Running Up That Hill

Rehabbing after a calf injury several years ago, I spent a lot of time reading running magazines in an effort to maintain my enthusiasm to get back to full fitness. I had a lot of time off (15+ months), so I read a lot of race reports. One in particular caught my eye; a trail race across Mornington Peninsula starting with a climb over Arthurs Seat that had 28 and 56k options. My first thought was, “That’s a little bit insane, bonkers even”! Roll forward to the present, and I have just completed the 28k option, and looking forward to going back next year! Life is strange...

I should have been nervy, anxious, even bricking it (my usual pre-race emotions), but no. On the back of 6 weeks preparation I was clearly underdone and had zero expectations other than finishing in one piece. Realistically though, I was looking for a sub 2:50 finish (roughly the average time for 28k runners from last year), and I was running with a team. That changed the dynamic somewhat!

On the urging of my (soon to become) team-mates (see Under Pressure) I had signed up and we were adding other speedy runners to our team.
Team Name: Winnies Wonders (mixed 28k)
Team members: Sam Winnie, David Grech, Cheryl Martin, Ed Sixsmith, Jonathan Coles, Michelle Acorn, Brian Devlin, Josie Salahoras, and me.

We had looked at last year’s winning time and worked out that an average time per runner was around 2 hours 43. Doable, we all thought. At that point it moved from a ‘just for fun’ participation event, to a ‘let’s go for it’ race! Runners’ competitive juices kick in, again!

5 of us convened at the RACV resort at Cape Schanck on the Saturday afternoon, having all picked up our race bibs at Dromana and resisting the urge to stare up at the climb over Arthurs Seat. As always happens pre-race, the nerves start to kick-in, so we decided to explore the pool and adjoining games room. The pool was out of action, a code brown event was the explanation... The doctor in our group didn't need to explain it to us. But.... the games room was stocked with air hockey, pool table and table tennis table; and it was all free. We were like kids in a lolly shop, or drinkers who have fallen asleep under a pool table only to find themselves locked in the pub! Active taper consisted of some very competitive games of air hockey, some people sharking us at pool, and a non-stop game of table tennis. It helped take the mind off the following day’s race.

Back at the villa, bottles of wine were lined up and food stored or displayed all in preparation for the after race party/wind down. 

As part of my revision of my race at Melbourne last year, I had decided to change my pre-race meal from the usual super sized pasta (hangover from the big is beautiful days of triathlon training), to a more sedate fish, salad & steamed vegetable meal. Pan fried salmon cutlet, cous cous salad, and steamed asparagus may well sound like a Jamie Oliver meal, but it went down a treat. I will do that again.

After a bit of discussion mainly race tactics and concerns about the initial hill climb, we drifted off to bed. As per usual I don’t sleep well before a race. So it was a real treat to doze for hours, only to fall into a deep sleep about half an hour before the alarm went off; at 4:45 am!

Breakfast, last minute adjustments to race kit, toilet stops etc. were completed, then it was a short drive to the finish line to leave the car. Great meeting friends and fellow runners before we boarded the bus for the 20 minute drive to the start line at Dromana. We arrived with about 25 minutes to go to the start and my folly of not using the toilets at Cape Schanck was cruelly exposed. First time I've seen the queue for the men’s toilets longer and slower than the women’s!

Brian, Ed, Cheryl, myself, David and Jonathan before the start. Surprisingly calm before a major race.

Not much chance of a warm-up, so I had to be content with some stretching and some light leg swings before packing into the start line with all the other hopefuls. There was a lot of pre-race nervous chatter, so I didn't hear the announcement that the race was about to start. So, taking the phone out of it's tight pocket was, in hindsight, a tad foolish. Took the photo of the assembled runners at the start, started to put the phone back in when the race started! HELP!!! Ever tried to not panic (whilst actually slightly panicking) trying to get a phone back into an undersized pocket? Just like those movies where the hunted are trying to get a key turned in a lock to open a door before the axe murderer gets them! It was tense, it was close, but I got it just as the runners in front of me started to move! Phew! Thankfully remembered to start the GPS watch as well. Nothing like being prepared, is there!

The photo that ensured my heart rate was nicely elevated at the start.

Ed, Cheryl, Jonathan and I started together, quickly splitting into two groups (Ed and Chez, Jonathan and me) leading up the road towards the start of the track over Arthurs Seat. It was already a reasonable climb up to the track and after a brief period Jonathan joined the other two. Brian, I presumed, was close behind me, but I had no idea where Michelle and Sam where. I was content to keep my own pace in the early stages, plenty of distance left to trash myself. Walked a couple of sections early on, even on the road, as at times it appeared to be just as fast to walk as to run!

We funnelled into the track for the climb over Arthurs and it was great seeing the mass of runners ahead and behind me, colourful and vibrant, still many of us chatting with others, but slowly getting on with the job.

The climb up Arthurs is THE serious climb of the 28k race. Just when you think it’s getting steep enough, it gets even steeper. Between the 1.2 and 3.0k marks I walked the majority; it was faster than jogging, compared to the few who persisted up these sections.

Quick Instagram piccie on the way up! Totally cool, so long as you don't go arse over tit taking it...

Met a couple of fellow runners, one who said hello and then ran on ahead, the other who ran/walked with me near to the top of the climb, before he too ran on ahead. I was happy for them to go as I was content to conserve energy and run a conservative pace early on. I thought I would never see them again until the end (certainly Ed, Cheryl and Jonathan had disappeared from sight, “good luck chaps!”), but I would see one!

I finally crested the top of the hill at the 3.2k mark in about 24 minutes, pleased with the effort, and also pleased that I hadn't overcooked myself. Now, for me, the race proper started!

Continued next blog....