MB100k race report

Well, I thought I should jot down some thoughts on the second running of the MB100k (I suppose this race is my baby, which makes me the RD). After only 2 runners attempted/completed the distance last year I had high hopes for a larger field this year however it was not to be. So Dave and I were again in for a long day in the bush by ourselves. The course runs from Sculpture Park in Mundaring to the general store in Jarradale, utilizing the Munda Biddi cycle trail. The maps give the distance as about 103k, however due to some re-routing the course is close to 100k exactly (maybe a few hundred meters over).

Last years run was very much a learning experience for both Dave and I as it was our first time over the distance. It became clear though that although we run together often, running together was becoming detrimental to our individual races. In 2008 we introduced a handicap start, which was designed to allow us both to run our own races without compromising the other runners’ race. The handicap was set at 30 minutes.

I got underway at 5:45am on Saturday and it was cold (roughly 6 degrees in Perth so possibly colder in the hills), maybe the hardest thing was leaving Dave and my wife (#1 support crew) warm in the car. The first few hours for me was all about getting into a comfortable rhythm and knocking off the k’s. I was looking to get to the first campsite (41.5k) in 4hrs, and was confident that I could do that and still feel fresh. One of the highlights of the first few hours was climbing out of the Mundaring valley to see the thick fog covering the valley – it’s truly amazing the scenery that awaits those who dare to go looking for it.

Dave began his run at 6:17 (late as usual) and immediately set about trying to run me down. I knew that he would catch-up a lot over the first 50k or so but was confident that I could hold him off over the second half of the race. I went through the first campsite in 4:02 and after a quick toilet stop was off again, looking forward to the first support stop of the race @50k. the time 4:55 when I reached 50k and I was glad that the first 50k was over – not that I was struggling, but I knew the 1st 50k wasn’t going to be the challenge, rather the second 50k was what the race was all about. I spent about 8 minutes at the car with Kate (My Wife), changed hydration packs, downed about 500ml of gatorade, some Pringles and I was off again. Dave surprised me by showing up just as I was leaving, he had made up about 25 minutes over 50k so the signs weren’t looking good for a victory. I consoled myself by reiterating the fact that I was confident of being strong over the last 50k so the race was still on.

The next section was about 23k to Albany Hwy where Kate and Bel (Dave’s Wife). I had a few stomach troubles during the first 10k and was forced to walk for 10 minutes and force down some more Pringles. One of the biggest challenges with Ultra running is trying to eat enough food. After 5-6 hrs you just can’t stomach food and start to feel nauseous but without it you won’t get enough calories to continue. This seemed to do the job and I started to feel strong again, knowing that Dave was only a few minutes behind me was good incentive to keep running hard, my goal was to hold him off until the next stop then see what happened over the last 27k.
I managed to get to the next aid station (73k) in about 7:50hrs and was still in the lead (taking into account the handicap). I knew I had to eat something so I sat down for the first time and chewed away at some chips and had some more Gatorade. After about 8 minutes Dave showed up and that was my cue to leave, so I got up and headed off again. A quick glance at my watch revealed the final challenge I needed to run the final 27k in 3hrs to break 11hrs for the course. It was going to be tough but I certainly wasn’t going to die wondering so I chugged down a caffeine gu and headed off into what has become known as the ‘Caffeine Quarter’ of the race. One of the tricks with Ultra running is basically to starve your body of caffeine during the race and then load up over the final stages which tends to give you body a huge kick and allows you to continue running strong. It definitely worked as I began running much quicker that I had been and was feeling confident that a sub 11hr time was within reach.

I was strong for the next 10-12k and Dave (who was running the race of his life and surprised everyone including himself) had caught up by this stage. We had a fantastic struggle over about 5k, where he would overtake me, then I would overtake him. This must have happened about 3 times until finally at the 86k mark he dropped me and I didn’t see him again. I was starting to struggle, mainly due to my stomach and not enough food. I had been drinking flat Coke and Gatorade for 1.5hrs and just wasn’t getting enough calories. I was forced to again walk and try and force down some Pringles. Why Pringles? Well I had 4 honey sandwiches in the first 50k and that pretty much did me for sweet food, after that I couldn’t stomach anything sweet. Pringles are savory and loaded with salt so they are quite nice to have whilst running.

The extended walk breaks allowed my body to cool down and coupled with the fact that it was getting later in the day I started to really suffer. When I arrived at Balmoral (11.5k to go and my time was just over 10hrs) I was aware that going sub 11hrs was gone, so I tried to find another goal. Having a challenging goal is extremely important in Ultra running. My goal before the race was to go sub 12hrs, it was clear that I would do this but you need to have a challenge to keep you motivated – especially over the last few k’s. The ability to modify your goals during a race is a learned skill that is vitally important. I was struggling to come up with a suitable goal when it suddenly hit me, last year I ran 14:28hrs, my new goal was to break that PB by 3hrs, I needed to go under 11:28. This was a challenge because I was struggling but it was just what I needed.

I ploughed on knowing that the end was within reach, with 5k to go I started to feel alright and was confident of being able to run the rest of the way in without walking. I reached a section of track that I knew was about 3.8k to go and I looked at my watch and it had just ticked over to 11hrs. I needed to run the final 3.8k in 28 minutes, an easy task usually but after running 96.2k’s it was touch and go. I always like to finish races strong and this was no different so I started to gradually increase my pace – ready for one final effort. I was continuing to build up speed and with 2k to go I saw Kate and the car. I decided to take off my hydration pack for the first time in over 11hrs and really try to hammer the final 2k. I actually started to feel really fresh, which was unusual and although I was hurting, I seemed to be doing ok. I reached the trail head to the toots of the car horn and photos but I still had to make it to the general store about 700m away so I continued. Coming into the carpark of the general store was a great feeling, made ever sweeter when I checked my watch 11:18.12, I had run the last 3.8k in 18 minutes to record a 3:10 minute PB and I was very satisfied with my effort.

Dave went on to finish in a blistering time of 10hr 30min to once again win the MB100k, but I didn’t care I was happy to come second to that! Congrats Dave, I must admit if someone had told me I would run 11:18 before the race I would have thought that the win was mine – I will never under-estimate Dave’s natural talent again. Well being a fatass race there was no presentations, although I did graciously present the trophy to Dave – a well deserved Jesters Sausage Roll, which was polished off swiftly.

All in all the race was one of the best I’ve been involved with, and I must attribute much of that to Kate and Bel who dutifully crewed for us throughout the day (especially Kate for doing the entire race). Both Dave and I were ecstatic with our results and the signs are good for the upcoming races. The MB100k is a great race and I would encourage everyone to seriously consider it next year. It’s a unique race because it doesn’t involve laps and you feel as if you’ve actually gone somewhere. Let’s hope next year a few more people will step up to the 100k and experience the highs and lows of the MB100k