately I felt content. Finished in 4:19:36.
My contentment immediately changed to excitement and jubilation as I heard from Blue Dog that my sometime training partner had not only won the race but in the process set a new course record of 3:15. A time that could stand for many years. Unless Ben decides that he would like to raise the bar again.
On my way into Caves House I ran into Andrew Lee who I knew was a local as I had passed him on the streets around home and after introducing myself and asking how he had gone discovered that he had run in second place. Way to go Warrimoo!!!!!
Now I'm inspired to get myself back into peak shape. My wife would say it's about time that I start thinking like this again. She has to live with me.
4 comments:
Great run. Great to see you're getting back into it.
Thanks. Great to read about your 12FT experience. I really felt like I was there. I find running 12FT an easier option to racing 6FT.
Great run and report.
Nice to see you are think positive again mate.
Another win at 12' would be good again.
Thanks Brick.
Hope you're feeling better after 6FT.
I have been quite negative towards my running since 12FT last year and now I'm thinking it's time to get over it and move on. I wasn't thinking of doing 12FT again but.... sub 10 hours seems kind of special!
Time to start training like an ultramarathoner...
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