When the pain subsides, only the glory remains

Contributed by Matthew Griggs, AURA Member (Torrens, ACT)

SRI CHINMOY 48HR TRACK FESTIVAL (AURA 48HR CHAMPIONSHIPS), AIS ATHLETICS TRACK (CANBERRA), 25-27 March 2022 (1^st Male, 48hr)

As the sun rose on Sunday morning at around 7am, light started to reveal the war that had played out on AIS track over the last two days. There were only the hardiest of souls still marching. This was an elite field of ultra-runners doing their thing. Pounding out amazing totals, and 45 hours deep, managing a blistering (literally) 4 minute laps. No one was running, everyone’s place had been settled, the only thing that remained was the final tally. With three hours to go, even at walking pace, many kilometres could be added to the score sheet.

Two days earlier, I started my 48hr run by walking a lap in memory of my Grandmother who passed away at age 95 the weekend before the race. Coincidentally, her funeral began at the same time my race started. She was always big on the outdoors and loved walking long distances. So I dedicated my race to her, setting off on a 2-day journey around and around a blue oval. Running 48hr, the longest Australian Championship running event.

I had originally intended to race the 24hr at the Sri Chinmoy Track Festival and try to improve my PB. But when my training wasn’t going to plan and my fitness was below what I knew I needed to beat last year’s effort, I decided to switch to the 48hr. This strategy aligned with the values of my club, the ULTRA Mediocre Runners of Canberra. Which basically can be boiled down to, if you can’t go fast, go far.

With the advice of my coach Joe Ward, I adopted a run/walk strategy for the race. The first 24 hours of my race went more or less to plan. I managed 217km and was running within myself the whole time, running without trying and just letting the track do the work for me. At the close of day one I was in second place behind AURA member Kevin Muller, who had set of at an inspiring pace and at one point had more than a 10km lead on me.

As day two wore on, the sun came out and made getting around the track a little less pleasant. Life was getting more difficult and my pace was dropping, but I kept up my run-walk strategy and managed to stay calm. I had by now given up monitoring my pace or any thought about a final tally. I decided I just needed to get through each of my 12 minute runs, before I walked for 3 mins. My mantra became ‘Just 12 more minutes’. Each time those micro-blocks passed, I was a little bit closer to the end.

I had been running past my fellow ULTRA Mediocre team mate Allicia Heron, (who was absolutely killing it and would go on to set a new W35 Aussie record, and securing 1^st Female). We’ve always had a good rapport in races and find that we encourage each other, and at one point I walked past her during a walk break and said, “I’m beat, I don’t know how much longer I can do this.” And she gave me some sagely advice, “Take a break for 15 minutess, lie down and close your eyes.” A couple of micro-blocks later I decided to try out her advice. The little break totally changed my world. When I got up again, I felt like I could run, I had been reset. I had energy to push on for another two hours, until again I took another reset and this time even managed about 10 minutess of sleep.

My crew had been doing a wonderful job keeping me going throughout. They fed me, changed my shoes, helped me with blisters, chafing and going to the toilet. But as the hours rolled on they had a new job of keeping me out there. At one point on day two I came in with an ache in my knee. I said, “I don’t want to do any long term damage, this race isn’t worth it.” Justin, my crew, took it coolly. He sat me down on the stretcher, assessed me knee and got me to take a little break. The good news, from his perspective, was that it was probably just because my whole body was packing it in and leg muscles could no longer do the job of keeping everything running. We decided a change of shoes and some taping may help alleviate the ache. I got back out on the track. I will never know if it was the tape or just the reassurance it gave my mind, but I dug back into my run-walk and kept going.

I had managed to pass Kevin (Muller) and take the lead of the race at around hour 26. I managed to get a lead of up to about 6km, but I never managed to get much above this. Kevin was lapping consistently and admirably just kept moving. I, on the other hand needed my reset breaks, so whatever I gained in my lap pace was lost every time I lay down for a rest. I had hoped that Kevin’s spirit would give in and I’d be able to comfortably take out the Australian title. But Kevin ran superbly and never gave me an opportunity to truly relax. The race was still on.

With less than 8 hours to go, my knee had started to bother me again. I needed another reset and this time lay down for my longest break of the race. I had a lie down for over 20 minutes. When I woke up, Kevin had pulled back 2km. I was now worried. Running had been hurting and walking had been hurting. Everything was hurting. But I was less than 8 hours away from an Australian Championship title. It was time to let out the mongrel.

After hobbling a couple of warm of laps I got stuck into winning the race for good. I started punching out wildly fast 6:40 kilometres. I eschewed my walk breaks (because walking hurt) and just kept pushing. Over the next two hours I managed to rack up a handy 16km. After this effort, I had another 10 minute break and then got up and kept pushing. I kept running as much as I could until the sun started to rise. With less than 3 hours to go, I had amassed 370km. My crew informed me that my lead was now insurmountable. All I needed to do was keep walking.

As the sun rose, the battle scars of the night were visible on all. Everyone was walking. I kept moving. It hurt. I was delirious. I was hallucinating. The infield would occasionally turn into mountains. The high-jump area would turn into deserts replete with sand dunes. Each lap I walked, Justin would give me the thumbs up. For two hours I walked. An eternity.

With one hour to go I asked Justin if I could be caught. He told me that I had won. That Kevin would have to do 15km in the last hour to catch me. I had amassed over 380km. I asked if I could lie down, this time when I got up the race would be over. I spent the last hour of the race asleep.

When I woke the tent was being dismantled and pack-up was underway. I had won the race. I would have lay there on my stretcher in the infield for days if I didn’t have to get up to collect my trophy.

There were so many ups and downs in the race, and I am so thankful to my crew. Justin, Tim, Chris, Kym. My family. My coach, Joe Ward. All of the wonderful people from the superb Ultra Mediocre Runners of Canberra. The other runners, everyone’s crew. The time keepers and the helpers. Sri Chinmoy and AURA. And anyone who just came to show support for the most insanely wonderful sport in the world.

I am just an Ultra Mediocre Runner of Canberra. A bloke that can’t run fast, but somehow manages to keep going. I completely underestimated how hard a 48 hour race is and I am just happy that I managed to find a way to get to the end. My body is still suffering, but I am overwhelmed by all the love and support that I have received following this effort. When I finished the race I could never imagine doing a 48 hour again. But as the pain subsides only the glory remains. And my dreaming heart knows I can do better next time!

This was is a race I’ll never forget. Thanks to everyone for all the kindness love and support.

Pictured: Matthew Griggs (centre) with Kevin Muller and Ingo Ernst at the Sri Chinmoy 48hr Track Festival. Photograph – Stephen Redfern.