2020 - 24h Australian Track Invitational
With all it's going on in Australia and in the world, and seeing all the drama unfolding of races being cancelled at the last minute, or like in the case of the 24h Australian Track Invitational, with interstate runners not being able to travel to the race, I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to participate to an organised race in 2020.
Even if the day didn't turn up to be anything like I had in mind.
Even if the day didn't turn up to be anything like I had in mind.
A photo from 2018 run on the same track
TWO YEARS AGO I SAID "SO DAMN HOT!" NOW I SAY "SO DAMN COLD, WET AND WINDY!"
I knew it was going to be cold and I honestly thought I was ready for it.
Could it be worse than that time in Greece? Surely not!?
It was just above 0 when the small group of crazies (Joe Ward, Stephen Redfern, Matthew Eckford, Joasia Zakrzewski, Simone Hayes, Matt Griggs, and myself) started off at 8AM. Wrapped up like an Italian burrito (I was wearing undershirt, shirt, long sleeve, running jacket, 2 pair of socks, beanie and gloves), it took me a few laps to feel my toes again. At the other extreme, brave Joey Ward was wearing only his singlet, the man must be drinking rocket fuel.
Once accustomed to the temperature, I started ticking off laps of the beautiful blue track with ease, maintaining a pace of ~ 5:10/km and watching in astonishment Matthew lapping me every few laps.
Ticking off the marathon in 3:42 and the 100 km in 9:06, I was feeling pretty good. The weather was holding up and at one point it even felt "warm" as I ran wearing only my t-shirt. As you may guess, Joey was shirtless at that stage, it must have been melting hot for him! Every other loop I would say hi to the little camera on live streaming, to Lorenzo, Allegra and Lidia watching from home.
It was about 5pm in the afternoon and I thought we may be lucky and avoid the predicted storm. Soon after, the sky got dark and cloudy, temperature dropped and wind started blowing before hell broke loose for the first time of the day. Still positive I soldiered on with my mighty support crew, Mike from Pure Running, getting the worst end of the deal as he would seriously freeze during the night standing still watching us going around and around.
During the following hours, the weather was still undecided on what to do with us fools, going from little rain, to dry, to torrential rain, to dry again. At every bout of heavy rain, I could feel my body getting weaker and weaker, my pace dropping, my focus and mental clarity fading.
As I hit 150 km in 14:25 at 10:25pm, the weather started to turn for the worse. I managed to hit 100 miles just before midnight to die of a slow death after that.
Throughout the night, the weather was miserable. Cold to the bone and wearing pretty much everything I had brought with me in an attempt to keep warm and dry, I walked around the track like a zombie, in complete awe of Joasia still flying, Joe just behind and Matt hanging on, at least for now. Everybody else had pulled the pin.
Walking is not my strength and I don't sign up to races to walk. My head was spinning and I was considering my options. When Matt hit 200km and called it the day, for better or for worse that inspired me to suck it up for a little longer, like other 20km+!, to try to reach his distance and do one extra lap. Just to see if I could walk it off.
In retrospect, while it was a "brave" thing to do and I didn't want to let my support crew down, I am not sure it was the right thing to do for my body, more about that later.
As Joe and Joasia battled it through the early hours of the morning (Joe went to finish in 239km and Joasia 236km setting a few records) I just walked, feeling bad and horrible and anything in between. I dragged my self over 200km and stopped 1 lap over what Matt did. I reached my goal and I stopped without hesitation, no matter there was only half hour left to go. The beauty of 24 hours events is that you can't DNF but it felt like one.
The one big learning was that ultrarunners have wonderful friends going through hell conditions to support our crazy endeavours. Thank you Mike.
I knew it was going to be cold and I honestly thought I was ready for it.
Could it be worse than that time in Greece? Surely not!?
It was just above 0 when the small group of crazies (Joe Ward, Stephen Redfern, Matthew Eckford, Joasia Zakrzewski, Simone Hayes, Matt Griggs, and myself) started off at 8AM. Wrapped up like an Italian burrito (I was wearing undershirt, shirt, long sleeve, running jacket, 2 pair of socks, beanie and gloves), it took me a few laps to feel my toes again. At the other extreme, brave Joey Ward was wearing only his singlet, the man must be drinking rocket fuel.
Once accustomed to the temperature, I started ticking off laps of the beautiful blue track with ease, maintaining a pace of ~ 5:10/km and watching in astonishment Matthew lapping me every few laps.
Ticking off the marathon in 3:42 and the 100 km in 9:06, I was feeling pretty good. The weather was holding up and at one point it even felt "warm" as I ran wearing only my t-shirt. As you may guess, Joey was shirtless at that stage, it must have been melting hot for him! Every other loop I would say hi to the little camera on live streaming, to Lorenzo, Allegra and Lidia watching from home.
It was about 5pm in the afternoon and I thought we may be lucky and avoid the predicted storm. Soon after, the sky got dark and cloudy, temperature dropped and wind started blowing before hell broke loose for the first time of the day. Still positive I soldiered on with my mighty support crew, Mike from Pure Running, getting the worst end of the deal as he would seriously freeze during the night standing still watching us going around and around.
During the following hours, the weather was still undecided on what to do with us fools, going from little rain, to dry, to torrential rain, to dry again. At every bout of heavy rain, I could feel my body getting weaker and weaker, my pace dropping, my focus and mental clarity fading.
As I hit 150 km in 14:25 at 10:25pm, the weather started to turn for the worse. I managed to hit 100 miles just before midnight to die of a slow death after that.
Throughout the night, the weather was miserable. Cold to the bone and wearing pretty much everything I had brought with me in an attempt to keep warm and dry, I walked around the track like a zombie, in complete awe of Joasia still flying, Joe just behind and Matt hanging on, at least for now. Everybody else had pulled the pin.
Walking is not my strength and I don't sign up to races to walk. My head was spinning and I was considering my options. When Matt hit 200km and called it the day, for better or for worse that inspired me to suck it up for a little longer, like other 20km+!, to try to reach his distance and do one extra lap. Just to see if I could walk it off.
In retrospect, while it was a "brave" thing to do and I didn't want to let my support crew down, I am not sure it was the right thing to do for my body, more about that later.
As Joe and Joasia battled it through the early hours of the morning (Joe went to finish in 239km and Joasia 236km setting a few records) I just walked, feeling bad and horrible and anything in between. I dragged my self over 200km and stopped 1 lap over what Matt did. I reached my goal and I stopped without hesitation, no matter there was only half hour left to go. The beauty of 24 hours events is that you can't DNF but it felt like one.
The one big learning was that ultrarunners have wonderful friends going through hell conditions to support our crazy endeavours. Thank you Mike.
THE AFTERMATH ... written 12 months later
I was expecting to feel physically and psychologically fatigued. But this time things felt terribly off days after. I couldn't sleep, concentrate, my energy levels were at the floor and I had the constant feeling of being on a plane or high altitude. This went on for a few weeks, until one morning I just woke up with a blaring high pitch noise in my right ear. So high I couldn't hear people speak, I couldn't stand being on the phone and troubled my sleeping and my mood and my overall balance for several month. I lost a big percentage of my hearing in my right ear and I was diagnosed of Tinnitus. And this is how it sounds like... annoying ah?
All in all, it's not the end of the world (I say that now 12 months later) but it impaired me physically and mentally for several months.
Over the months my brain learnt to deal with it and adapted by masking the noise somewhat. I learnt to be in peace with it and catch the signs of stress which aggravate it.
Doctors can't explain the sudden loss of hearing and onset of tinnitus, it may have been related or totally coincidental, who knows.
The one big learning here is that I have a wonderful family going through hell to support my wellbeing. Thank you Lidia.
I was expecting to feel physically and psychologically fatigued. But this time things felt terribly off days after. I couldn't sleep, concentrate, my energy levels were at the floor and I had the constant feeling of being on a plane or high altitude. This went on for a few weeks, until one morning I just woke up with a blaring high pitch noise in my right ear. So high I couldn't hear people speak, I couldn't stand being on the phone and troubled my sleeping and my mood and my overall balance for several month. I lost a big percentage of my hearing in my right ear and I was diagnosed of Tinnitus. And this is how it sounds like... annoying ah?
All in all, it's not the end of the world (I say that now 12 months later) but it impaired me physically and mentally for several months.
Over the months my brain learnt to deal with it and adapted by masking the noise somewhat. I learnt to be in peace with it and catch the signs of stress which aggravate it.
Doctors can't explain the sudden loss of hearing and onset of tinnitus, it may have been related or totally coincidental, who knows.
The one big learning here is that I have a wonderful family going through hell to support my wellbeing. Thank you Lidia.
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