7hrs 58secs as ankle denies PB in my second fastest 6 inch 45km

Sunday 21st December 2008 A.D.;
Ran my third 6 inch 45km in 7hrs 00min 58secs.

Official complete results are HERE

My Timechecks along the way;
--Scarp Rd cnr Whittakers Rd; 26min.
--Whittakers drinks spot 36min (38min in 06)
--17km Del Park Rd; 2hrs 6 min. (2hr 20 in 06, 2hr 17 in 05)
--22km Scarp Rd drinks spot; 2hrs 38min. (5km split 32min) (2hr 57 in 06)

--30km?? Oakley dam turnoff cnr Scarp Rd; 3 hrs 28min? (8km? split 50min)
--35km drinks spot Scarp Rd; 4 hrs 49min. (5km split? 1hr 21min!!!) (5hrs 00 in 06)
--"40km" Marrinup (before long drop toilet visit);6hrs 02min, 6hr 10min after toilet stop. ( 5.25? in 05)

Shows I was 11min ahead of what I did for the first 17km in 2005 when I finished with 6hr 25, and 19min ahead of what I did for first 22km in 2006, and still 11min ahead of 2006 time at 35km (even after all the walking from 30km-35km). Actually did the last 5km 8minutes faster than I did in 2005 , when I walked a lot at the end that year. So I reckon if ankle hadn't blown up a sub 6 hr would have been possible...


My second fastest time on this course, looked to be well on track to beat my 6hrs 25min PB from 2005, in the first 4 hours with my pack-free strategy working perfectly in in perfect weather conditions. Unfortunately my ankle got tired and the ache which started about 3 hours in become so persistent it had become pure and utter torture to try and run from about 4 hours onwards. However I was keen to avoid another DNF (like Melbourne Marathon), and walking was pain-free this time, so I walked for a bit, and then ignored the pain and tried to stumble along in some sort of run, with my right leg doing most of the work. This was very energy-sapping but with the encouragement from my Dad, and the absolutely wonderful support people like Trent!, Julie and Kate, I persisted with a tough run-walk pattern for about 3 hours.

Took two carboshotz gels a bit close together (40min), and I think this resulted in diahorrea coming on at Marrinup. Spent 8 minutes there making use of the "palatial?" (well it was for a trails run!) "long-drop" toilet facilities, which cost me a sub 7 hr effort in the end, although I probably could have pushed harder in the maze of paths in the last 5km...

My first 30km was right on track, pretty much what I wanted. Ran to the front at the start with my led torch in the 0540am darkness, and enjoyed "10 seconds of fame" leading the race (and let Dave K know about it...HAHAHAHA)...Then settled back. Worked hard up goldmine hill initially in 5th spot , but Bernadette eventually pulled away and past me, although not straight away. Towards the top of the hill Coops caught me, and soon went off. had my first of many no 1's toilet stops here. Also stopped to get gravel out of my shoes I reckon about 20 times which also cost me at least 30 minutes for the day in total. I am pretty sick of what feels like excuses, but anyhow those are the facts. After making sure a few runners behind me went the right way near Whittakers, I ran strongly through here, and hit a really strong rhythm for a long while.

About 90minutes in I was feeling a bit spaced out mentally (maybe due to finishing work at midnight, then driving to Dwellingup for 45min sleep in car from 0345-0415), and the hard running was starting to feel well hard to keep going. About this time John Nuttall caught up for a bit, and then he dropped back. About 20 minutes later,John, and later Lyndie, Rob, Roy and one other? caught me at about 110minutes. One of the WAGS?? (Wives and girlfriends)walking up the trail from Del Park Rd told me I was 8th just before John, Rob, Roy and Lyndie caught me, and then suddenly I was 12th. My plans of getting to Del Park road 17km in under 2 hours had only just failed, as I ran out of steam in the legs around this time a bit.

Dad came out to take the first of many photos (looking forward to seeing and posting them online soon!), as I hit 17km Del Park in 2hrs 6min (which I knew was a bit quicker than the 2hrs 17min in 2005). Grabbed my second gatorade for the day from Dad here, which I really needed, and probably if I had carried a second one with me, may have helped me get under 2 hrs? or not?

I think if I do it again I would do the following things different,
1.forget about the hydration pak altogether.
2. take 1 gatorade and one water bottle with gel for first 22km.
3.Take 1 gatorade and one water with gel at 22km, and maybe
4.take another gatorade, and water bottle (with optional gel) at 35km.

Felt good as I ran alongside Scarp Rd, keen to try and make it to 22km drinks stop somewhere between 2hrs 34min and 2hrs 45min. Had to stop to get gravel out of my shoe and Kristin Doust almost caught me up. Soon after Dave C and irishman Jason went past at a good rate (they had some navigational moments apperently early on)...
Got a good pace going again on the nice wide open downhill of Scarp Rd, to get to 22km in 2hrs 38min and feeling ready to smash the PB! Felt on top of the world!!! at this stage...

Beautiful scenery, running well, Dad there to see it, and nice cool weather (no rain either), plus a huge field of 20 amazing legendary runners from various parts of the world, including some good mates, what more can one ask for. Perfect place to be after a long tough week at work (46 hrs in a callcentre this week, including a 1600-midnight shift the night before an 0530 start race, which I tried to swap but couldnt find any takers)...Enjoying my 2008 6 inch experience a lot at this point.

So I saddled up with 4kg of fluids in my hydration pak, ready to attack some more and the plastic clip promptly broke on me! Duh! Probably cos I am getting too fat, needed to loosen the strap... Back up to 80kg again now after getting down to 74kg around July this year. while trying to get more gravel out of shoe and fix hydration pak, Kristin doust catches up. Had a bit of a chat. Then see Lyndie joins us after a pitstop, and the convey of support cars comes past us all. Pushing up Scarp Rd, pine plantation of left, still feeling good, and hydration pak seems to be staying in place. Going well again. Crossed another bitumen rd soon after this (north Spur Rd?), worked hard up hill after this with Lyndie. Kristin dropped back again here.

Could hear the Alcoa conveyer belt humming along nearby, as Lyndie and I ran-walked our way up the long straight hill section with the various trees. Could see and hear Mark,Suzy, and old Duffer catching us up this hill. The first of some awesome scenic views down to plains in nthe south section of the course here! Down the steep hill of the gravel Scarp Rd with old Duffer, me, Lyndie, Mark and Suzy taking turns to drive this tight group of the five of us down and then up some significant hilly action. Soon we see the Oakley Dam turn-off and as my watch hit 3hrs 28min I still felt elated, and ready to go hard. Ankle had been aching a bit in the last 20-30min but nothing major.

Worked hard down towards Oakley Dam, until we got to the hilly bit (now known as python country after the 2007 incident with Nathan and Mark)..
I really struggled up this hill and ended up walking all of it, legs just really tired, didn't have much energy to push with, and ended up having to let the other 4 runners go ahead. Was disappointed, but figured I would try to get going again when the trail flattened out. Kristin Doust caught and passed me soon after, and then my ankle started to ache big-time, and every time I tried to run it just wouldnt function properly...

So here I am, 4hrs in hoping to get to 35km in about 4hrs 20-40min, with an ankle that is refusing to do what it has been doing for the last 4 hrs!!! Frustration!!! Then Christian and Ursula, the Swiss couple catch up, chat a bit, ask me if I am ok etc... I try to run for a bit, and succed with a big limp on the left ankle. Takes a lot of enrgy to do, and the terrain is pretty dangerous also, so I settle back into more walking, knowing my chances of a PB are starting to slip away right now!!! DUH!!! Due to the ankle reaching muscle fatigue exhaustion maybe? not sure...
The aching is persistent every time I try to run, and a lot more severe now. Feeling pretty negative, and start wondering if I should DNF at 35km. My thinking is something like this;
"feels like a fatique induced thing rather than an incident induced pain like in Melbourne, so figure i can probably walk-run to finish if I persist, but knowing its going to be utter torture all the way for about 12km...very tempted at this point to DNF, andf start to think maybe I have done enough for today..."

Soon after I get to Scarp rd gravel track again and try some shuffle/stumble/limp running. Then I am surprised to see my Dad again at the bottom of the hill. Stop to chat with him, telling him maybe I should give it away for today, but he encourages me gently to consider carrying on. Between that and wanting to get my 6 inch finishers memento, and to finish a long race after Melbourne!, and stuff, I decide to try and keep going all the way... Have my second Carbo-shotz gel (bad idea! as it results in a long drop visit at Marrinup about 90min later..), and grab two gatorades to carry with me (good idea), plus jettison my hydration pak into dad's car (good idea), as we figure the extra weight to carry is making the ankle work too hard, and the weather means that the extra water is not needed...Put my mundabiddi map in a plastic bag and tie around my wrist.

So I settle into some more struggle run, and walk breaks, with a Sheryl Crow tune "Every day is a winding road" playing in my head... (have it on my facebook profile...)...before long Trent shows up on a mountainbike, talks all the way to the 35km spot, which was encouraging...Watch says 4 hrs 49min about 9 minutes slower than my target time upper limit, but I figure about 6hrs 30-7hrs might be possible if I can struggle run-walk for another 10km or so through that diabolical steep down hill after Grey rd, climb out of the deep valley and settle into the flat stuff through Marrinup all the way to Dwellingup. I tell myself its not that far and the torture will be over in about 2 hrs, and it seems silly to give in after almost 5 hours of slog, and a terrible work changeover. So I push on, and focus on finding the munda-biddi triangles + flour arrows, and not worrying about far I have to go. Drink a Gatorade at the bottom of the hill, which leaves me with one left.

Walk most of the hill out of the valley. At the top more awesome views of the velley and plain below the Darling Scarp to the south and west. Then the relatively flat "railway track" section shows up, which I like, and I try to strugglerun as much as possible, and finally the big gravel track with the massive power lines above it shows up. More stops to get gravel out of shoes. Get to Marrinup in 6hrs 2min, but with a sudden strong urge to do no 2's. Good timing in a way,as the last of 3 spots on the course with long-drop toilets is here. Spend 8 minutes here. Then walk/run again. Bangles song Walk like an Egyptian pops into my head about this point, as i try to struggle-run as much as possible figuring that its only about 5-7km to go, on nice flat gravel/dirt tracks and I should be done hopefully under 7 hrs. Eventually my Dad walks out to me with about 4k to go? He trys to keep up with me, and this spurs me to push a bit harder although I probably go a bit too long on some of the walk breaks. Eventually pull away, and make my way through the maze of trails here, every corner thinking I will see Dwellingup in the distance, but more forrest keeps appearing. Finally i see a flour arrow, and then some bitumen after hearing cars, and know I am finally at Dwellingup. I know the time is going to be pathetic, but feel a sense of satisfaction and excitement that finally I am there. Struggle run to the finish, get a bit of a cheer from some of the runners still there, and come min under 7 hrs 1min. Feels good to finish, and get that little wooden momento!
Ankle achy, but hopefully will be alright after some RICEing...

So there it is a successful 6 inch finish for me this year, my 3rd finish. I was 20th of 20 starters.
Craig Dufty,Dave kennedy and Craig Berg the top 3 all under 4 hours with Craig D. and Dave K. both going into new race record territory; 3hrs 36 and 3hrs 39!

Bernadette smashes womens record by more than an hour with her 4hr 41 min also, so easily the fastest 6 inch run ever, and double the numbers!

Massive struggle to stay awake on drive home, ended up sleeping at my parents place for 2 hrs as I was going to have an accident otherwise. (45min sleep and a 7hr run, plus hours of driving not a good combination!)...

Fairly happy with my 2008 6 inch experience...More photos soon @
http://sixinchmarathon.blogspot.com/2008/12/photos-here.html
and

and in a separate post coming soon.

Official results will be in R4YL and UltraMag, but here they are;
Six Inch Track Trail Race – 21/12/08 (WA)

Results
1. Craig Dufty – 3:36.24*
2. David Kennedy – 3:39.28
3. Craig Berg – 3:57.46
4. Nathan Fawkes – 4:00.34
5. Bernadette Benson (1st F) – 4:41.48*
6. Sean Cooper – 4:43.57
7. Steve McGrath – 5:06.22
8. Rob Donkersloot – 5:09.50
8. Roy Hart – 5:09.50
10. John Nuttall – 5:20.30
11. Suzy Thomas (2nd F) – 5:32.10
12. Mark Bullard – 5:32.40
13. Phil Dufty – 5:41.35
14. Dave Croghan – 5:56.21
14. Jason O’Hanlan – 5:56.21
16. Lyndie Beil (3rd F) – 6:08.27
17. Ursula Marti (4th F) – 6:10.28
17. Christian Marti – 6:10.28
19. Kristin Doust (5th F) – 6:10.59
20. Jonathon Phillips – 7:00.58
* Indicates New Course Record

I'm doing a page on geocities which is HERE which will have links to all the 6 inch related info from this year and some photos eventually...