45km 112 lap 6 hour race exploration in 35 degrees

Firstly I should bring to Clowns attention if he reads this, the glorious win by the almighty FREMANTLE DOCKERS! this weekend, which of course I did not see on TV, but Dockerland has provided their usual unbiased *cough cough* match report @

http://www.dockerland.com/index.php/Match-Report/nab-cup-2010-round-2.html
which saw a last gasp Ryan Murphy goal help us defeat North Melbourne at Eddies Hat stadium, and keep us alive in the NAB cup, which unfortunately the West Coast were not able to do after their 78 point thrashing by Port Adelaide. But of course as Worsfold reminded us when the Eagles were thrashed in the NAB cup in recent years (I made my west coast fanatic wife very unhappy by taking a photo of the scoreboard one year.), they dont really care about the NAB cup results...

Sunday; Ran 45km in 6 hour track race at Coker Park. 35 degrees for first 3 hours.

Due to the fact I arrived about 4 minutes before the race started, I was seriously not ready.
Ran out of time to put bodyglide on, had not taped my nipples, hadn't even organised all my drinks, and I had no lap scorers, (due partly to my Dad forgetting and then refusing to do it because he felt too tired, but I know he is busy, and frankly it was always going to be a huge mission to get a lap scorer) but Bernadette assured me they would have people who could do it, about 2 minutes before. Also made the mistake of running with hydration pack on.

Got rid of some nervous energy by running the first 2km in about 10 minutes and led for all or most of that time, as the eventual winner Mark was running at a much more sustainable pace of about 6minutes per km. I took a big break to get body glide on to stop chafing on thighs, got my nipples taped and organised my drinks and a cold pack, plus decided to not carry hydration pak. Also discussed my drinks plan with my first lap scorer Jon Pendse. So lost about 20 minutes at least here, but I figured, I wouldn't even go close to making it to 6 hours if I didn't do those things, plus it would save me a lot of pain later.

Also had a lot of toilet stops, partly due to drinking as much as I could to keep the body core temperature down as I know this is the best way to combat heat.

Ran first 3 hours in my meter reading Hard Yakka heavy long sleeve shirt and wide brimmed hat to keep out the UV radiation, and provide me with a motivational tool, since the 35 degree heat is similar to what I work in (except it gets to 42-46 sometimes)... So if I can do it at work for several hours I knew I could do it on the track too...

Ran wide into lanes 2 and 3 a lot to let the faster 3 hr runners through and to chat with other runners, this probably added a fair bit to my official distance, but very difficult to say how much.

Good battles with Hills group C-teamer Kate Somerville during the last 3 hours especially until she eventually got ahead for a 46km effort. I think the key moment, was a couple of laps where we were running together or passing each other , and I figured I must be either slightly in front or slightly behind her, but had no idea how many laps she had done. Anyway we hit the back straight and I just knew I couldnt stay with her on that lap, basically she broke me physically over the course of about 1-2km. Not sure why, maybe I needed more fluids, or maybe its just some kind of fitness advantage she has on me. I mknow she beat me by more than 1 minute in the John Gilmour 10km track last year, and she is a very experienced Hills group runner, and a sub 4 hour marathoner I think, so I knew she would be a tough one to beat where I am at now.

Anyway mentally I gave in, and since I could feel some uncomfortableness in my left shoe I decided, I cant stay with her right now much longer, If I am to get her it will have to be later on, I need to deal with this left foot. Was about 90 minutes to go I think at this stage, and with the cooler weather she was hitting better rhythm than me, after I built a significant lead on her in the heat of the first 3 hours.

So I stopped in the back straight got the grass/pebbles etc out of my shoe, (another mistake forgot to clean out my shoes after the trail long run the previous weekend) adjusted my sock, and resolved to get straight back into it. But then I felt pain in the right foot around the toes. Figured while adjusting my other shoe I must have upset the socks balance in the right shoe, so decided to stop and clean out right shoe, found some hard skin, and some other dead skin which felt like the beginning of a blister, and then Bernadette came over and convinced me to get it taped at the end of the lap. So reluctantly I agreed , and spent a few more minutes while Bernadette expertly taped my toe area. In hindsight I think Bernadette made the right call, as if I had of left it, I probably would have had terrible blisters, struggled to finish, done less distance, and have had even more hassle at work during the week. However it probably cost me about 1km. But of course the messing around at the start probably cost me about 2-5km, and a km or two running wide too much, and various other mistakes I made. Tough race, tough conditions, big learning curve for me, even with my 20 years of experience in racing which came to the fore to my advantage at times, but it is my first track ultra, so have learnt heaps from this one...

I was blessed with two outstanding runners, and extremely nice people as lap scorers.
I knew Jon from his cool running nick and figured he must be a low 3hr marathoner at least. Now I know he is a bit better than that, and is more around the 2.50 mark. as his 41.8 km in 3hrs in the final race of the night shows!!!
Fee I recognised from her unusual name and the photo on the Kep track website, as the 75km second place getter from last years Kep Track race. Any woman that can do a 75km race in 9 hours, is someone special, and so I felt really special myself, to have such wonderful people like Jon and Fee as lap scorers. I fear I may have been a bit harsh with them in my pedantic ways, with the intense mental focus that comes with most of my racing (force of habit over the last 20 years or so, racing at Nationals does that to, you so you bring your A-game to races, mentally...) and a couple of times, their ideas proved to be a better option than I initially thought.

Bernadette also helped me out a few times, in between super soakering people, taking photos, and all the other myriad of things she did thoughout the day.

Jon Pendse kept me up to date on my laps done extremely well, and Fee let me know when I asked her, plus she ran out to tell me when I hit 42.2km (5hrs 43min?), which was very nice of her.
I was mostly hitting about 3 minutes per lap with some 2 minute-2min 30 laps...
Caught up with many wonderful running legends there afterwards including Hunna, young Phil, Aaron, and others...
Memorable day for so many reasons! so glad I went...That night felt a bit sick in the stomach, and took a wrong turn driving home and ended up in Jandakot airport, so maybe the heat, lack of food was getting to me a bit by the end...Incredible day!

Some photos from Bernadette at the start of all 3 races are HERE...

Provisional Results from Nathan;
12hr
David Kennedy 118.491k
Nathan Fawkes 110.484k
Susannah Harvey-Jamieson (QLD) 103.866k
Daniel Kehoe 91.430k
Steven Hince 80.374k

6hr
Mark O'Keefe 59.784k
Robert Donkersloot 57.748k
Kate Sommerville 46.209k
Jonathon Phillips 45.003k
Brian Jackson 39.359k

3hr
Stephen Courtney 42.814k
Jon Pendse 41.988k
Jeff Gray 37.386k
Sean Cooper 34.168k
Team Adams 35.600k

It was 34-36 degrees at the Perth central weather station (probably the closest although its a tossup between Perth Airport, Bickley and Gosnells, even Jandakot too) from 1.30pm to 1830, so the 12 hr runners copped it for 5 hours in the heat, and us 6 hour runners dealt with it for the first 3 hours.
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDW60901/IDW60901.94608.shtml

Fantastic arvo/evening...memorable...
hope I dont have nightmares after 110 .5 laps of the Coker Park track...

UPDATE; I can summon up a colour mental image of a red track with white lines on it, and runners going around it in the twilight or the afternoon heat every time I think of it, in the last 24-48 hours, but yet to have nightmares, been way too tired to dream,k and of course I have shot to pieces quads...

Massive thanks to my wife for letting me do this, to Bernadette for getting me registered in and finding me lap scorers in 2 minutes flat, plus taping my hot spots threatening to be blisters in the last 2 hours etc etc. Big thanks to my lap scorers Jon and Fee. Awesome to see so many familiar legendary faces out there... Thanks to Aaron for the 29km last weekend, without which I would not have attempted this, and to Kate for the battles for much of the 6 hours, that helped keep me motivated and racing! Pathetic prep from me, both long term and short term, but a few of my strategies worked well...Thanks to Coops for the Rev ups towards the end, and to many others for their encouragement, and of course the Creator from whom all blessings come.

some stunning performances out there from some top notch athletes. In particular Dave, Nathan and Suzannah who came all the way from Queensland for this on the 3 figure efforts in the 12 hour, and of course Stephen Courtney in the 3hr race (who won the Perth Marathon in recent years and has very major Comrades experience), and Jon Pendse who led for much of the way I think in the 3hr race... 6inch legend Mark Okeefe on winning with an excellent 59km with Knoddie close behind in 57km, it was that running wide that cost you? ;-), and Kate for going all the way despite the heat in the 6 hour as the only female finisher other than Suzannah. Mick Francis and Bernadette did an awesome job of keeping things running smoothly...

other training this week;
Saturday swam 300m freestyle in 10min 09 secs at local pool.

A non-training week really, but my 45km in the 6 hour race, has saved the day, and probably turned what could have been a backwards week into a forward momentum week...!