Hong Kong 100
Tarawera Ultra
Sixfoot Track
Buffalo Stampede Grand Slam
... and now it was the turn of UTA - always one I look forward to, even though in 7 consecutive years I have never really had a good run here. True to form I got sick about 5 days out from the race which, to put it mildly, made me slightly annoyed and scuppered any chance I had of beating last year's time.
This year was a bit special though, because my wife, May was attempting the 22km. I had definitely talked her into it and pretty sure I was more excited than she was - but she did awesome with the very little real training time she had and came in around 4 hours. After that effort, there was no way I was going to drop out of this one.
Anyway, here we go with the UTA 100...
The Course
The UTA 100, on paper looks to be extremely hilly with some tough climbs. While this is true, it is actually a pretty runnable course which makes it very tough in the latter stages - as people tend to go out quite fast at the beginning.
NOTE - due to the bad weather this year, the last section after CP5 was scrapped and we had to go back through Wentworth Falls/ Leura instead. Missing out the big descent/climb into and out of Kedumba seems like it would make the course easier, but with me now having to do my least favourite section twice, it was bad news for me...
The Plan
1. Gear:
Bit of a change in gear for this race - the equipment I used at Buffalo Stampede was awesome, but there's not much call for super grip on this course. So, out with the Inov8 X-Claws and in with some shoes I had been wanting to try for a long time - La Sportiva Akasha. Apparently great for longer distances with some nice cushioning, I had used them in a few training runs leading up to the race and they felt great. I also wanted a slightly roomier pack since UTA has such a long list of mandatory gear. I think the gear will certainly all fit in the Salomon but it can be a tight squeeze, so I went with my Raidlight Olmo which is comfortable and has more storage compartments than you can shake a stick at. Clothing would remain the same - the weather was forecast for lots of rain and a cold snap so I would probably be wearing my rain jacket at some point. :)
Pack: Raidlight Olmo 12L
Clothing: Salomon S-lab shirt, Compressport Trail shorts
Shoes: La Sportiva Akasha
Rain Jacket: Inov8 Stormshell 150
2. Nutrition:
Gel was the order of the day here, and the different fruit had worked well at Buffalo so that was also in. With nectarines not being in season right now (they worked wonders at Buffalo) I opted for pears and made sure they had a few days to ripen/soften before the race. I would also use Tailwind as its pretty dependable at least for the first 3/4 of a race.
3. Race Strategy:
After the other ultras went so well this year, I was super confident of getting a sub-11 time. I really felt I had the legs for it, and training had been going great. THEN the illness hit at exactly the wrong time... It's a little annoying as I have now had (at least lingering) illness in all my races this year except Buffalo and this time it would be worse as I felt like my sore throat/bad chest (courtesy of my son) would peak on race day. I did consider just pulling the plug, but then thought - what the heck, just change the race strategy to simply survive ie, just do everything I can to finish no matter what the time was.
The Race
It was raining as expected and pretty cold at the start which played havoc with my bad chest. However, I started reasonably well on the road section staying about 25-30 places back from the leader. After 15 minutes I settled into it (still coughing away though), and thought maybe the day wouldn't go so bad after all. That changed pretty quickly, when after about 10 minutes of being on the trail I went down pretty hard on my right knee! I managed to run the worst of it off, but it was painful, and I knew it was going to deteriorate as the race went on.
I started to really struggle pretty early on, after Narrowneck - i had run a plodding, but reasonable pace along there, however it was too fast for my sick old body and my energy levels started to drop rapidly. On leaving CP2 (Dunphys Camp) I realised now that the day would be a hard slog and not an enjoyable one. CP2 to CP3 was a bad section, I resorted to walking a lot to conserve some energy and save a lot for the back half. Luckily the climb to Ironpot Ridge had been ruled out due to the weather so the re-route along the paddocks was actually welcome. It was also good to see some familiar faces along here (Mick Keyte, Ashley Bennett) - it made the journey much easier. :)
Having no support at CP3 wasn't nice at all (again changes were made thanks to the weather) and obviously that meant the atmosphere was totally different to previous years. I was through the CP and out after a couple of minutes, where I would usually spend a bit of time (only a few mins more) with my family here. However, after a refill of water a little food and a few bug gulps of Coke I perked up a little and made pretty good work of the climb out of Megalong via the Sixfoot Track and up Nellies Glen. Seeing the family at CP4 also perked me up a little and from CP4 to the Fairmont I briefly felt ok again and was moving pretty well. Unfortunately this didn't last, and following that, my bogey section once again ruined me and the constant stairs soon had me cursing wishing for the next checkpoint. I also had started to find swallowing gels difficult - my throat was getting quite closed up and dry, so started having to really sip the gel with lots of water, and on reflection that wasn't enough nutrition, which just added to my woes.
After a long slog down Kings Tableland Road to CP5, I was relieved to hear the cowbells and see the checkpoint, only to be told that we had to run straight through and complete a 3km loop before we could stop and refuel! It wasn't something I was happy about - I had just finished all my liquids in preparation for a refill, so having to do this (admittedly little) extra section was disappointing to say the least.
At this final CP, I started to lose a little bit of the mental battle. I knew I now had to go back along my least favourite section, I knew it would be hard, I knew it would hurt, I felt quick sick and my knee was really bothering me now. The illness started to take more of a hold and running back up the road section i started to feel genuinely awful, and not in a "feel bad in the last section of an ultra" kind of way. The legs were heavy, I felt like I had very little energy and some nausea was setting in. Looking at my watch I was on track to match or even perhaps beat last years time and this suddenly made sense - I shouldn't have been trying to go that fast it was damn stupid to think I could do that while sick. It really caught up with me - and my "running" during this last section became less and less.
I decided to effectively stop running at this point and not damage myself too much - I had Ultra Trail Lavaredo coming up after this and I didn't want to do anything that might cause me to miss it. I figured if I walked the majority of the remaining 15km I would still finish in a reasonable time - so simply finishing became the target. It was here I was caught by Marie McNaughton who seems to now catch me in every single ultra during the last 10-15kms (HK100, NF100 Hong Kong and now this one), and we then proceed to suffer to the end together. She was perhaps in a worse state than me, but luckily I think our combined suffering pulled us on and after what seemed like forever we reached Furber Steps. I think its the first time I've been so happy to see them - I was so glad to be at the end I would have happily climbed these stairs twice! I was also passed by another of my fellow strugglers Mick Keyte who also didn't have the best day, but it was pretty great to see he hadn't pulled the pin and was still able to finish in a decent time. I had also seen a bit earlier that Ashley had also kept going, which was awesome!
The final section had been slow and arduous but we had done it - in total, 12 hours 36 minutes. Not my best time for sure, but not bad at all considering. At the start line, I was 50/50 about actually being able to finish so although yes, the time was disappointing I was pleased with the actual performance - if that makes any sense at all!?
Summary and Event Review
Besides the illness, the race didn't go so bad - I didn't really expect to get any sort of decent time, so to actually finish, but also still come in under 14 hours was a nice bonus. I didn't enjoy it though which is the real kicker - its a fun race and beautiful course and I just found it a slog almost from start to finish. The gear was great though with the exception of one thing - the front straps on the Olmo pack did rub on my chest giving me some sore spots for the last 2 hours - this was simply where I had to tighten it up so much because i only have a tiny frame, and the front pockets had bunched up a little. Great find on the La Sportiva Akasha shoes too, they were superb.
This event just gets bigger and bigger every year, and it really is a party now. There's few events that can match the energy and spectacle of it. The venue is awesome - I don't think I have been to another race that has a nice runners lounge you can just crash out in and have a beer + steak sandwich. The finish area is always packed with supporters and you get a huge rousing welcome as you come home across the line. On course is just as good - aid stations are well stocked, the volunteers are super helpful and clearly enjoying themselves, and there's lots of support out on the trails too. The expo is great, the logistics are good, the event updates are timely, there's not a lot you can criticise. I guess there's a reason why this is the flagship trail running event in Australia.
Ultra Trail Australia Course Ratings (out of 5):
Toughness: 3
Although its not what i would call a brutal course, but the fact that the first half (and some sections afterwards) are very runnable yet hilly means you can really set yourself up for some harm later on. I've done this event many times now, and Nellies Glen is usually where people get a wake up call - the next section that follows -through Leura Cascades adds to the "fun". The final stair climb gets everyone, but strangely enough I like this bit, its very tough, but you know you are almost home so can really shove yourself up the steps.
Runnability: 4
People are often surprised at how much you can run through this course - but the fact that there is a mix of everything here (lots of stairs, rolling hills, steep climbs, technical sections) means you have to be a little careful about giving too much too soon.
Fun Factor: 5
Along with the excellent support, the course itself is nicely varied and, in parts, absolutely spectacular. Its hard not to enjoy yourself here (even when you are trying to run while sick with a bashed up knee).
TOOPP rating (Toys Out Of Pram Potential): 4
As mentioned above, going out too fast in the beginning can really finish you off in the later stages. Nellies Glen is a MASSIVE petrol burner it will really knock the stuffing out of you if you have been a little over-exuberant up till then. The continuous up and down of CP4 to CP5 similarly beats you up, and I have seen a few people sat on Furber having a mini tantrum before shoving on to the finish! :)
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