GOW 100km - Finally... a run to be proud of

I won't say it was perfect, because it wasn't, but it was a very good race for me over the weekend at the Great Ocean Road 100's inaugural ultra marathon. I came third, which in itself I'm amazed at. It's a podium finish - the first (and possibly last) time ever, unless I start posting some 12 hour 100km trail times in the next few years.

The main thing for this one was being totally relaxed. I hyped Glasshouse up too much, put too much pressure on myself and bombed. This was very easy going. I also think it makes sense to have a day down there beforehand. The other races I've done (Glasshouse and GNW 2008), I've bombed it up after work with little prep time. I really think you need to get into the head space for these events and being down at Apollo Bay way before anyone else and just chilling out was great.

I just felt good about this one too, and having a beer or two at the pre-race briefing was also very nice and a good way to settle any nerves, whilst also helping me to sleep far better than at Glasshouse. I also did a few new things for this one. I've noticed that in recent weeks I've really struggled with getting my food and drink right. The pinnacle was at Glasshouse where within the space of 50kms I lost 6kgs, that's over 6% of my body weight and that is very bad.

I set my watch to go off every 30mins, and I also found that this really helped the time to fly by. Not that I was wishing it away, but it just helped me plan my race so much better and regulating my food. In fact at the halfway point, I was 1kg over, but that doesn't mean much because they used different scales to weigh us, so accuracy is an issue. Still, the main thing is that I was doing a good job of eating and drinking whilst on the move. Every 30 mins, just a little something, which I managed to continue right up until the last 15kms or so when I just threw it all out the window and just ran!

So here's the breakdown:

Apollo Bay to CP1 (Blanket Bay - 25.4kms): We started in darkness, but with some street running to begin with, not a problem in the slightest and we soon settled into a nice easy rhythm. As is usual with these races, my biggest problem is containing my own desire to go and run fast. You could tell by the way some people started that this would be the case for them, and it was certainly true later in the race. It's tough because you feel so good when you're running early on, but you had to really force yourself to slow down. All throughout the first section I kept telling myself that I should be running at the pace I expect to be running at 95kms - I almost did this, however I managed to run quicker in the last 25kms than the first 25kms!

The first section took us along the coastline for 5kms or so before turning in-land through forests and bushland. It got pretty muddy and swampy in some areas and I'm now so glad I wore my new Nike trail shoes. I almost went with the racing flats, but a chance conversation with organiser Brett the day before made my mind up when he told me that it was very mucky out in the first section. As part of this first section, we in the 100kms also did a 5km loop, which was actually OK - although it did take us up a pretty long and steep hill for a second time, but that was OK. Then is was cruisy trail running all the way down to the beach at Blanket Bay. I felt good, the food and drink was going down early and a quick turnaround of 2-3 mins saw me head straight back out again.

CP1 - CP2 (Blanket Bay to Aire River - 18.9kms): This section started out OK, taking us onto the beach for a short while, and then onto some more bushland, before a long slow climb onto the cliffs once again. Possibly some of the most beautiful running, but by now it was beginning to get warmer and we ran for around 8kms or so all on soft sand. It made the going very tough indeed and it was here I started to hit a bit of a low point and get have a bit of Gay Space come on board too. I thought I was slowing down, but to my amazement I was actually reeling some runners in. I passed a few of the 100 milers, but could see a few 100kmers in the distance too.

I knew that from CP1 I was in around 8th or 9th place, and it appeared as though the guys who set out quite quickly were starting to pay for it. I'd set myself 2.5 hours for this section in the splits, but it ended up taking me 3 hours, so with the half and hour I made up on the first section I was bang on splits so far. However with me feeling a bit crap, I really started to doubt if I could hold the 15 hour pace I wanted. I decided to not let it bother me and just run to how I felt, and that was a good choice. Getting to Aire River was a big boost for me and I spent a bit of time getting myself together for the next section, a mere 12.4kms. However I needed a toilet break, which put me back a few more mins, and the time I'd made up catching people on the last section was lost a little - still it didn't concern me as I just told myself to run my own race and not chase others. That would come in due course.

CP2 - CP3 (Aire River to Johanna Beach - 12.4kms): This started out fine, and admittedly some very easy running, until you got to the one end of Johanna Beach and you realise that you have to walk the entire length of the beach, which is about 3kms on soft sand... not pleasant at all - whilst in one of the hottest parts of the day. Again it got pretty low here, and I think a lot of other people were feeling the same. But again i was catching people despite feeling a bit crap about it all. That in a sense gave me heart and as we left CP3, there was a bunch of us (about 6), all grouped together.

CP3 - CP4 (Johanna Beach to Moonlight head - 19kms(ish): After a short sharp climb up the hill (around 400m of elevation), we hit some very easy road running and it was here I hooked up with Dave from Victoria and we had a good chat about all things running. It was good to run with someone actually and it helped the time go by whilst also giving me something else to focus on. I started to feel quite strong again and was running well. We hit the downhill and onto a beach again, but thankfully only for a short period of time, before starting a long slow climb uphill for what was to be the hardest part of the course.

All in, we had seven cliff faces to wind in and out of and it was pretty tough going. The scenery was stunning, but it was hard graft, and here I pulled away from the group that was following me. Again i thought I was travelling fairly slowly and not up to much, but it gave me confidence that I was moving well. It was here also, that I realised that I might be in around 4th or 5th place, but wasn't totally sure... still the plan was to run to how I felt. After a big climb up to the CP, I saw that I'd hit the 75km point in 11hrs 42mins. With 25kms to go, I thought 15 hours was way out of the question now as I'd budgeted 4 hours for the last section knowing that there would be slow-down and just general tiredness.

CP4 - Finish (12 Apostles - 25.4kms-ish): I made the decision to get quite a bit of food down me at the last CP before heading off, and as I sat there, a few of the other 100km runners cam in, around 3 I think. I sat there and thought to myself I need to go now if I want to stop anyone from overtaking me. So off I went. With a belly full of food, running was not an option, so I fast walked the first 2kms, feeling a little crap. However once I'd got up the hill, I started to run and I felt good. The evening was closing in, and I thought to myself, if I can get to within 10kms of the finish before it gets dark, then I've done well.

So I just hit the after-burners, and moved along very well. I just kept running and running and soon came across Darrel and Nick, before moving on. Before I realised it I only had 5.5kms to go, and I thought that I must have taken a short-cut or something because it didn't seem that long. Or rather I'd been moving so well, I just motored through the KMs. A short climb saw me enter some bush and I was met by BlueDog, who was looking fresh. He mentioned that I was in third place and I couldn't believe it. I'd hoped that I might be with a shot of a podium, but you just don't know who's going to turn up on the day, or really keep a track of where you are in teh arce with all the 100 milers about too.

This sped me on even more and as I got to the top of a the bushland, I could see the 12 Apostles in the distance. Cue more hard running and some easy trails, until I was met by Paul Monks for a quick picture at sunset with the 12 Apostles in the background. Awesome, I'd done a 100km run in daylight and no torch needed. A quick 1.5kms up the road and I was at the finish in 14hrs 28mins, and 5 or so mins behind Gareth who ran superbly also. He runs such a great race. Slow and steady at the start, before movingup a gear in the second half. I had tried desperately to run him down in teh first 15kms or so of the last section, but I knew that if I hadnt got him in sight with around 5-10kms to go, then I wouldn't get him. He deserved his placing though on the day, and a big thumbs up to him.

I was very chuffed with this run as for once, I got food and drink right and ran pretty sensibly too. I do like the 100km events as you can pretty much run the whole thing bar the hills, and I'm a lot more confident now about the trails and running them, and perhaps the 100 miler at GNW in a few weeks time too :)