The Horrie and Belinda Show

2/9/06

After arriving in Bris Vegas on Thursday with Blue Dog, we spent a day and a half preparing race plans, fuel/hydration strategies, a tour of a part of the course with Undercover Brother, enjoying some friendly banter with Team Mellum and going to the pre-race briefing. I was really enjoying the buildup and getting more nervous/anxious/excited by the minute. So much so, that I probably only slept for 2-3 hours on Friday night.

So, you probably won't be surprised to read that Blue Dog and I were chomping at the bit at 4.30 am wanting to drop our drop bags off and have some breakfast and get the race started. Virtual was as laid back as ever and asking what the rush was. So we left him behind and drove to the start without him.

I was relieved when the starter finally sent us on our way at 5.32 am. So after listening to all the tales about previous years' runs, here I was running a 100 Mile trail event with the cream of Australian Ultra Running talent. I didn't know at this stage what was going to unfold over the next day and a bit but I knew it was going to be something that I would never forget. Not long later, I was running over Hamburger Hill with Mr G so I asked him how it got its name and he said I would realise how when I ran over it for the fourth time to finish the 100 miles. I was happy to get through the first 8km feeling relaxed before heading up Mt Beerburrum, which was quite a steep climb. It was really quite surreal when we got to the top and you couldn't see anything but the myst. It was good seeing all the runners in the field as it would be the last time that you would see everybody again until the finish. I was feeling good and chugging along a few minutes within my race plan in the first couple of hours, chatting away to Will Kaless, who I first met running PMC, who was also having his first attempt at 100 miles. Also enjoyed meeting Repete and Boonarga for the first time. Was also feeling reassured by Mr G that I was starting at a sensible pace and was getting great support and encouragement from Clairie, Tesso and other crews including Mel and Mrs Boonarga. Then came the first challenging part of the course called the Goat Tracks. This section was quite technical and made a little more difficult with the rain leading into the event. The shoes were copping a hammering but I knew it wasn't worth changing shoes at this point as I knew there was going to be more slush to come. I was happy to reach the powerlines section on target time and heading into it, Mr G and I compared split estimates for this section and his was 15 minutes slower than mine. I soon realised why he thought my estimate was ambitious when I saw how treacherous this section was. This section is tough enough at the best of times but with the recent rain, the footing was non-existent and at one point every step forward resulted in you sliding back further than you stepped. It was then that I realised all these holes in the clay walls beside the track where the quicker runners had dug their fingers in to stay upright. Then finally after the last steep climb, I was ecstatic about finding solid road again. With all the effort taken to negotiate this section, I was happy to walk the most of the last km into the next checkpoint, where I once again got a huge lift from Clairie and Tesso. So after something to eat and my first can of V, I was now ready to tackle the first of two 10km loops. I ran the first one quite well and managed to go past Tank Girl and a few 100km runners. After another quick refuel, I set out on the second 10km loop and went past RMC and felt that the race plan was really starting to come together, when all of a sudden when running through part of that section that didn't have much shade, I noticed how warm it had become and then I hit my first bad patch so I wasn't surprised when Tank Girl went past me and RMC caught back up to me by the end of the second loop. At the end of the second loop, every runner had to get weighed and I had dropped a kg from my starting weight. This made me realise that I hadn't eaten anything substantial so Clairie made me sit down and eat a sandwich and applied a towel filled with ice to the back of my neck. I also downed a bottle of lucozade, topped up with supplies only to realise that I still had just under 100km to go. It was here that the doubts first started to creep in because I had made the mistake of thinking too far ahead. So I set off from here trying to keep Tank Girl and RMC in sight. Soon they were out of sight and I had to rely on myself for navigation. I then got confused when I saw the trail we came out of the powerlines section so do I head back that way or do I keep following the road. I was looking for a sign or some arrows but couldn't see anything so I decided to call Tesso. She then put me onto the guy who was responsible for the course and he set me straight so that mini crisis was averted. Just before I got to the next checkpoint, Tamsin and a 100km runner went past. When I finally reached the checkpoint, I was happy to see RMC and them still there. They left just as I was arriving but RMC hung around a bit longer so I was able to head out just after him. Progress was now fairly slow and RMC again pulled away again but again I was able to reach the next checkpoint while he was still there. Darkness was now closing in so I was happy to have my headlamp here. It was a weird feeling here as I was looking forward to the sun going down so it would get cooler but I was also nervous about running in the dark and the possibility of getting lost. So I had a quicker stop at this checkpoint so I could leave with RMC. It was good to be running with someone in the dark and this section that took us around the Mt Beerwah loop was quite tough but the cooler night air plus the change to technical trails snapped me out of my blues so I got a second wind. I was happy to arrive at the next checkpoint with RMC and was now looking forward to changing my top as the Tri Top I was wearing was very damp with sweat and the night air was starting to make me feel cold. I also noticed the nagging pain in my left ITB starting to gnaw away so I took the opportunity to rub some Voltaren Gel into it. A nice vegetable pasty and a sustagen had me feeling new again. This along with the news that Tesso had arranged her friend Schultzy to pace me from 100km gave me the real boost I needed. So I turned to find RMC to set off again only to realise that he had snuck out of the checkpoint 2 minutes earlier. So after checking with the runners there and Schultzy, I was told to head off up the road and after reaching a bitumen road that I would need to turn off onto a dirt road on the right. So after confirming that I needed to look for something on my right, I set off again. My first doubt arose when I reached a T junction and the only sign I saw was a sign telling me to head down the hill I had just come up. As there were no other signs I assumed it was the same way back and the fact that it was on my right told me I was heading in the right direction. I then reached for my phone to ring Tesso only to realise that when I changed shirts, I gave the phone to her as I no longer had a pocket for it. The trees were lined with white tape so again I assumed I was still on course. When the white tape and arrows led into trail, I recognised this section as the Goat Track section we had run earlier in the day but I knew we didn't have to run this again as I had been told to look for a dirt road. The fact that I was running on a dirt road and the map showed a long stretch of what looked like straight road, I was convinced that I was actually on course. I was starting to get a bit worried as I was running quite strongly at this point but I hadn't caught RMC. I then noticed that I hadn't seen white tape for a while but sometimes when running long straight sections, the white tape was in short supply as it was known that it was the obvious road, it wasn't as well marked. However, it was now that I realised that I had been running strongly for a while, I hadn't caught RMC and I hadn't seen white tape for quite a long stretch. So I started to shout to see if anybody could hear me and I could just pick up a muffled sound coming from the direction I had come from. It was now obvious I was not on course so I decided to back track. I was surprised how far I had run as it took me quite a while before I picked up the white tape again. I was now starting to relax but it still took quite a while before I reached the road that turned off to the checkpoint. When I got back, John Lindsay who ran Western States this year was just heading out so I was happy to again have company. While waiting for John to get ready, I checked with the marshalls recording runners coming in and out of the checkpoints to realise that Virtual who had been a fair way behind me all day had left the checkpoint 53 minutes earlier so I estimated I had been lost for at least an hour. At this point I didn't care about time related goals and was now more determined than ever to finish and earn that shirt. John and I then headed out and I was relieved to have such an experienced runner to run with. We were running at a nice relaxed pace but I was now noticing the ITB pain start to gnaw away again now the Voltaren Gel was wearing off so I would alternate between running and power walking. I was very relieved to make it back to Checkpoint 1A as this was only 4km away from base and the 100km mark. So after chugging down a can of V, I was ready to do battle with Hamburger Hill again to make it back to base. When I got there, Clairie and Tesso were very relieved to see me as they knew something had gone wrong when Virtual arrived back at base a fair way ahead of me and he knew he didn't go past me. So after taking some very frantic phone calls from Belinda, Clairie instructed me to ring her straight away. I was never so happy to be getting mothered by Clairie again. So I took the shoes and socks off as they were now totally trashed with mud. Clairie organised a foot bath with lavender radox while I got my weight and blood pressure checked. After assuring Belinda I was fine and that Tesso had organised Schultzy to pace me for the last 60km, she could now relax and go to bed. While I was on the phone to Belinda, Dave Waugh had just finished the 100 miles in a new race record of 17:16. I then went to eat my soup and Flake rang and I was able to have a good laugh about getting lost again as I manage to do this on a regular basis whenever I run a STaR with him. I then finished my soup, got fresh shoes and socks on, congratulated Dave on a sensational run and told him that I had to get back out there and earn that shirt. Schultzy was now stripped and ready to run so off we went to finish what I had started 17 and a half hours earlier. As we headed over Hamburger Hill to head out to the eastern loop Schultzy told me that the longest run he had ever done was the Coffs Harbour Red Rock 55km run 2 years ago. He also told me he was a Glasshouse regular and had paced Kerrie Hall and Mr G in the last 2 years but this was the first time he was going to do the full 60km. He also mentioned that he hoped to run the 100 mile event in 2 years time. It was here that I knew I had to be conservative but reassured him that we still had 12 and a half hours to finish. So after walking a fairly conervative 6km, he asked me if I wanted to run. A short run of about 100m told me the ITB didn't agree with the idea of running. As we headed out Moffats Rd, I was happy to see Spud in second place with Martin Schott running with a pacer closing in on him rather quickly. There was a fair gap back to Roger Guard and not long after this I was ecstatic to see my GBH team mate Blue Dog running strongly and in 5th position. Not long after this, Nic Maloney was coming past but Blue Dog looked to have his measure. Then while coming down Wildhorse Mountain, Whippet Man was making the final ascent. Tesso took care of my needs here and made sure I had enough supplies to get me to Checkpoint 10. A few km down the track, we bumped into a struggling Hermie, who still looked to be on target for another sub 24. Then along came Tim and Paul Every looking remarkably fresh being paced by Vegie Girl although it looked as they were pacing her. This vision gave me a real lift as they all looked as though were having so much fun. After travelling a fair distance, we were shocked to see a sign telling us to go Checkpoint 9. I thought this must be a mistake as we had left 9 a fair while before. Then the next shock was coming to Javes' Pool as I knew this before Checkpoint 9. We then decided to backtrack and realise we had missed a turnoff and had actually walked a full circle around Wildhorse Mountain. I couldn't believe I still managed to get lost, even with the help of a pacer. I really had to work hard to hold things together here as Bill Thompson had now gone past me and people regard him as the 30 Hour Sweeper as this year was his 7th 100 mile finish and most times he manages to finish just inside the cutoff of 30 hours. By the time I got back on course, I was now in last place as Ian Javes was now also ahead of me. I quickly took stock of the situation and told Schultzy we could still make the cutoff if we didn't lose any more time and didn't waste time at checkpoints. Ian was now having a bad patch so I was able to go past him and then put some distance into him. Then we saw Louis, Tamsin an Mr G heading for base. We were shocked when Mr G told us it was still 5km to Checkpoint 10 so we tried to lift the pace. We thought we were making good progress until Tank Girl told us she left Checkpoint 10 23 minutes before. So again we tried to lift the pace but the trail was quite a bog and it was hard to choose the right lines so progress was not as quick as I would have liked. I was very happy to finally see the lights of Checkpoint 10. It had taken us around 3 hours to get from 9 to 10. I was shocked to see Virtual sitting there wrapped in a blanket. Seeing him sit there and hearing him say he didn't have another 34km in him looking shattered gave me another jolt of inspiration. It reminded me why we do these things and how much this stuff means to us. I didn't let the fact that Bill Thompson was now 20 minutes ahead of me after being 20 minutes behind me as I left Checkpoint 9 and that I had now lost close to 2 hours getting lost worry me. I knew what I had to do to finish under the cutoff. I was happy to see Will Kaless just finshing the loop at 10 as we were starting it. I hadn't noticed that Rob Boyce, RMC and John Lindsay were not seen by us and assumed they were on the other side of the loop at 10. The trail on the loop at 10 was more of the same and it was like walking through quick sand. This part of the course was not very well marked so we slowed to let Ian Javes catch up because I thought we couldn't get lost again if we were with the Race Director and Course Designer. This proved to be a masterstroke as a few runners missed the first turnoff as the arrow was placed on the wrong side of the track and quite high in the tree. Day was now breaking and with daylight, it was now easy to choose the right lines in the trail and we could now avoid the worst of the bog. I was very happy to hear that Bill Thompson was now only 10 minutes ahead and we were gaining on him. So we now upped the pace as we were now walking in daylight and we continued to move along briskly. Just as I was happy with how I was moving, Ian Javes had now found a new lease of life after having some breakfast and flew past us as if we were standing still. But when he got to 9, he decided to discard his full length tights he had worn through the night. This gave me the opportunity to get my token and start the last climb up Wildhorse Mountain before him. This didn't stop him from reaching the top before I did. Schultzy and I reached the top and as we were last up there, we had the task of bringing the box back to Checkpoint 9. Bill had waited for Ian at 9 and they set off to walk the last 14km together. I was really struggling with the descent down Wildhorse Mountain as the ITB clearly didn't like going up and down steep hills. I got back to 9, handed the box in, topped my drink bottles up, grabbed a piece of quiche and a cup of water and headed for base. A quick calculation told me I had 3 hours to walk the last 14km. Schultzy tried to tell me I had it in the bag but I told him it was only in the bag when we crossed that finish line. It was very slow going heading out from 9 as the ITB didn't want to play ball and the blister that was forming under the big toe of my right foot was starting to make its presence known. Ian and Bill had now opened up a big gap on me and I was struggling big time. The morning sun was really starting to make its mark and I was going through another low point. Schultzy, my lifesaver of a pacer was also starting to feel the pinch but we just soldiered on. I then noticed that Ian and Bill must have reached a gentleman's agreement to finish together as I was now starting to make inroads into their lead. Schultzy and I finally managed to catch them just after the Glasshouse Mountains Rd crossing. I asked if I could join in on their gentleman's agreement and finish with them but they told me their plan and waved me to go past them. They pulled into Checkpoint 1A just as Schultzy and I started to head for Hamburger Hill. As we were heading over this hill for the last time, I realised it got its name because your feet feel like minced meat going over it at 160km as it is a formation of broken slate like rock that just causes no end of pain. I told Schultzy at this point that this was going to hurt but the pain would be temporary but the achievement would last forever. It was here that I realised how much he was hurting and he was really struggling at this point. I waited for him to come down the hill and as we headed towards base at Beerburrum School, I shook his hand and thanked him for bringing me home. It was not long after this that I heard Clairie and I joked with Schultzy that I thought we would hear her before we saw her. A great hug from Clairie followed by another one from my other Crew Member Tesso and after a few tears were shed, we heard the roar go up as Ian and Bill descended Hamburger Hill. John 'fatbloke' Pearson told me I had better get running if I wanted to beat them in. I really didn't want to do this as the ITB had other ideas but I felt priveleged to join in the theatre of a great finish to a great event and ground out the last 200m, which felt like it dragged on forever.

The reception I got when I finished will stay with me forever. The respect that I got from people who are the doyens of Ultra Running really means a lot to me. When I finally saw Blue Dog, he greeted me like the prodigal son and we both shed a tear.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank Blue Dog for his unwaivering support from the time he managed to twist my arm to do this event at Cool Running drinks at the Sackville Hotel 8 weeks ago after trying to encourage me all year to do it. I would not have had the courage to enter this daunting event without his input.

I would also like to thank Captain of Team GBH, Virtual who did not have the best of days but still toughed it out for 128km. Don't worry mate, I know you will bounce back. They don't call you Bulletproof for nothing and there aren't too many of us that could run across the Sahara Desert. Your race plan and advice of the course helped both Blue Dog and I immensely.

To our crew of Tesso and Clairie, thank you very much. I should have known when I asked you to crew for us that you wouldn't give less than 100%. But for Tesso to stay up all night and still be there for us to finish was a fantastic effort. And for Clairie and her husband Al, who agreed to drive her back to Glasshouse after their Saturday night out. What an achievement of getting practically no sleep and still managing to come 2nd in the 30km event on the Sunday. You guys were so full of energy and enthusiasm the whole way through. You really gave us a lift when we needed it.

And finally to Schultzy. For a guy who I had never met to agree to pace me for 60km at a moments notice when the longest run he had ever done was 55km after being out and about on the course all day was nothing short of amazing. I will always value your selflessness and if there is anything I can do to help with your attempt in 2008, just let me know.

I'm sorry if this report is too long but you've got to realise that it took me nearly 30 hours to run the race!