Maroondah Dam Trail Run 30k

Beautiful medal eh??

What can I say... I'm glad I signed up for just 30k because I would've perished if it was any further! While Maroondah Dam is a beautiful location, this event is absolutely brutal of a course with all the uphill & downhill cramped into one big ascent & descent. If you're searching for hurt, this is the one!

Anyway I've been taking it easier with events for the past months as I come full-circle in a way in terms of realising that my body can't keep getting hammered without sufficient time to recover!.. and I feel fortunate to have realise this now before any irreversible injury might have occurred, a few twisted ankles & niggling knee pains are enough reminders..

I will actually be taking a looong vacation soon from running (and that's for another higher reason altogether).. I nominated Maroondah to be the 'last' event and I feel it has been a good choice not just because I've always wanted to do this course, but I felt it would be challenging enough to allow me to push & leave it all out there on the trails.. as such it would be nice to pick up from there again once its time to do so.... :)

This year's course is in fact a brand new one, and having run the old course before as part of my preparation my preference is actually this new course.. straight up & down with all the best bits!

Check out beard-guy's huaraches! Courtesy of Piffles Inc

It's all about hill-training if you're thinking of doing this event, for me what I lacked in preparation was knowing how well my legs would hold up after more than 5k of steep downhill.. and how fast/slow I should be going to enable a more consistent 15k finishing. The race-mentality I brought with me was 'the first 15k is the one you need to worry about, after that it should be easier!'

I was clearly wrong about the last part.

I definitely had insufficient sustained downhill training & whilst I had a great time going fast on the steep downhill from Mt St Leonards, it left my legs with very little once I was back on the flatter sections.. sips of gel + heed kept me going but my legs felt absolutely wrecked. I know better now! Needless to say the last 3 hills near the finishing, small as they are, felt like 3 mountains..

Here are some fun insight notes I have put together regarding the course!

The small creek crossing in the last 5k was god-sent. The battered legs needed some refreshing & it couldn't have come at a better time. It did give me blisters but that was mainly because I got lazy with taping my toes properly. It would've been nice to have a few more creek-crossings along the way! 

Here's how my last 5k went:

Last 5k.. in a world of hurt! Courtesy of Trailsplus

I did do a more inspiring jumping shot across the finish! Courtesy of Trailsplus

All in all, I would highly recommend this event to anyone searching for a challenging course.. we were fortunate to have beautiful weather this year, the course would be a different beast if there was rain! Should think about poles if it ever does rain..

Hey its a brief entry but thanks for reading folks, its been a blast! happy running! See you on the trails soon.

Buffalo Stampede 2015 - Gored, Gutted.. & Survived

Bring it on, you Buffalo! Photo credit: Aurora Images

I feel all the good vibes again looking at this picture :) Positivity, pride, happiness, and a real sense of achievement... I'm extremely glad I could relinquish the demons from last year (though to be honest its long faded ~ its not like I have nightmares every night!) & just make good a promise I made to myself a year ago.

There is also a little glimpse into the possibilities as well.. the body & mind was actually feeling extremely good towards the end ~ I felt like I could have gone beyond the 75k and take on even more if it had to! (Or maybe I was just ridiculously over caffeinated!)

I also got to know my gut a bit better - that it is a sensitive beast.. and it will turn into the incredible hulk regardless after 50k!! And it's great I also know what it needs to calm back down..

Mentally I was fully ready to complete the Stampede. I made up my mind very early on that unless I was physically broken, I would wrap it up one way or another. I was a bit apprehensive in the last few weeks before Buffalo because my training was less than ideal, but other than that it was as if the 75k was already completed in the head, and the physical body simply needed to catch up!

What made it even easier was having the great company of like-minded folks (Jamie, Gavin & Grace) for the final 25k. Gavin told me he was going to finish even if it took him longer than 17 hours, Jamie was suffering big time with gut & feet issues (that made my last year's suffering laughable) decided he just wanted to finish (he came all the way from Sydney!).. and Grace, who was just after some company to tackle the darkness was steady & strong which helped.. four of us got together at Bucklands aid station & were happy to complete the run together.

On hindsight, having their company was actually fantastic not only because we could look out for each other tackling the steep hills in the dark, we could bounce off words of encouragement & do fist pumps & crack jokes & share salt-tablets etc.. naturally we can't always plan to have company to help get through the tough bits in an ultra (& even if you do get company who's to say they will be good/positive company?? they may turn into werewolves!!) - but just saying there's no harm embracing it because the company WILL help.

OK let me get down & dirty into it section by section:

Race prep

Wasn't the most ideal preparation but decided I would make up with rest with sheer will power! I was happy with the amount of hill-climbs I've done, but not too happy with the endurance training..

Working against last year's lessons - I learnt how to tape my entire feet properly to avoid blisters (for me a game changer), single layer top for temp regulation, and stuck with the good fitting & soft-soled Karrimor shoes.. not the ideal shoes in terms of quality but as long as it was fit for race-day it'll have to do. Last few days before Buffalo I felt very relaxed & slept well - which always helps.

General race plan

Use last year's timings as a guide, take it easier on first 2 climbs, aim for first 52k & then keep moving! Minimal solid foods & get ready to tackle gut issue! Hug wife at aid stations! Finish the damn run within cut-off!

Pretty color-coordinated bunch aren't we? Grey, Blue, Red.. Photo credit: Aurora Images

Start - Mystic - Bakers Gully

The climb up to Mystic felt longer than last year's, the route also felt a bit different from memory (it seemed to snake in & out the direct fire-trail climb a bit more?).. the body was moving OK, however wasn't expecting to use as much energy as I did ~ made mental note to self to reserve bit more for the 1st climb to Mystic next time (if there's a next time). Bumped into Kevin at the top of Mystic & he confirmed the route is indeed different this year! Aha! I wasn't imagining things after all.. picked up some pace descending towards Mick's track.

Mick's track was more powdery & dry compared to last year's muckiness. So it felt easier for traction but required a fair amount of bum-sliding moments as well.

Mick's Track in its full glory

Clearspot - Eurobin (25k - 4h 06min)

Photo credit: Aurora Images

Didn't linger at BG & went straight to tackle the big bad Clearspot. Everyone was going up around the same pace & as expected, the climb was relentless but manageable. The legs (& poles) were ready for it.. no mental surprises.. made it up in one piece (didn't really check the time). All was good..

Didn't linger at Clearspot either & started the long descent to Bucklands. The view was not as spectacular as last year's so wasn't really distracted. Nearly rolled my ankle over a small rock & had to double-focus on the trail I was running on. Kept reminding myself to focus, because if there was one section where my ankle would buckle again, this would be it! Focus Bin Focus!!

Caught up with Gavin. Ran with him for a bit & then went ahead.. by the end of the long descent & into the roads towards Bucklands, the quads started to pinch just a wee bit.. signs of early cramps (that was quick!). Started sipping more tailwind to up the salt.. stay with me Quads!

The view as we approached Bucklands aid station is as breathtaking as I remembered it. Thought to myself this would be where I'd station if I was event photographer! Marched on gingerly on that thought..

Ain't she a beauty

High-fived all the kiddies, the wife & SCTR crazies as I approached the aid station, was truly great to see them!.. I was feeling great & didn't linger long at the aid station. Took in some chips & moved on. Mind was pretty set on getting to Eurobin at this stage..

Power hiked over Keating Ridge with a couple who were seasoned runners from Sydney. They were moving great but had concerns over cut-off & overall strategy being newbies.. shared as much as I could. Before long, we were trudging along the road towards Eurobin.. reach around the same time as last year (4:06)

Big Walk - Chalet (35k - 6h 42min)

2014 vs 2015

After a quick 5-7min, I was out of Eurobin. No solid food of course. I had taken in just more chips & salt tablet to prevent the cramps..tightness on the front quad was getting more apparent. Wondered whether it was due to compression trail shorts I was wearing which had particular squeeze on the front quads.. anyway couldn't possibly run without shorts so had to start the Big Walk climb regardless..

Did a big section of Big Walk with another runner Gareth (I think) - had a good chat about everything under the sun with him, which helped keep the mind distracted. A long slow trudge & I didn't push too hard as I'm mindful about pacing myself. Shortly after reaching the flatter part I broke away from Gareth.. the legs were happier on the flats & moved into Chalet feeling good.

Chalet - Galleries - Chalet (42k - 8h 16min)

The gut wasn't too happy with Tailwind during the climb.. and was slowly turning against powergels too. Changed Tailwind to Heed & needed to sip more water to calm the unhappy gut.

The wifey said to lose the poles going into the Galleries loop coz there was going to be rabbit holes to crawl through etc. I did so without hesitating.. a mistake upon hindsight, this is a difficult 7k & there were still several ups & downs that needed tackling.. had to just put hand on quads & push.

Rabbit hole.. nice & cooling

As expected, 7k took me 1.5 hours to complete.. bumped into the Siqi & Anthony and had brief exchanges.. Siqi didn't look too flush (cramps) but Anthony was looking fresh ("but I feel so tireeeed").

The rabbit hole was a nice change. I was alone this time (last year there was a queue!) & the rocks were nice & cool it was tempting to just sit there & relax.

As soon as I cleared the 2nd rabbit hole, congratulated myself for that's the half-way mark! Yippee!

Pulling into Chalet, cowbells were music to the ears, (I think) Gareth came to cheer me on but couldn't recognise him.. I believe he had decided to pull out & had changed out of his running gear.. oh well, cheers buddy!

Hugged wife, took pictures, stretched quads, took on-board more Heed, more water and many more salt tablets.. I knew these were going be the 3x crucial ingredients for the rest of the journey. Left Chalet on a high & forgot poles.

Big Walk - Eurobin (52k - 9h 56min) 

Photo Credit: Wife

Messaged wife "Poles Eurobin" shortly after leaving Chalet - thank goodness it was downhill for next 10k. Didn't go thrashing the quads like last year as on a few occasions they were threatening to cramp. Had to go easy.. 1 or 2 runners overtook me. Energy level waning. Pretty much a lonely section. Pulled in at around same time as last year.

Decided to spend a bit more time at aid station to get things right before setting off. Changed top, changed head-wear, Heed, many more salt tablets, water, ate some fruits, chips, grabbed POLES.

Saw few more runners pull in inc Vanessa & everyone looking/feeling positive on finishing within cut-off. "Its only 25k, how many 25ks have you done?" Vanessa's words of wisdom as she left the aid station.. pretty much a 'just keep moving' plan from this point onwards.

7 hours for 25k - sounds ridiculously generous. But was it really?

Eurobin - Bucklands (61k - 11h 47min)

Shortly after starting the climb up Keating Ridge, new friend Jamie caught up with me.. he was looking in fine power-hiking form. I was surprised when he suggested whether I wanted to complete together as he was faster - it was getting dark & he wasn't in best of form in actual fact - threw up 5x times up Big Walk & his feet was hurting going downhill.. 5x times!! Jamie was surviving on watermelons & coke. I complimented him on his determination & decided it will be fine to stick together.

Several occasions he had asked me to run ahead if I wanted to (esp downhill) but I knew he was in pain, so we stuck together. He had suggested if we power-hiked the whole way back we could make it just fine. I had no timing target & decided to just take it easy & enjoy the rest of the journey as best possible! Just 3 more hills...

Breaching the 56k mark halfway up Keating Ridge, it was a new personal record for me. From that point onwards I was breaking new grounds. Secretly very proud (couldn't possibly hug Jamie). Before long Keating Ridge was done. 1 hill down.

The sun was gone for the day as we left Keating Ridge & pulled into Bucklands. We were also joined by Gavin & Grace. I think everyone could have slow-jogged intermittently but was happy to power-hike for a bit together & rest the legs. Cut-off was the only thing on everyone's mind & Jamie was reassuring us that we'll be fine. Everyone knew we had 2 big climbs coming & in the physical state we were in, it was perhaps best to stick together & support each other in case of anything.

Bucklands night fruit market! Photo credit: Piffles Inc

Bucklands - Bakers Gully (72k - 14h 42min)

Kissed the wife & left Bucklands after a short spell. Phoenix gave me & Gavin glow rings 'so that we can see you coming' bless that girl. We stuck together as we power-hiked our way to Clearspot. It was quite a long hike.. from a distance we could see Warners Wall - head-lamps flickering & all.. the body was tempted to jog but on hindsight it was best to save legs for the climb. Besides, Warners Wall was just a first section & its actually a very gentle slope that slowly gets steeper & steeper. The hidden 2nd section doesn't get seen until Warners Wall is cleared. Gavin had some trouble with his poles & was cursing in the silent of the evening..

And so the climb ensued. Heavy-breathing. Head-lamps shining directly onto a wall of dirt. Dust everywhere. Pushing hard with poles with small but consistent steps. Many short stops to catch breadth. Could hardly talk. Losing voice & could mainly speak softly when chatting to Gavin.

Gulps of Heed. Salt tablets. Small portion of gel. Every 20mins or so.

Funny moment when Gavin's phone suddenly rang while we were deep into the climb. It was Sophie.. she heard someone called Gavin who was with someone called Jamie had suffered cramps & needed medical attention. Gavin spoke between breaths explaining it wasn't us & he was fine & healthy & halfway tackling the big bad Clearspot with Bin.. :) what are the chances of such coincidence of names eh?

Warners Wall was utterly sapping. Hats off to last year's runners having to tackle this wall filled with mud! But if there was one section that drained me completely its the last 2k before summit of Clearspot.. in the darkness as we chugged on I remember seeing some lights at the top of hill & thought to myself  'that can't possibly be Clearspot.. that's too high up' ... but of course it turned out to be exactly that... & for the first time the mental determination was truly shaken.

This last 2k wasn't as gnarly as Warners, but at that point I was really struggling to find energy. Heed helped. Mouth & body didn't welcome anything else. Gut was gurgling everytime I ate gel. Burped a lot... relied heavily on the poles & moving very very slow.

Baby steps after baby steps, Clearspot was finally conquered. The other 3 were resting at the picnic table when I finally caught up with them. Jamie had his head down, Gavin & Grace seem to be holding up well. I sat down & could only stare blankly at the lights of Bright some distance away. A beautiful sight but could hardly muster enough energy to appreciate it. Wished I had at least snapped a selfie with the gang & the lights. But the thought hardly crossed my mind.

Jamie was getting cold & urged us to move on. We tackled the long downhill & nearly took wrong turns.. twice. Told Gavin this must've been where Siqi got lost last year. Anthony had went the wrong way in fact & did extra 2k (good thing he found his way again).

Seeing the camp-fire at Bakers Gully was invigorating. The vollies were cheerful & helpful - before long everyone had their energy restored & was pumped to get going again. 2 hills down. 1 last one to go!! We were all in a good head-space at that moment.

Bakers Gully.. too tired to eat watermelon normally. Photo credit: Kathy Swinkels

Bakers Gully - End (16h 35min)

As we left for Mystic, Grace remarked that whilst there are no man-eating animals in Oz it was good to have tackled the darkness in a group, Jamie & Gavin then mentioned wild boars are still able to make a mess on us & as if on cue.. sudden big movement in the bushes next to us.. :)

I felt happier going up Mystic. Still slow of course but had more energy & legs felt better. Had to let out a primal yell of joy when I finally cleared Mystic... waited for Gavin to tackle the downhill together. Before long we caught up with Grace & her husband & some other runners, we went zig-zagging down Mystic & it was very dusty. My head-lamp wasn't the strongest & it was hard to see & breathe with so much dust kicking up as we went downhill (I should add that back in the Inn after the run, clearing my snots they were actually brown with dust!!). I fell twice, fortunately took on no injuries.

Reaching the flats, Jamie & I were in front and we power-hiked the final 3k with hope that Gavin & Grace would catch up. And caught up they did in the final 1k.. spirits were high as we made our way past sleeping/snoring campers along Morse Creek...

And in the last 100m it was hard to hide a smile, we formed a line & jogged our way to the finishing..

Hugging the wife & thanking the SCTR supporters & heart-felt congratulations & showing of appreciation for Jamie, Gavin & Grace it was raw TRAIL LOVE at its very core.. and easily the biggest moment in my trail running 'career'. :))

Defining moment.. with Gavin, Jamie & Grace. Photo credit: Wife

75.5km with 4,545m elevation gain.. JOB DONE. Time to retire!

Now that the biggest race in the whole wide world is over for me.. I'm not rushing to commit to another event just yet. Going to be picky with my events & get back to just enjoying the trails.. perhaps try out rogaining & get some camping done?? :)

Hope the race report on Buffalo Stampede 2015 has been informative for those keen to take on next year's event. Thanks for reading folks! Happy running!

A collection of our beautiful faces for memory lane... :)

Cheeeeese

High-fiving the ever-awesome Kirsten! 

The super-moms & super crew.. without whom the hubbies are nothing!

Superman Tim!

Up up & away! (Anthony looks like he's strangling himself :D)

Here's a quick link to my 2014 Buffalo DNF experience.. 

Macedon 50k - Sweet Brutality..

It is hard to imagine it was just last Sunday I made that rather strained leap across the finish line, hammies hammered & fingers frozen, but with such sweet elation.. :) I have my wife to thank for these memorable finishing shots, completing the Macedon 50k felt absolutely fantastic only because it lived up to the toughness that everyone had described it to be. I'm proud that I finished with little left in the legs - I pushed myself hard in the final 2k climb & executed pretty much as planned!

And not-so-secretly it was also the mini-redemption for the DNF at Buffalo.. the 'rebound' run :) While the two are very different runs, Macedon is no push-over either & demanded serious mental & physical commitment (for me anyway!). It felt like I've tied up some loose ends from Buffalo & reinstated that important feeling of completion..

This year we also had a contrasting lovely weather. Personally I would've enjoyed a bit of rain & muck but the weather was certainly more welcoming in general compared to last year's weather el miserables.. race organisation was great but Brett seemed a little bit short on volunteers.. directions & ribbons were a-plenty but certain sections it was still possible to take wrong turns.

Anyway. Let's jump into the race recap....

The General Plan was very similar to last year's.. broke it down to chunks of 10k - I gave myself a bit more breathing space for the first 30k and set the target for 4:30hrs (1:20, 1:30, 1:40)... I knew I would be slowing down despite a general downhill profile for 30-40k so I planned for 1:30 for this section. For the next section heading out & back from the tunnels I gave myself about 1:00 & another 1:00 for the final big climb & finishing - 8:00 hours in total. I would remind myself to stay fresh for the first 20k... expect tiredness to kick going into 35k - and then good ol grinding as I push beyond 40k onwards.

My Garmin recorded 2351m elevation gain & 52.5km in distance

0-30k - Overall the first 30k was still tough-going despite a slower pace.. I wasn't going particularly fast but managed to catch up with some runners as the kilometres went by.. I was pleasantly surprised I could feel some energy surge with the Amazeballs & they seemed like a good complement to the Tailwind I was sipping (it doesn't fill my hunger pangs unfortunately)..

The technical downhills helped make up time & I thoroughly enjoyed descending fast & with confidence.. I was moving well on the muddy technical descents especially but the rocky bits were still a bit challenging - the Karrimor shoes I was wearing has been wearing thin & I would get a sharp jab every now & then from the rocks... I remember thinking HOKAs would've been perfect tackling all these blasted sharp rocks.. if only HOKAs made their shoes wider it would possibly be the perfect shoes for me.

It was great to see the lovely SCTR folks at the SCTR aid station 3 - seeing familiar friendly faces in the middle of the woods cheering you on is nothing short of golden :)

Yuan, Erin & Gary showering wearied runners with their loving smiles

The views at around 18km mark, last year it was totally shrouded in mist.. 

As I slowly approached 30k I was tempted to push for a sub-4 like last year but I had to remind myself to stick to the plan, the real goal is 52k! Besides, I could feel blisters were forming & I did not want to aggravate it by pounding the trails too hard.

Blister woes.. (again)

I started working on the blisters straight away as I arrived at 30k. The Injinji socks I was wearing were too thin for this rather technical terrain & fortunately I brought my thicker pair. I didn't rush myself as I knew I needed to get them fixed up properly or I'd never complete the run... after 8min of plasters, restocking of gel , Amazeballs & a kiss from the wife I was off!

30-40k - Heading out I got a bit confused with the directions, I asked some runners for direction but nobody seem to be sure. I slowed down & doubled-back a few times to make sure I did not take the wrong turn (I feel that pushing hard & finding out you've gone completely the wrong way is the worst possible thing to happen to runners..)

I enjoyed the short downhill from the Memorial Cross but facing the never-ending long undulations of fire trails between 30-40k was very mental for me. My legs were starting to feel the strain with every short & sharp climbs. I could feel a wall was coming & paid more attention to my nutrition intake every 20-30mins. Finally seeing the O'Briens at the 40k aid station felt like a mini achievement on its own!

Sweet sweet trails along 30-40k.. 

40-48k - Asking "where the hell are these damn tunnels??" is probably is the only thing I remember while running this stretch... I was happy a mini 2nd-wind came at around 43k & arriving at the aid station it was great to see a smiling Regan running out to greet me :).. it turned out the first tunnel was just a couple of metres down where the aid station was via a short unmarked trail..

How beautiful is this.. 

TUNNEL!!

Heading into the the 2nd tunnel I was in familiar territory, Vonsy & I had done a short recce few weeks back in that area & I knew I was on the return loop coming out of the 2nd tunnel. As I made the turn back towards the 40k aid-station, the final 2k big climb had started...

48-52.5k - Waving goodbye to the O'Briens for the 2nd time, I knew I had less than an hour if I wanted to hit my target time. I must've stopped & stretched my tired quads about a hundred times as I plodded as fast as I could up to the top. At that point there was no question I would finish the run, it was just about how much I would push myself. Macedon gave me a great chance to exercise the mental fortitude lessons I learnt from Buffalo... I threw in all the positive thoughts I could think of I was almost nagging myself all the way to the finishing line!

"Everyone else is going through the same pain right now, what's the big deal? KEEP MOVING!!"

"What did you expect? OF COURSE the course is tough, that's why you signed up!! Move your ASS!!"

"It's Mothers Day, think of mom!! You CAN'T stop!!"

There was a brief scare when I must've taken in too big a chunk of Amazeballs & I could feel my tummy was in rejection mode & small burps & tiny heaves started rearing their ugly heads... thankfully after forcing a huge burp, my tummy was back on form.

Seeing the Memorial Cross was such a tease. You knew you are so close now yet your legs can go no faster. You keep pushing but they are not moving, they only respond by staying in the first gear. And just when you're all numbed out, you finally pop out from the woods & onto the tar road filled with tourists visiting the Cross all looking perplexed, wondering why is there a man in running tights looking like he is running away from the Cross & about to collapse any time.. :)

But of course the final 2.5k is where it would mentally hurt the most. Almost by instinct your first thought is YES I've done it! I've conquered the mountain & the finishing line is just around the corner (& it physically is, I did nearly run direct to the finishing!).. but nooooooo... you got to loop round it for another 2.5k! And while you're quietly cursing away there's a little hill thrown in as well... the final icing on the quad-busting Macedon cake..

But alas, after 7:53 hours of sweet brutality & mountain fun - I would be finally done.

With my wife & friends cheering as I crossed the finishing line.. it was a beautiful day for a beautiful run. A happy day. Nothing beats the feeling of completing something that you know has pushed your boundaries & it's such a great feeling being able to share the experience with all the fellow exhausted runners :)

Macedon continues to impress & if you're thinking of a decent challenge for yourself or just to experience trail running in a beautiful setting - definitely sign up for 2015.. until next time folks, happy trail running!

Finishing joys... courtesy of Yuan/Brett

Nutrition planning - Tailwind + Amazeballs + Gels + Snickers!

Dedicated to my dearest mom, Happy Mothers Day Ma!

Two Bays Trail Run 2014 - Pushing Beyond Blisters!

Yea damn blisters! the toes were clearly in unfamiliar territory crossing the 50k mark, plasters started falling apart, blisters started forming etc.. still just an ultra rookie :)

Anyway it was worth all the pain...

Reasons? GREAT organisation, just like Rollercoaster, you really do see how much effort has been put in, the volunteers keeping the carnival atmosphere going & no doubt the presence of friends who were there to share the pain & joy of the course.. the scenery actually became secondary, I mean it was a nice route & all, but it served to just complement what already was a great event. So now I understand why Two Bays came highly recommended..  very glad we signed up.

Preparation 

We didn't have Two Bays in our radar until early December.. I couldn't even quite qualify to do the 56k last year (only the 28k)! so it was all a bit here-there-everywhere in terms of preparation & my legs only started really twitching in the final days leading up to the run.

It didn't help that I got myself injured 1.5 weeks before run-day, having pushed a bit too hard while training with the wifey in the Dandenongs (we had a great run in the rain tho!) - the upper quads on the right leg was strained. It was going to be hit or miss for Two Bays at that point. Was definitely pretty worried, and could only just focus on recovery stretching recovery stretching recovery & praying for the best.

Training hard. we love running in wet & miserable rain!

Thanks to a miracle medicated plaster (that cost a bomb) my leg was actually back in action just after a few days (brand is Dencorub, check it out!) - out came the paper & pen it was back to studying the route & planning target times again.. anyway, I couldn't ask for more & had to be contented with going into the run without 1.5 weeks of scheduled training runs.

The 777 Plan 

Well I had target times for every 7k but the general plan was to meet a 7hr target - pushing for sub-7 if possible. Try to get to half-way point 28k sub-3 hours and with as much spare time as possible given that the legs will definitely slow down beyond the 30k mark..

Nasty elevations? not crazy nasty I suppose - but an ultra should never be taken lightly regardless especially if one is pushing hard & doing it in an unfamiliar route.. and in my new-ish Rapa Nui shoes too.

Hydration would be 2 bottles - one water, one sports drink + electrolytes. Wasn't sure whether I was carrying too much given there were many aid stations - but I wasn't going to over-think it and with the 2 bottles I was confident I would always have enough water & electrolytes. Brought spare electrolytes tabs for when I would refill the sports drink bottle.

Nutrition - I opted for the usual trail mix, gels, a mini snicker bar. Aid stations would have gels so I just packed only two - was feeling good about nutrition prep since the trail mix did me well during Razorback.

Hawaiian costume - There was some FB discussion in the SCTR group about dressing up for the run (since the event organiser encouraged it!) - we went round to the $2 shop & just got flower garlands, couldn't possibly pull off the sexy grass skirt with my thunder thighs!.. hehe..

The Run

Weather was overcast with a light breeze when we arrived at 6am at Cape Schank - perfect running conditions.. runners were all visibly happy about it.. it would be a day of record-smashing for the fast runners!

Scene at 6am.. promising weather for the day! 

Met up with the SCTR crew - all raring to go! (Photo credit: Jon Lim's iPhone)

Our flower garlands were comprehensively outdone by the crazy Wombat boys Isaac & Tim, who not only signed up at the very last min but came in full glory of grass skirts, flower bras & all.. characters! :D Few of us were still shy but anyway it was hilarious coz we were amongst such serious runners that it was obvious only a handful of runners were in costumes of some kind. It was good to know that the SCTR group not only had running talents but more importantly a great sense of humour :)

0-28k (3:00) - Soon after we were flagged off, we were on single trails & it was funny that after no more than a few mins of running, we had to stop coz there was a massive traffic jam at the park entrance.. ! so much for the adrenalin start! anyway this first stretch was pretty much keeping a steady pace & staring at the bum of the runner in front of me.. :)

The trail started to open up a bit more after 10k, & managed to pick-up some pace. It was quite worrying because I felt that I was already pushing kinda hard & didn't build up much spare from targets every 7k.. I had even skipped all the aid stations (I still had plenty of water thanks to the weather)... but I could only keep going & see how things transpire.

This was somewhere between 10-15k? (Photo credit: Andrew O'Brien)

We had great kids from the neighbourhood hi-fiving us & spraying water just before the 21k mark it was really nice.. glad they were having as much fun as we were!

Generally I was feeling good & moving well - slightly worried that I was pushing too hard & not leaving enough gas for the 2nd half. But I wasn't hitting the target times with much spare time either so I just stayed with my pace. I finally reached the 28k mark around 2:57 hours.. rung the bell with only few mins shy of the 3:00 target..

28-35k (4:10) - The climb back up to Arthurs Seat was expectedly tough I could only walk most of it. Wished I could follow some of the runners who had the legs to run up the hills but I knew if I did that I was gonna just kill myself. Bumped into the wifey on the way up & instead of a sweaty loving hug, we took pics of each other haha.. nonetheless was very happy she was looking strong mentally & physically.

I remained on target when I hit 35k but signs of toe crush was starting to develop after the quick descent from Arthurs Seat.. started to mutter to myself, not sure what exactly but I could tell I was mentally & physically getting beaten up - not just by the toes' discomfort, but with the day getting warmer & my legs were feeling more lethargic. I was sweating a lot & needed to rehydrate more..

35-42k (5:20) - Surprisingly I did faster than anticipated for this stretch & got myself some 20mins of buffer when I reached 42k. Somehow I had become numb to the soreness of the toes but could feel the sun much more by now... my mouth was constantly craving water water water.. I poured water over my head to cool down at the 42k water station, drank my fill & refilled the water bottle to the max - I could see runners before me doing the same, it was going to be a very tough stretch ahead!

(Photo credit: Benjamin Fox / fstop5)

(Photo credit: Benjamin Fox / fstop5)

42-49k (6:10) - Eating more of my trail mix, it was getting dry & hard to swallow, but I needed fuel every 20mins so I just kept munching bit by bit. The tummy was also getting a bit upset from too much sports drink + electrolytes. My body just wanted water. True enough the 42-45k was the toughest 3k stretch for me. I was tired & without a single runner in sight, I remember seeing a big kangaroo hopping away, & the backside of an echinda crossing our trail.. they reminded me to take a moment to enjoy the serenity (not like I could go any faster anyway!)

Fortunately at 45k the trail started going downhill.. like a stuttering stalled engine of a car, I was able to make use of the downhill to jump-start my dying engine - popping in a few more jellybeans, I could feel my 2nd wave is arriving. I remember thinking runners would be loving this event for this particular stretch as well - that the 45-49k gentle downhill stretch was really helpful & invigorating!

49-56k (7:00) - All was going perfect after the last aid-station & I was really cruising.. feeling great I was well on target to hit a good sub-7! The view was opening up too towards Cape Schank.. kangaroos were hopping in a distance & it was just magical (I was probably a bit delirious too)

Hello curious ones! Keep hopping & don't come after me!

AND THEN DISASTER .. as this cruel life would often have it, my joy was short-lived when a sudden sharp pain emerged from my right foot at the 52k mark - it was my little last toe. I had to stop & check.... it was bad. The entire little toe was a giant throbbing blister!! The plaster I had taped over it had come loose & was not providing any protection at all for god knows how long.. I searched my pack & cursed at myself - I had forgotten to bring the Elastoplast. GREAT!

So making use of whatever tattered plaster is left, I tried my best to cover up the blister but to not much avail.. I was in real sharp pain & couldn't really run fast.. I was still hobbling along when at least half a dozen of runners came running pass me.. oh man.. after running 52k all the effort was going down the drain, GREAT!

Feeling frustrated I just kept moving. At that point my big left toe started blistering too (I wasn't running naturally). I will not get defeated by the last 4k! - and certainly not by some blister on some little toe.. But the fact was I couldn't run properly, my foot placement was all awkward, the last 4k was just horrid. I tried to bring my mind far-away from the pain & just focused on staying with the two runners in front of me.

But with every sharp pain it jolted me back to reality. I was pre-occupied with fighting these mini-battles all the way to the very end.. the last 4k easily became the longest stretch on the course.. I swear I could've cried when I finally saw the finishing line.. :)

THE JOYS OF ULTRA eh??

Keeping it together - lucky to still have a sub-7!!! (Photo credit: Steve Taylor / fstop5)

Unfortunately I missed the wife crossing the line! Was still hobbling back from the car when the announcer mentioned her bib number... but what a champ she has been, smiling all the way, yakking to all the volunteers, glad she had fun & what a beautiful strong finish.. good on ya Wifey! :D

(Photo credit: Steve Taylor / fstop5 )

Post-run chill out & making new friends.. :)

Race Summary

What went well
1) Carrying water bottles = did not have to stop at every aid station..
2) Nutrition = had enough when I needed it..
3) Target times for every 7k was pretty spot on

What didn't go well
1) BLISTERS & chafings, not enough plasters / glide for toes / other parts of body
2) Did not pack Elastoplast - must always pack this!
3) Hoka Rapa Nui toe box - still tight, downhill was killing my toes.. need to do something about this

I suppose it was the ultra rookie mistake not being prepared enough for chafing & blisters - especially running with the new-ish Hokas.. nonetheless was very happy the legs were holding up well, ITBs were a little tight but I stretched whenever I had a break & they did not really trouble..

All in all Two Bays 2014 was a fab event - we absolutely enjoyed ourselves! The carnival atmosphere, the weather was great & people still lingering around after the 8 hours cut-off supporting the final finishers. It was just a very positive vibe throughout... truly double thumbs up & all bruised & blistered toes up for Rohan & his team!

(And not just because they take nice pics of us in action... all for free!) More pics here

Once again, thanks for reading folks.. if you have doubts about signing up for Two Bays next year, I hope this post has helped erase those doubts :)

Have a great 2014 & keep running!

(Photo credit: Benjamin Fox / fstop5)