I don’t really know when I decided to go back to Alpine Challenge. I guess after UTMB, I realised how much running the miler had helped me as a trail and ultra runner. Not just because of the distance (AC2017 was my first 100mile race) but because of the terrain and the environment. I think there was also an element of curiosity, of seeing how far I had come since running there 2 years ago.
I had decided upon the 100km option, as opposed to the 100miles. As much as I love the training and the challenge of 100miles, I wanted to see what I could do at the 100km distance, having not run that particular distance since Northburn 100km in March 2017. I also was very wary of having already run 100miles this year.
Training under my coach, Matty Abel from DBA runners, the training block began with lots of focus on speed. This meant lots of short, hard work in between my usual aerobic training runs. It was uncomfortable and really freaking hard, but I began to see real improvements in my times.
Eventually we got to the part in training that I absolutely love. Endurance.
There are so many ways that you can train for an ultra and each coach has their own method. With Matty, I was doing back to back long runs most weekends with a periodised recovery week. This being my first 100km race with Matty as my coach I questioned the lack of a big (8hr/50km) training run, having done a long run such as this for every race over 50km that I had trained for previously. Although the reasoning and science behind not doing one big long run made sense in my case, it was hard to let go of the notion that ‘more’ isn’t necessarily better or needed.
My training went really well and although towards the end I was definitely starting to feel the wear, it felt manageable for the most part. There is always a point in my training where I wonder how much more I can take and where my husband starts to mention that he thinks I am doing too much. It can be hard watching other people train for similar events, knocking out 100+km weeks one after the other when you barely hit the 100km mark once in your whole training cycle. Its than that it is good to have friends, family and a coach who give you perspective and remind you that “training” doesn’t happen in isolation of your life. I am also mum to three awesome young people, a wife and I work full-time in a physically demanding job. When non-training days result in you being on your feet for 8-10hrs straight with only a 30min break off your feet at some point and upwards of 30000 steps, there needs to be some adjustments to expectations in your training – but its not easy psychologically to make that connection.
So, training went well. For the first time I had goals of not just surviving through a long race. I wanted to beat my previous 100km personal best (22hr43min) and if possible go under the magic (to me) 20hr mark. In retrospect that sub 20hr was pretty audacious given the type of race Alpine Challenge is!
As always seems to be the case, the week before the race was anything but restful. Work stepped up a notch and I ended up working over 50hrs in a 7 day period. On the wednesday I flew from Queenstown in New Zealand to Canberra in Australia to meet my dear friend Kirsten. Kirsten had been my pacer at Alpine Challenge 100mile, part of my support crew at UTMB and was also running the 100km this year.
Thursday saw us drive to Falls Creek, the base for Alpine Challenge. We arrived to hot, windy conditions and smoke filled air. Although there were no bushfires close by, wind had carried smoke from fires further away up into the mountains.
Kirsten resting with the smoky outlook in the background
That evening we were treated to a brief lightning and thunder storm, bringing clear air as well as reminders of the storm I had experienced on the high plains during the race 2 years ago. The weather for the weekend was, however, looking good, if not a little hot.
Friday we set about resting as much as possible in between sorting our gear and drop bags for the coming adventure. Both myself and Kirsten were doing the race unsupported, without crew and would be relying on drop bags at 2 key check points on the course.
Organised chaos
Just as we were sitting down to lunch we each received an email from the race director. There was a major course change due to 4 fires which were now burning around the base of Mount Bogong – the second summit on the course.
The original 100km course for Alpine Challenge
Due to the fires the loop on the top of the map above was no longer feasible for the safety of both the runners and the on course marshalls. To allow the race to continue it was decided that the loop would be left out and instead we would do what is the 2nd loop on the 100mile course, taking in Mt Hotham and Mt Feathertop. The people running the 100mile race (which runs concurrently with the 100km) would now do this loop twice. This would add an extra 20km to each race (making it 120km and 180km respectively) as well as adding extra vertical gain.
The course change alone was a bit of a shock but the extra distance and vert was a kicker!
We set about reorganising drop bags, estimating distances, vertical gain and timings between points and just generally trying to get our heads around the changes. We worked out that it would be 120km and around 5000+m of gain on the new course. It also meant the drop bag points would be different distances and therefore at different times to previous.
While Kirsten struggled with the idea of running further than she ever had before, I was dealing with my own demons. I had run the miler loop 2 years ago and I knew it was a tougher, more technical loop than the Bogong loop we were meant to run. I had also nearly lost it on Diamantina Spur last time, the very steep and technical descent off Feathertop, both physically and mentally. I was also dealing with the loss of a well planned, where the majority of the vert would have been in the first 65km of the race. Now the biggest climb would be at 90km, with a third decent sized climb to follow that. I also knew my pacing plan would be out the window given the extra 20km. So, after a small panic and a whinge to my coach, I took a deep breath and moved on. At least I could look forward to summiting Hotham in daylight this time!
Once we felt sorted we set off to register and drop off our support bags to be taken to the new drop bag points on the course. The rest of the afternoon was spent studying the course notes, eating and rechecking maps. I also ducked out to chat with friends Ana and Jas who had travelled down from the sunshine coast to run. Ana was running the 100km and Jas was running the miler after having run the weather effected event the previous year – a loop course in the snow. After a chat we all went to the packed briefing and then headed straight home to bed.
At 4:15am we arrived at the startline only to be directed to the runners lounge for a briefing outlining a new course change. As the room quickly filled, Kirsten and I moved into the hall to find a place to sit. Paul, the race director, soon announced that late last night he had devised a new course change which would drop everything back close to the original distance and vert. We would now be running out on the trail that is the finish for the 36km race. This meant that the first 30km would be very runnable and that pacing would be everything.
After a roll call at the startline we were off in the dark, up the slope and onto the trail. I ran along, trying to run within myself whilst also trying not to be held up or taking it too easily – its a fine balance. As we popped up above the dam wall the first rays of dawn began and we were treated to quite a show. Taking any moment I could to look up from the single track, I resisted the urge to stop and take photos like so many others were. The kilometers through to Langfords Gap (13km) moved quickly and I felt like things were going ok, however my legs felt heavier than I would have liked. At Langfords we had our first drop bag. To be honest, it was a bit of a waste but with the course revision there wasn’t much to be done about it. Knowing that I wouldn’t have a drop bag for another 30km I stuck to my strategy and topped up the calories as planned. From here I started to do a walk run strategy on the slow incline, trying to manage my effort and not wear myself out on what was very runnable trail.
Leaving Langfords Gap
It was along here that I met another fellow Northburn runner as well as seeing Jas and Ana for the first time. They were powering along and soon left me behind. I reminded myself to run my own race and just keep plugging along. As soon as we hit the first descent (at approx 30km) I started to find my stride. It felt great and I started overtaking people. I was also revelling in the sights, remembering I had hit this section in the middle of the night last time. It was on this descent I caught up to Ana and Jas, and after a quick stop to remove my fleece, we ran together chatting about the terrain, the weather and what was to come. At the river at the bottom we parted ways, I wanted to push on up the climb to Hotham while they stopped for water. I was moving well, eating and drinking on schedule and didn’t want to wait. The climb was hot and just kept going. I gave myself little incentives along the way (chocolate is a great motivator!) and tried to pull memories for spots as I kept moving. As I hit the skifield I reminded myself that this wasn’t the top and that I still had a while until I actually reached Hotham – I learnt that the hard way last time. I hadn’t seen another runner for over an hour, but I wasn’t bothered. As long as I was moving I was fine.
Feathertop in the background from the heat of the Hotham climb
I felt a surge when I finally saw Hotham ahead. I powered up to the checkpoint. The people crewing at this point were great. It lifted my spirits and I took the time to repack and refill as well as eating and drinking extra. I knew I wouldn’t have another drop bag for 50km and wanted to make sure I had everything I needed. Just as I was readying myself to leave Jas and Ana arrived. I gifted Jas a ginger beer I didn’t want, knowing he would be coming back through Hotham on his 2nd loop later that night or the following morning.
Going up to the summit of Hotham I remembered this part with Kirsten and made sure I read every single sign for the next 5km, determined to not get lost like we had 2 years ago. Just after the summit I made a quick stop to put on sunscreen, the one thing I had forgotten to do at the checkpoint! Once I hit Bon Accord Spur I relaxed and ran down the trail. I had been barely able to walk due to sleepiness last time I was here and this time I felt like I was flying! It was a great feeling to be running down this fairly technical trail, passing other runners picking their way down. In my head I was picturing my friends Laurie and Ian running ahead of me, just as they had on runs back home. The heat of the day was starting to kick in and when I hit Washington Creek I took the time to dip my hat and buff in the water and wash myself off. The run into Harrietville was hot and the distance seemed longer than it actually was, thanks to the heat radiating off the road in the last km. The Harrietville checkpoint was pretty subdued. I saw at least two runners drop at this point. I ate some watermelon, made a call to my hubby to check in and went to the bathroom. I couldn’t see any reason to stick around so I headed back out. This was the climb I had been dreading and the heat was already getting to me before I hit the actual trail. At the trailhead I clambered down to the creek to wet my hat again then put my head down to get on with the climb. The climb to the saddle is long and at an annoying gradient. I would hike well for awhile and then get a wave of fatigue. I was still eating and drinking well but I was starting to flag. I had been on my feet for 11hrs and had run over 65km. I tried to boost my calories with both extra sugar and a sandwich (vegimite for the win!) but it barely made a dent. In the back of my mind I had whispers of what had happened at UTMB and I sorted through what I should do. I needed to pick myself up and quick. I stopped to sit on a log with some fellow runners who were also regrouping, I sifted through what I could do, what might help and settled on caffeine. I had been saving it for the evening but figured I needed it now. When I stopped at a spring on the track I refilled my water and took on some caffeine. Within 15min my energy was back but I didn’t celebrate, I put my head down and hiked to the saddle, overtaking people who had passed me over the last hour. I kept eating and drinking as planned on top of the extras – my whole mantra being ” you know it works, don’t fuck with it, just eat, stick to the plan”. I reached Feathertop and I was excited!
Mountain views from the Feathertop ascent
I don’t actually remember summiting Feathertop in 2017, it was cloudy and cold and there was no view. This time there were mountains every way I turned and I had made it before sunset – one of my self directed goals.
Before sunset on Feathertop Summit
As I came down off Feathertop, I stopped at the trail junction to put on a layer in preparation for the coming night and also my headlamp, figuring I may as well do everything in one stop. Here I met Melissa and helped her with which direction we were to go. On the run out to Diamantina Spur we yoyoed back and forth a bit, just passing words here and there. We hit the descent and I told myself to be brave, that if I could do Breast Hill back home I could do this. I was descending well and making up ground. Diamantina is very steep and technical. It consists on steep drops in the trail itself connected with flatter sections. The dry conditions made it like skating on leaves and loose dirt in places. The pink sunset was somewhat of a welcome distraction for the first part of the descent, but we soon dipped below the tree line and headlamps were turned on. I had started to put some distance between myself and Melissa and after a slight slip with one of my poles I was just thinking I should probably pack them away on the next ledge when both my poles and my feet slid out from underneath me. As I crashed through the brush past the trail ledge on that section I seriously thought I wasn’t going to stop until I hit the creek I could hear down below. I must have involuntarily flung my arms out and stopped myself somehow. I was basically standing with my whole body against earth (thats how steep the mountainside is) about a metre below the actual trail. I took a breath and checked myself. Melissa had heard me fall and called out asking if I was ok? I replied that I would be, if I could just get to the trail. I unhooked my poles and stashed them up against a tree, I looked below my feet and saw that my headlamp was now sitting about a metre below me. Luckily it was on and I could see it. So, I had to clamber down, all the while shaking, and retrieve it. I then decided to climb across the mountain until I hit the trail. I retrieved my poles and gingerly picked my way across. When I finally hit the trail, I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Melissa for waiting to see I was ok. I assessed the damage. I was bruised and battered, but I chose to ignore that. My pack, however, couldn’t be ignored. The whole rights side had come away from the body, rendering the strap useless, the pack falling off as I stood up. I had had something similar happen before and knew safety pins would hold it. I had some in my pack but my hands were still shaking and I couldn’t see the point of wasting time finding them in my pack when I had some readily available on my race bib. I set to work doing my repairs all the while ignoring the scrapes that were starting to sting and the thoughts wanting to surface in my head – no point in replaying the fall, just get on with it. I stood up, repairs done and told myself to get moving. It wasn’t a thought of “I should go now” it was a firm “get moving, NOW!” that echoed in my head. I started off at a cautious jog, for some reason the song “Holding out for a hero” by Bonnie Tyler came belting out of my mouth – I don’t know where that came from! This saw me constantly yelling “I need a hero, as I run into the end of the night” (google tells me the actual lyrics are “I need a hero, I’m holding out for a hero ’til the end of the night”) as I began to pick up pace, quickly punctuated by “Fuck!” as I slipped and slowed again. This was repeated all the way down until we hit the fire road.
Melissa was now just ahead of me and was at the bottom checking and rechecking her maps. I stopped to check my maps as well and we confirmed the direction. She left as I filled a water bottle, I remembered the next climb being longer than you expect and I didn’t want to get stuck without electrolyte, despite the dropping temperatures. The next few kms were slow. It was now pitch dark and we were trying to navigate a part of the course that I really couldn’t remember that well thanks to miler fog. Melissa and I collaborated on most junctions – we were both still running at our own pace, but if either of us was unsure we would wait to just double check. We both missed a turn and after some creative rerouting managed to get back on course after wasting some 10min trying to find the original turn.
We began climbing back up to Pole333 and the cold was starting to seep in. Melissa went ahead as I made the decision to put on my waterproof as extra warmth. I had a fleece in my pack but didn’t feel I needed it yet, plus my waterproof was easier to access on the side of the trail. We climbed and I kept moving well, telling myself to run wherever the trail flattened out, rejoicing as we got above the tree line. I could see Melissa’s light ahead but was still careful to navigate for myself as I knew we were all getting tired. I had no sense of time, I was just doing the thing. Hitting the top I knew at Pole333 I would need to put on my fleece to stay comfortable. I also started thinking about what I needed to do at my 90km drop bag at Pretty Valley. As I came into the Pole333 check point I shouted a hello to the volunteers there, telling them how happy I was to be there. They commented that I was the most cheery runner they had seen in hours and I was buoyed by that – my aim had been to smile and really enjoy the race and on reflection I was! One of the volunteers helped me remove my waterproof to put on my fleece underneath, while the other told me to look for his car parked at the end of the single track and to turn right there. Melissa had barely stopped and was nowhere in sight. Taking a piece of chocolate for the journey, I headed out. Trying to not check my watch for kilometres or time proved difficult along here. I wanted to get to Pretty Valley (PVP) quickly, I was planning to lighten my pack significantly, ditching all my extra food and things (sunhat, sunscreen etc) and I was really looking forward to it.
The last rolling descent into PVP became slower than expected thanks to thick fog rolling in, I switched my headlamp to the lowest setting making it slightly easier to see, but my vision was still only limited to a few metres. I had been told that PVP was unmanned, so I was pleasantly surprised to see some people there, they were crew for another runner but they helped me open my can of fizzy water (so. damn. good!) and stow my stuff. Melissa had just left as I had come in, while I wasn’t really trying to beat her, it helped to have someone to chase. Now feeling lighter and knowing it was 10km to the finish I set off, thanking the vollies for their help.
Still keeping my “stick to the plan” mantra going I ate and drank on repeat, allowing myself a little more sugar than before and taking in some more caffeine. I had barely strolled this last section in the miler. It had taken so many hours to climb to Mt McKay and then walk to the finish last time. I was excited that I was jogging, uphill no less! It was more of a run/walk interval but I was still happy and it wasn’t hurting nearly as much as I had anticipated! I climbed up to Mt McKay, no views to be had but I smiled thinking of the sunset photo Kirsten and I had taken there when she had paced me. I wondered how she was going, hoping she was moving through the dark well.
Views from Mt McKay the day before on a course recce
I quickly turned to run down, knowing Melissa was just ahead of me, having seen her descending just before the summit. When I hit the road below Melissa was there, I showed her where the trail was and set off, she soon caught me as my energy was lagging but I was determined to keep jogging. Across “The Desert” I followed, her bobbing light pulling me along and reminding me to run although I was tired. We hit the ski road and the dust was awful, but I was almost done! My feet were beginning to get sore, it was the first 100km+ race where I hadn’t changed shoes or socks at all and my feet were still in good condition but the rocks on the dirt road hurt, so I ran on the verge where there were softer tracks. When I saw the turn down onto the ski slope to home I told myself to keep it together and RUN! The grass was dewy and wet and the little mounds from the water races and I don’t know what else were tediously annoying but I was smiling – I was still running at 98kms!!! I ran down into the finish – so happy!! I was greeted by the time keeper, the only person there to see me finish and given my medal. It was kind of funny and kind of perfect. This was and is my proudest finish in a race. There was no spectacle, no fanfare, no hugs. Just the smile on my face and a sense of “yes, I did it. I did what I set out to do and I did it all by myself. No pacer, no crew, just me.”
I wandered into the runners lounge. Melissa congratulated me and asked how I was after my fall on Diamantina. We had not spoken of it since it happened but I looked down and saw in the light the blood, dust and bruises on my legs – yep, it had been a decent fall! Apparently I wasn’t the first to come in in such a state either.
The arm that broke the fall
I grabbed a milo and walked back to our accommodation. I wanted to celebrate but I needed to get some sleep. I sent my hubby and my parents a message to say I was finished and happy, had some vegimite before jumping in the shower and heading to bed. I left my phone on beside me, in anticipation of Kirsten calling me as she neared the finish.
Post race celebratory pic – tired!
I woke to a call from my parents. I was thinking Kirsten should be almost finished. I can’t remember if Kirsten called me or sent me a message while I was talking, but I quickly said goodbye to mum and rang her back. She was on top of Mt McKay, eating snickers, enjoying the sunrise – YAY!!
Watching her finish was the icing on the cake. Kirsten had been my pacer at AC – the first time we met and had gone on to be a big part of my UTMB adventure. It was wonderful to share a part of her journey as a runner for once and I am so damn proud of her because I know how hard AC is as a race.
The stats:
Revised course map
You can see my strava file here.
Revised course elevation profile
Gear:
Shoes – TopoAthletic Runventure2
Socks – Injinji TRAIL 2.0
Pack – Ultimate Direction AdventureVest
Watch – Suunto Ambit3 Peak
Nutrition – Pure Sports Nutrition Electrolyte (Raspberry and Pineapple)
– Spring Energy Gels (Long Haul, Canaberry, Speednut, McRaecovery,
Electroride)
– Clif Energy Bars
– Bundaberg Ginger Beer
– Vegimite Sandwiches, Various Chocolates, Watermelon, Apple, Salt Potato
Chips, Twistees, Lolly Snakes
So, as I write this, it is a month later. I have taken a real break from running, for the first time in what seems like years. It has been nice to sit back and actually celebrate a race. I haven’t had any what if or if only moments. Yes, there are things I could have done and will do in the future to improve my future races but there is no disappointment in this race. It has also made me appreciate the experiences at UTMB last year and Northburn this year. There were some hard (very hard) lessons in those two races and a lot of disappointment, but because of those lessons AC was actually a joy to run. It wasn’t a slog (except for when it was 😉 ) I didn’t just survive it, I ran it, with a smile on my face for 90% of the run! It was a win for me and it makes me unbelievably excited about the coming year and the big Italian adventure that is to come!
Next: Lavaredo Ultratrail 120km
runjojo 