The Running Comeback Continues

Following my first completed 6 Day Race the remainder of 2024 was very low key. Three weeks rest and one run, then three weeks off and very light training. A couple of weeks of 55 kms and two Lancefield Parkrun 5^th in 24 minutes and 3^rd in 22 minutes 25 secs. From there one long run each week, took through to the New Year.

Six months previously I had put in an entry for Two Bays 56km Trail Ultra. A new M70 record had been created and was an hour slower than my worst effort. If I had looked back at my training then, common sense would have prevailed and I would not attend. Anyway, run I did and reached 40 km (1007m climb) in 4 hrs 32 mins 52 secs, at least an hour in front of record pace. A refreshing drizzle set in, making for great conditions, after a warm and humid start. The organizers immediately halted the event citing thunderstorms. A very unhappy DNF.

After recovering, I rapidly built up to five weeks of over 100 kms. It was a tiring balancing act, but the best period I have achieved recently. A week of taper and it was off to Canberra for another crack at the Sri Chinmoy 48 Hour. Pre-race we shared around the Peace Torch, which was soon to be off on a lap of Australia. Crew supremo Justin had shingles, but he organized a great group to assist me. When W55 champion Bernadette Benson pulled out due to predicted hot weather I had serious misgivings. I didn’t amend my schedule, but was well aware that records were unlikely.

After ten hours stomach troubles set in, which made it difficult to ingest enough fuel to maintain the pace. On the second day the baking hot conditions led to time in the tent shade, sheltering until kinder weather as the sun became lower in the sky. Night two had more walking than running and sleep deprivation had me weaving around instead of proceeding in a straight line. The solution was brief “lie downs” every hour, but each one detracts from the final tally.

On the last morning most runners were waiting for “the siren to sound” and battling extreme exhaustion. On the other hand I recalled the final stages of my record run two years earlier and joined a few of the leaders in running the straights and walking the bends. For the final hour I was the only runner able/willing to keep up a steady run. Proof to me that the mind and willpower can override exhaustion. STRAVA pointed out that I had only been moving for 36 hours and this is reflected in the final distance achieved of 245.073 kms.

Amazingly I was able to run again after only three days of rest. Soon I was back to large kilometre totals each week. Meanwhile there was a significant change in my living circumstances occurring. After many years of sharing costs with housemate Frances, she had moved back to her empty farmhouse. This entailed me buying half a house with superannuation and incurring a mortgage. Just “do-able “on a pension, but any days of financial extravagance are a thing of the past. I will miss the prize goats which were rehomed a bit earlier. The interrupted racing career of my part owned “Gallant Grey” Hillcrest Avenue came to an end when he bled. In retirement he is sure to be a clerk of the course mount somewhere.

When in Canberra the organizer Prachar Stegeman had suggested that I might like some involvement in the Peace Torch Relay if it passed near my home region. So on the first of May I took a train north to Bendigo and joined the van of male runners for a day on the road.  Runners at this stage (some doing the entire distance) were, Asprihanal Alto (Finland), Edgars Ancans (Latvia), Mikail Vasilchenko (Russia), Munck Jargal Lkhaasuren (Mongolia) Prachar Stegeman (Australia, Ronivon Olivera (Brazil) and myself. I had a good chat with Aspirhanal who holds the World Record for the longest race… 3100 miles. That is an unbelievable three marathons a day for 40 days and 9 hours! Each one would have to be completed in five hours to allow enough time for eating and sleeping … let alone recovery!

In and out of the van and carrying the Peace Torch, I completed 6kms at Sutton grange, 2 kms at Taradale, 5kms at Gisborne and 5 kms at Plumpton. On arrival at Kyneton I carried the torch, leading the team into Our Lady Of The Rosary Primary School, for an inspirational meet and greet with students and staff. A Torch Bearer Award was bestowed on engineer Arnold Dix who in 2023 organized the rescue of 41 young men who became trapped inside the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel in the Himalaya’s. All in all, a busy day and worthwhile experience.

A week later Athletics Victoria held a cross country at nearby Hanging Rock and so I decided on a rare shorter race. Lolling around relaxed and chatting, I somehow missed the start. I ran the course solo covering the 8 kms in 38 minutes. In mid-May top Multi Day Adventure Racer Del Lloyd made contact and we commenced fairly regular mid-week training runs. These two hour runs in the hills around Mt. Macedon and Woodend should help fitness wise, so long as I recover for long Sunday runs. We run at the same pace and chatting away we enjoy each other’s company and the scenery, as the time flies by.

My training had been solid at around 100 kilometres per week but it fell back in June. My Townsville running mate and proprietor of the City Oasis Inn Brendan Carter was promoting the King/Queen Of The Castle footrace. His plan was to restore it to its former glory as a focal point of the northern running calendar. My part in all this was to return fifty years after my win in record time and be event ambassador. All sponsored by Brendan it was unexpected and totally irresistible.

A week of talking, meeting and media culminated in racing 7.4 kms over 285m high Castle Hill. This time I was 29th in 38 mins 45 secs. Three days later back in the Macedon Ranges, I did a solid run with Del Lloyd which involved 8kms downhill and then retrace your steps. Uhoh! Too many hills on unsuitable training and lack of recovery. I was injured and it wasn’t until June that I managed a few big weeks consistently.

I had long ago entered the final edition of the Australian 24 Hour Track Invitational. This was mainly to support the event in which I has set multiple age records in the past three years. It was also intended that I belatedly receive AUTRA trophies awarded for earlier achievements. I had misgivings about putting myself through another 24 hour event when age and fitness were likely to prevent records. On top of this I was feeling totally flat, there was freezing weather predicted and I wasn’t sure if support was available. I went…

On arrival I found that I had the crew essential for allowing records to be achievable. Then as the event progressed, the weather whilst “brisk” was the best I have encountered during a Canberra July. Ten minutes prior to the start AUTRA President Gary Mullins presented me with the following awards:

2023 AURA Runner Of The Year (Male) and 2024 AUTRA Cliff Young Award for the “greatest single best ultra running achievement by a male aged over 60 years”. No pressure then to put in a worthwhile performance!

Justin crewed for the first twelve hours which went perfectly. I had a schedule which ignored all shorter records and focused on the 100 Mile and 24 Hour targets. By the time Nicholas Matthews took over as crew I had covered 100.4 kilometres in 12 hours and was in no discomfort. I knew full well that the second half would not be as pleasant.

All went well until the 15 hour mark and I was over three kilometres in front of my ambitious schedule when I switched to walking the bends and running the straights. Near 20 hours I had a vomiting episode and was unable to take any food. I cleaned up in the toilet block and immediately forced myself to recommence running. All the work that had gone in earlier would be wasted if I didn’t achieve the 100 Mile record, so there was no other option.

The burst of running saw me reach 100 miles in 21 hrs 13 mins 41 secs, which sliced 34 mins 5 secs off my record. I paid for that by spending the next couple of hours walking at 6 km per hour. In the final hour I was able to run steadily and ensure that my new 24 hour record was achieved. In covering 178.4 kms I surpassed my previous record by 3.366 kms.

In three years since turning 70 I have achieved 16 AUTRA M70 Australian Age Group Records and 2 IAU World Best Performances. My first 6 were all achieved in this event in 2022 and I would not recommend setting a world age best for 6 hours, as the most sensible way of commencing a 24 hour race. I have now completed an extra 7 kilometres at age 73, but others can judge which was the better performance. It was a team effort and my thanks go to Justin and Nicholas for enabling the records.

After a couple of light weeks to recover I escaped the Victorian winter for my annual Townsville Marathon. It was great to renew acquaintances with my northern friends both old and new. City Oasis informed me that they had an elite runner staying. It was Vanessa Wilson from Narre Warren in Victoria, who had been selected in the Australian marathon team for the upcoming Tokyo World Athletic Championships. To give herself the best possible chance this 42 year old 2 hrs 28 mins marathon runner, has dedicated two months to hard training in tropical weather, far from her family.

On the day I ran a sensible pace to ensure a comfortable finish in my first run as a member of “The 10 Year Club”. The permanent race number of 42022 signifies that I am the 22^nd member of the group. I maintained my pace throughout and achieved a satisfying 3 hrs 45 mins 12 secs (71^st of 360). My final few kilometres were my fastest and this due to being paced by Vanessa!

A few words on how Vanessa spent the day. In the middle of heavy training (up to 200 kms per week!) she did a long warmup and then broke the half marathon record. For a warm down she then ran a solid 14 kms on Pallarenda Road which included slow sections while she paced me! She did all this way faster than the female marathon winner! If dedication counts Vanessa’s Tokyo marathon should be another Personal Best.

A fortnight later I was back into solid training whilst at the same time feeling like I needed more recovery. I walked in the mornings and slowed my training pace for the afternoon runs. During September I managed two weeks of over 160 kilometres. I was flat, tired and worried I had dug myself into a hole, but the fittest I have been since my young days. In mid-September Barry McBride from Adelaide put in a superb 24 hour race during which he surpassed five of my AUTRA M70 Age Group records. My congratulations go to this fine runner who still holds the M65 12 hour record.