Finding a fourth team member for our Trailwalker team proved to be somewhat challenging – who would be crazy enough to want to walk, let alone run 100km??? A few leads led nowhere and Bec, Vee and I thought about getting someone to sign up and pull out at the start. We’d do it with just the three of us. But I was worried my achilles injuries would flare up and if I had to pull out, the girls would need to find another team to latch onto before they could continue.
Then we thought about getting a boy on board. And I knew just the man crazy enough for the job – my brother Kevin. He ran a debut sub 3:30 marathon last year and was very fit… I sent him a text to gauge his interest and of all the questions you’d think someone in his situation would ask before agreeing to sign up for this event, he just wanted to know what time it started!!!
Trackstompers finally had their fourth, only a month before the big event.
Training was somewhat haphazard this year with the unprecedented heat waves and high fire danger keeping us out of the bush and in safer, more suburban surroundings when its been cool enough to train. Most of the track itself has been closed, on fire, near fire or at high risk of catching on fire. Parks Vic worked hard to get a section of Churchill NP open for us in time for TW09.
Overnight hikes and planned training runs on the track were cancelled, even before the tragic events of Black Saturday. Vee lives in Millgrove where Trailwalker ends (near Warburton) and she was evacuated several times as the Kilmore East - Murrindindi Complex South fire threatened the area – living under a cloud of smoke and under such high fire threat has taken its toll but we’re just glad now her house and surrounds are safe.
On our paper, our plan was to finish in 18.5 hours, though we thought anything under 20 would be brilliant.
Our race plan was to pace ourselves and not go out too fast, slow jog the flats and downhill sections, walk the uphill bits, when we eat and when we were too tired.
Our support crew on the day consisted of TJ from start to about Checkpoint 7 when he retired for the night, the girls’ partners Patrick and Lane from 5pm onwards and my big sister Allison who joined us for the final 25km.
I felt so excited during the build up to Trailwalker. I felt physically underdone and under prepared … but mentally ready to take on the amazing challenge.
I didn't sleep well the night before - Kev drove down from Wodonga and I had to get everything prepared and loaded into the car. I'm not a good packer so this takes some time. I was to excited and nervous to sleep - I probably didn't fall asleep until after midnight and woke several times, afraid the alarm wouldn't go off. But it did around 4am and so the day began...
We started in the first wave (with the ‘real athletes’!) at 7:03am on Friday 27th March.We had our team t-shirts, identifying us individually and as trackstompers. Toilets were plentiful, thank goodness and the registration process didn't take too long. Soon we were lined up with everyone else and time was counted down from ten. The gun went off and we stayed still! The perils of the back of the pack starters.
We ran the first checkpoint (12.5km) comfortably in about 1:20. I wore my Garmin so I could monitor our pace and there were a few times I had to reign us in because we were running too fast.
Poor Vee developed some nasty cramping in her toes and feet during CP1-CP2 so were reduced to a walk for a good part of this section. I swear the section that winds its way through the trees at Lysterfield goes on and on FOREVER.
We made it to the checkpoint, about 10 mins behind schedule but Vee was starting to come good again.
We started to run again to CP3 and I remembered much of the course from 2006. CP3 was at Grants Picnic Ground and Vee and I got a rub down on the massage table at this point. It wasn't a drive in checkpoint and TJ had to catch a shuttle bus to get there. We ate kimbap and we were a third of a way through the course.
I love the walk through Sherbrooke Forest though it seemed a lot steeper with 35km on my legs. But funnily enough, I started to get a second wind and found the mid section of the course easier than the first third! At one stage near Mt Evelyn, I felt like I was flying. I felt light, no pain and like there was a hand on my back helping me up the hills.
At CP5 I had soup with wasps. They wouldn't leave me alone. That wasn't a pleasant experience in such a pretty park - Silvan Reservoir. Our CP stops were starting to draw out. What felt like 10 mins was more like 30 mins. My work colleagues were texting me all day and telling me to 'Suck it up princess" and making me laugh.
Unfortunatley this is when Bec started to struggle with an ankle injury. It blew up so bad she couldn't see her ankle bones anymore. By the time we got to CP6 (63km) , it was getting dark and we had an endless stretch of the Warburton Trail ahead of us. Bec made the difficult decision to pull out and I was the one who cried - disappointed for her and for the trackstompers.
Vee, Kev and I headed out in our night gear for a 13.5km stretch of the "Warbie." We ran the first 3km or so and then ran/walked the next 10km, running to a TW marker and then walking to the next one. I swear the run sections were longer than the walk sections.
Bec and TJ were sleeping at the next CP and met Allison and got back out on the trail. The temperature started to drop rapidly. We could feel it getting colder and colder by degrees. The cold was chilling us to the core.
We got to the CP8 (90.5km) and had a quick stop - we left at about 1am; originally we'd hoped to be at the finish line at this time.
My brain doesn't function very well after 30km, let alone 90km. Vee left the checkpoint without her head torch and I didn't bring my spare batteries or spare torch. I genuinely thought the ground was a different shade, not that my torchlight was dying. It died completely by the time we got to the base of Mt Little Joe and Vee and I had to struggle up the mountain in the dark - not even a scrap of moonlight to help us. Kev and Al were ahead of us.
Some speedy, brightly lit people came powering up behind us. After trying to give us their batteries, they lent us a torch instead. Fortunately we only had about 150-200m to go until we got to the clearing and the fire track where Al and Kevin and the good samaratins were waiting for us.
After thanking the good people profusely, they powered on ahead and Kev, Al, Vee and I plodded along together.
The decent was brutal, only to be followed by another steep ascent. The TW planners knew to save the best until last! There were two moments on the way up the second ascent where I stopped and paused for a few moments before continuing on. I wondered if climbers of Mt Everest and other great peaks felt like this - mind not functioning well, body so tired from the exertion of the day, digging to find the desire and the will to go on.
We could see the bright lights of the finish line. So near and yet so far. We could hear the lound speaker, perhaps announcing the latest team to finish.
We got passed by quite a few teams in that last stretch. We passed heaps of teams while we were jogging along the warbie. I guess now they had all caught up to us!
The final downhill stretch seemed to go on forever. It zigged and zagged across the mountain and the lights at the finish line were tantalisingly close.
We finally stepped out into the clearing (although Vee managed to trip and fly out of the bush!) and we were directed by a race marshall to the finish chute. What took 1:50 in training took us 2:50 that night.
We crossed the finish line at 3:50am, giving us an official time of 20:47. What relief. I didn't really feel anything other than grateful it was over. 10kms before I was feeling strong and pleased with my effort during the day. After the last brutal10kms I was feeling tired, sore and depleted. If the race was further, I'm not sure I could have done it. Kevin looked as though all he needed was the Sunday paper under his arm.
It was time to go back to Vee's house in Millgrove, shower, eat, drink, rest and start the recovery process.
Almost two month on and I'm STILL recovering. So quite thankful I decided not to Kokoda as that would have been a very big struggle and I would've quite possibly done some permanent damage. My post Trailwalker ITB issues are being sorted with an osteo (almost healed!) and my achillies being treated with regular and ongoing acupuncture sessions.
I wish I could run again. The feeling I had, flying up the fire track around the half way point was brilliant. I wish I could bottle it and pull it out when I'm feeling down or things are difficult. I'll be trying two slow runs this week and see how I go.
