There’s something about the Caboolture Historical Village and I can’t quite put my finger on it. I’ve always been interested in history, whatever its association but it isn’t that. As a race venue it’s peculiar to say the least. I think it’s that and the people who run it (mainly Geoff Williams) and those that support it – not the runners, they’re there to run if they’re honest, sorry guys – Caboolture Road Runners and the rest of the local ultra running support.
Anyway, having flirted with the idea of running the twelve hour instead of the six on the Saturday afternoon I decided that I already knew I didn’t need a twelve hour race seven weeks out of GH100.
I was fortunate to have Keith Sullivan score for me (he’d been there for at least 24 hours looking after a number of the real competitors running the 24 and 48 hour events) and was pleased to have someone who knew me – given his own challenges over recent weeks I was amazed he was still there after meeting up that morning for the start of the 24 hour event.
Long story short, there were only three in the event: Tina Fiegel, Lindsay Phillips (both ultra stalwarts) and yours truly. With no disrespect to these guys I guess I knew that as long as I didn’t get injured or was taken ill, I should win my first ever race. Not what I was there for but it did carry a shallow incentive.
My aim was to run a minimum of 60km, hopefully 65 and if all things went well ... maybe 70km.
I started off very well, a bit quicker than I really wanted (about 4:30/35 pace). In the first two hours I’d covered 25 km’s. I made a conscious decision to back off for the middle two hours and really have a tilt in the final two and did what I thought was necessary. I put on a beanie, long sleeved shirt and my gloves in anticipation of the cold and got on my way looking to get to 36 km for the halfway mark (which would have been 13, 12 and 11 km for the first three hours). As it goes, I think I had 36½.
Unfortunately, during that third hour, as I backed off I cooled down and this coincided with the temperature dropping considerably and I just couldn’t get warm again. As I got colder and colder, my legs started to stiffen (not cramp) and every time I went around that dreaded turn, especially in the clockwise direction (hours four and six) I felt a right quadriceps tightening. I walked every couple of laps hoping it would just warm up but it wouldn’t.
Through this time, Keith was constantly asking how I was doing and telling me to be careful, don’t make anything worse. Total sense which I didn’t totally ignore.
During one of these walking laps I was just in front of Susannah Harvey-Jamieson as I stopped running so we ended up walking together for about 15/20 minutes and though I wasn’t cured, it did me the world of good. When we turned at the end of hour four, I think I needed about 17 km to make sure I got 60 km which was my minimum goal.
I basically dug in and did what I had to do and not much more for the duration and snuck in with just under 62½ in the end.
One lesson learned: If you’re feeling good, travelling well and enjoying yourself, don’t change anything! I could have carried on as I was for at least another hour and who knows how I’d have gone for the remainder, but even if I’d had to hang in there I’d have been in no worse a position.
At the end of the day, I’m satisfied with how I handled myself and that I got over 60 km and that I won, despite the small field.
As ever, the event was run superbly and once again, a considerable windfall will go to the Historical Village
Great events there but they beat me up!
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